TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn women's basketball will make its first road trip of the season and begin MIAA play on Monday as the Ichabods head down to Tahlequah, Okla. to face Northeastern State.

OPENING TIP

• The Ichabods posted a 12-point victory over Haskell Indian Nations University last time out to improve their record to 3-2 on the young season.
• The RiverHawks also defeated Haskell, 81-58, on Friday and are now 3-1.
• This is NSU's best start to the season since 2017-18 where it also began the season 3-1.
• Washburn swept the regular season series last year against Northeastern State, winning 61-50 at NSU (Feb. 5, 2022) and then picking up a 71-49 decision at home (Feb. 22, 2022).
• NSU completed the 2021-22 campaign with a record of 7-21 (5-17 MIAA).
• Last season, Washburn finished the regular season in a tie for eighth place in the conference standings after going 11-11 in conference action while Northeastern State was 12th.
• In this season's MIAA Coaches Preseason Poll, Washburn was picked 10th and Northeastern State was voted right where it finished last year in 12th.

WASHBURN BY THE NUMBERS

• Washburn is averaging 57.4 ppg and has a 38.3 field goal percentage.
• The Ichabods are second in the league in points allowed per game as they hold opponents to just 52.8 ppg ... the WU defense has not allowed more than 64 points in any game yet.
• In each of the Ichabods' five games so far, they have led at halftime and recorded more rebounds than their opponents.
• Washburn has drained five or more three-pointers in every game this season ... WU has now made at least one triple in 48-consecutive games going back to Jan. 16, 2021.
• The Ichabods went 4-8 in true road games last season.

MIAA PLAY

• Washburn is 21-12 all-time in MIAA opening games.
• The Ichabods' most recent victory in a conference-opening game was on Dec. 6, 2018 against Southwest Baptist.
• Washburn has never played Northeastern State in the first MIAA game of the season.
• This season's conference opener is early as Washburn has played only one other MIAA opener in the month of November... WU played Nebraska-Kearney in the MIAA and season opener on Nov. 21, 2020 in the conference-only shortened schedule.
• WU's first season in the MIAA was 1989-90 and the program has had a record of .500 or better in regular season conference action in 29 of 33 seasons.

THE WU CREW

• Aubree Dewey has started all five games and leads the team with 9.8 ppg to go with a 41.7 field goal percentage, 4.0 rpg, and a team-high 3.4 apg ... she has also seen the most floor time of any Ichabod as she averages 30.4 minutes per game.
• Natalia Figueroa has also been in the starting lineup in each of the five games so far as she averages 8.8 ppg ... she has made three three-pointers in the last three games. Against Haskell, she had a well-rounded game with 13 points, five rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a block.
• Mackenzie Gamble also averages 8.8 ppg and has made a team-high 12 three-pointers.
• Off the bench, Emma Chapman averages 7.8 ppg with a 42.9 field goal percentage and 6.6 rpg ... against the Fighting Indians, she had eight points and four boards in 13 minutes of action.
• Gabi Artis returned to the court on Nov. 23 after sitting out two games due to injury ... she had four points and two assists. Through three games, she averages 6.7 ppg.
• Macy Doebele is the third and final Ichabod who has started every game so far. She is eighth in the conference in rebounding as she averages 7.2 rpg ... she tied a career-high in rebounds in the contest against Haskell when she pulled down 12. She also contributes 6.0 ppg.
• Lauren Cassaday broke out a season-high 10 points making 4-of-6 and two free throws against Haskell with eight of those points coming in the fourth quarter. She was also two rebounds shy of a double-double.
• Off the bench, freshmen Yiibari Nwidadah and Amaya Davison average 5.5 ppg and 4.0 ppg, respectively.
• Davison netted a season-best nine points against Haskell and made four of her six shot attempts.

HEAD COACH LORA WESTLING

• Former Washburn women's basketball student-athlete Lora Westling has returned to Topeka and is in her first season as head coach in 2022-23.
• Westling returns to her alma mater after six seasons at Western Colorado, where she compiled a record of 77-78 and led the team to back-to-back NCAA Tournament selections – the first two in program history.
• Her overall victories is second on the Western all-time list and her 63 RMAC wins is tied for second in program history.
• Prior to Western Colorado, Westling spent three seasons as the head coach at the Division III program, Illinois College.
• Before accepting the head job at Illinois College, Westling was the top assistant at Truman State from 2010-13.
• Westling's first full-time position came at University of Missouri-St. Louis where she was the top assistant from 2007-10.
• She got her start in coaching at Washburn, where she served as a graduate assistant for the women's basketball and women's soccer teams.
• Westling was a standout member of Washburn's women's basketball team from 2001-05 and helped the Lady Blues to the school's first NCAA Division II national championship in 2005.
• She is currently sixth in games played (132), sixth in career three-pointers made (144), 10th in assists (299), and 14th in three-point field goal percentage (.363).
• She also played one season of soccer for the Lady Blues.

