TOPEKA, Kan. --- The Washburn Ichabod women's basketball team survived a bush with Rockhurst on Friday at Lee Arena with a 64-62 victory. With the result, the Ichabods improved to 4-0 on the season for the first time since the 2014-15 campaign.
 
Washburn struggled during the final 12:11 of the game as it was outscored 22-12. During that stretch, the Ichabod offense committed eight turnovers while shooting just 3-of-13 from the field.
 
Leading 54-43 to start the fourth, the Hawks (1-1) narrowed trimmed to the Washburn advantage to four with a 7-0 spurt during the opening 1:50 of the period making 54-50. The Ichabods then stumbled over themselves as they were held scoring the next 3:38 until Mackenzie Loe was snapped the drought by converting both attempts from the line with 5:18 remaining.
 
Another 1:27 dripped of the clock before Washburn registered bucket as Alexis McAfee knocked down a shot from behind the arc pushing the score to 59-50 with 3:51 left to play. Axelle Bernard followed suit draining a shot from the corner giving WU its final double-figure advantage of the evening, 62-50, with just under three minutes on the clock.
 
Rockhurst then responded by rattling off 12 straight points tying the at game 62 with 32 seconds to go. The Hawks' run was brisk as it lasted just 2:18 but they were efficient making 4-of-7 from the field including a pair from distance. In addition to be scoreless, Washburn sputtered offensively turning over the ball on three occasions during the stretch.
 
A missed shot by Reagan Phelan with 0:14 left was collected by Denesia Smith. Smith tried to immediately put a shot but was fouled and was sent to the line instead. Smith proved to be clutch at the line as she converted both attempts nudging the Ichabods out front, 64-62, with 0:10 to go before Rockhurst threw up a last ditch from deep that rimmed out.
 
The Ichabods controlled the third as they sprinted to a 7-3 run during the opening 1:54 of the frame. A Taylor Blue layup and pair of converted free throws from Phelan gave Washburn its largest lead of the contest at 52-40 at the 2:21 mark before eventually going into the final period with a 54-43 lead.
 
Washburn opened the evening affair strong as it scored on its first five possessions to open the period on a 12-4 run. The Ichabods eventually opened a double-digit margin before the end of the period as it closed with a 7-2 run taking a 24-14 lead to the second. Olivia Montague shouldered the spurt as buried back-to-back treys in less than a minute.
 
The Ichabods had their best shooting quarter during the opener, converting 64.3 percent from the field, including 5-of-7 from three-point range.
 
With Washburn leading 30-20, the Hawks began to threaten the advantage as they went on a 9-0 run second trimming the margin to 32-29 with 2:49 left in the half. Washburn's Cara Donley responded 22 seconds later with three-pointer before Loe added a pair from the charity stripe, though a Rockhurst layup saw the Washburn head into the break with a 37-31 lead.
 
Loe finished with a team-high 17 points and 10 rebounds for her first career double-double. She shot 6-for-8 from the field and converted on 5-of-6 from the line. Denesia Smith a game-best six assists while adding four points and registering three steals. Taylor Blue and Alexis McAfee netted eight points each.
 
Rockhurst outscored Washburn with points in the paint, 28-24, along with turnover points, 23-13. The Ichabods however edged out control in second-chance points, 13-12, and bench points, 22-13. Washburn outrebounded RU, 42-33.
 
Washburn is back in action when it hosts the Parrish Hotels Thanksgiving Classic on Nov. 24-25. The Ichabods will face St. Cloud State on Friday before squaring off against former conference for, Truman State on Saturday.