TOPEKA, Kan. --- The Washburn women's basketball team improved to 8-3 on the season and 2-1 in league play as it downed Lindenwood 73-49 Saturday evening at Schendel Court at Lee Arena. With the result, Ichabod head coach Ron McHenry tallied win number 397.
 
Aside from an early WU hiccup that allowed Lindenwood (5-4, 1-2 MIAA) to mount a eight-point advantage during the opening five minutes, Washburn was able to dictate much of the game's tempo due in large part by the post play of Alyxis Bowens and Felisha Gibbs.
 
Bowens led all players with 16 points while filling out the statistical ledger with seven rebounds, three blocks and a pair of steals. Gibbs meanwhile recorded Washburn's first double-double of the season as she finished with 12 points 14 boards, 11 coming at the defensive end. Gibbs also registered a pair of blocks in the effort.
 
Trailing 12-4 at the 5:23 mark in the first, WU grabbed the lead scoring five straight times to go on an 11-0 run and bumped the score to 15-12 and led from then on. The Lions trimmed the margin to two before the end of the opening period but that was the closet they the came.
 
In the second, the Ichabods remained in the driver's seat as they led by as much as 14 inside four minutes, 30-16. Lindenwood then tallied an 8-1 spurt to cut the WU lead to 31-24 at the break.
 
Washburn pulled away in the third as it outscored LWU 19-7 to push the score to 50-31 including a pair of made free throws from Reagan Phelan who finished 5 of 8 from the line and had 10 points on the night.
 
The Ichabods closed out the evening strong at both ends of the floor as they forced five Lindenwood turnovers and completed six of their final 14 shots en route to a 73-49 victory.
 
Erika Lane and Erin Dohnalek also assisted in the win as each finished with nine points. Lane also had a team-high four assists while Dohnalek was perfect from the charity stripe at 6 for 6.
 
Collectively, Washburn lead for just over 33 minutes as it shot 43.9 percent from the floor including a season-best 35.7 percent from three-point distance. The Ichabods did well to control the glass with a 44-36 advantage as their bench edged LWU in scoring, 25-11.
 
Washburn will close out the 2016 portion of its season on Monday when it hosts MIAA foe Lincoln at 5:30 p.m.