WASHBURN ASSISTANT COACHES

• Coach Westling brought in a new coaching staff for her first season and chose J'nae Squires-Horton and Will Marchino as her assistants.
• Squires-Horton served as a graduate assistant at the University of Colorado Springs-Colorado.
• As a student-athlete, Squires-Horton was a three-year member of the MSU Denver basketball team and earned all-RMAC second team honors twice.
• Following her graduation at MSU Denver with a degree in Journalism, Squires-Horton played one season in Latvia with the Latvian Basketball League's SBK Liepaja/LSSS.
• Marchino spend the previous two seasons as an assistant coach at Seward County Community College where he oversaw recruiting and scouting.
• Prior to his time in Liberal, Kansas, Marchino was an assistant coach for Grand View University.
• Before making the jump to the college ranks, Marchino was the varsity girls basketball head coach at Iowa Christian Academy.
• Marchino is a 2008 graduate from the University of Iowa where he received his degree in Health and Sports Studies.

WASHBURN'S LAST TIME OUT
Washburn 63, Haskell 51 (Nov. 23, 2022)
TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn women's basketball team captured a 63-51 non-conference win over Haskell Indian Nations University on Wednesday evening.

Washburn was originally scheduled to host Central Christian College on Wednesday, but that contest was replaced with Haskell after the Tigers were placed in COVID-19 protocols.

The Ichabods (3-2) jumped out to a 7-2 lead at the 4:47 mark in the opening quarter when Haskell started to chip away at the deficit. The Fighting Indians scored eight of the final 11 points to level the score at 10-all at the end of the first 10 minutes.

Washburn quickly broke the tie score with a 4-0 run to get the second quarter started and never trailed again. With just under minute left in the first half, Natalia Figueroa drained a three-point shot to extend the Ichabods' lead to double-figures, 29-19.

In the third, Washburn went 8-of-16 from the floor and scored 19 points for the second-consecutive period as it maintained its double-figure lead and took a 48-34 advantage into the fourth quarter.

Haskell trimmed the deficit down to 11 points on four occasions, but could get no closer as the Ichabods captured the 12-point victory.

The Ichabods finished the night shooting 38.2 percent from the field while the Fighting Indians made 23 percent. Both teams made five three-pointers, but Washburn dominated in the paint where it outscored Haskell, 42-16. The Ichabods also had more rebounds, 52 to 36.

Nine Ichabods scored in the contest and were led by Figueroa's 13 points. She also added five rebounds, four assists, three steals, and one block. Washburn's other double-digit scorer was Lauren Cassady, who tallied 10 points with eight of those coming in the fourth quarter. Cassaday was two rebounds shy of a double-double.

Amaya Davison made 4-of-6 from the floor and finished with nine points and Emma Chapman chipped in eight points. Macy Doebele was the top-rebounder with 12 boards.

For Haskell, Mahpiya Irving led the way with 21 points and seven steals. Marily Goodman added 11 points and seven rebounds.


ABOUT THE NORHTEASTERN STATE RIVERHAWKS

• Through four games, the RiverHawks (3-1) almost have half as many wins as they did in 2021-22 where they went 7-21. They have victories over Kansas Christian (W, 87-41), Oklahoma Baptist (W, 72-55), and Haskell (W, 81-58).
• The RiverHawks have zero seniors on their roster with seven returners and two freshmen.
• NSU is currently third among MIAA teams in scoring and shooting percentage as it averages 79.5 ppg at a 44.8 field goal percentage.
• In her second season, Ashton Hackler leads the team with 20.0 ppg and shoots 43.6 percent from the floor ... she scored a season-high 26 points against Arkansas-Fort Smith (Nov. 23).
• Fellow sophomore Courtney Lee leads the conference with an efficient 64.3 field goal percentage (27-of-42) ... she averages 18.0 ppg and scored 21 points against Oklahoma Baptist and Haskell. She is also sixth among MIAA players with 8.3 rpg.
• Aubrey Brown has started all four games and contributes 7.8 ppg and has handed out a team-high 17 assists.
• Off the bench, Mika Scott averages 8.3 ppg.

HEAD COACH FALA SUIAUNOA

• Fala Suiaunoa is in her sixth season leading her alma mater and has a record of 34-97 heading into this season.
• She took the RiverHawks to the MIAA Tournament in her first year with a record of 10-17.
• Prior to coming to Northeastern State, Bullock was the head coach at Armstrong State for four season and finished with a record of 60-52 with an appearance in the NCAA Sweet 16 her first season.
• She started her coaching career at Central Georgia and was there for two seasons.
• She is 2-6 against Washburn.

SERIES WITH NORTHEASTERN STATE

• Washburn leads the series 13-6 and has won six of the last seven matchups.
• When playing in Tahlequah, Washburn is 6-3.
• The first game these two programs ever played against each other was on March 13, 2010 in the NCAA South Central Region semifinals ... the RiverHawks won the contest, 56-51.

WASHBURN HISTORY

• Washburn women's basketball is 974-463-1 (.678) all-time and are in the 54th year of the program's history.
• Washburn claimed the 2005 NCAA National Championship over Seattle Pacific with a 70-53 win to cap off a 35-2 season.
• Washburn has made 17 NCAA Tournament appearances and is 26-16 all-time in those postseason games.
• The program has won 18 total MIAA Championships, earning nine regular season conference titles and winning nine MIAA Tournament championships.
• There have been 30 All-American awards given to Washburn players, with 11 of those coming from the WBCA.
• Washburn has finished 14 seasons with 25 wins and four seasons with 30 victories.

NEXT UP

After a brief road trip, Washburn returns to Lee Arena to continue conference play Saturday, Dec. 3 as it plays host to rival Emporia State.