TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn women's basketball will play its final non-conference game of the 2022-23 regular season on Thursday hosting Bethany College. Tip-off in Lee Arena is slated for 7 p.m.

OPENING TIP

• The Ichabods (4-5, 1-3 MIAA) last played on Dec. 17 and lost to Missouri Western, 57-44.
• Bethany is 9-5 this season and has won its last three official games ... the Swedes played an exhibition at Fort Hays State on Dec. 19 where they lost to the Tigers, 80-46.
• Thursday's contest will mark exactly one year since Washburn and Bethany last played each other (Dec. 29, 2021) when the Ichabods came away with a 71-50 win in Lee Arena.
• The game will be Washburn's final non-conference action of the season and it will count as an exhibition for Bethany.
• In 2021-22, the Swedes went 20-12 and their season came to an end with a loss in the KCAC Tournament quarterfinal to Avila, 76-63.
• Ichabod head coach Lora Westling has coached against Bethany prior to her joining Washburn ... as the head coach at Western Colorado, Westling's team played Bethany on Nov. 26, 2016 and won, 68-55.
   

WASHBURN BY THE NUMBERS

• Washburn is averaging 53.6 ppg and has a 36.9 field goal percentage.
• The Ichabods are third in the MIAA and ninth in all of Division II in fewest points allowed per game as they hold opponents to just 53.8 ppg.
• Through nine games, the WU defense still has not allowed more than 64 points in any game and has held two opponents to 45 or fewer points.
• In the Dec. 17 game against Missouri Western, the Ichabods held the Griffons to 21 points below MWSU's season scoring average heading into that game.
• Following a loss this season, Washburn is 3-1.
• The Ichabods hit six three-pointers against Missouri Western and now have made at least one three-pointer in 52-consecutive games going back to Jan. 16, 2021.

WU CREW

• Aubree Dewey has started all nine games and logged a team-high 31.3 minutes per game on the floor (sixth in the MIAA). She leads Washburn in scoring with 10.9 ppg and ranks seventh in the league with 3.4 assists per game.
• Natalia Figueroa is the only other Ichabod who has started every game so far and is averaging 9.0 ppg ... she has made at least one three-pointer every game and is currently sixth in the MIAA in three-point field goal percentage at 35.2 percent.
• Mackenzie Gamble has made 17 three-pointers so far, just two less than Figueroa, and averages an overall 7.7 ppg. She finished with nine points against Missouri Western last time out.
• Emma Chapman and Macy Doebele are the team leaders in rebounds as they  both average 5.6 rpg ... scoring-wise, Chapman averages 6.9 ppg and Doebele adds 6.1 ppg.
• Yiibari Nwidadah made both her shot attempts against Missouri Western and after six games played, she is shooting 52.6 percent from the floor and averages 4.3 in both ppg and rpg.
• Gabi Artis is also scoring 4.3 ppg and chipped in six points in the game against the Griffons.
• Fellow freshmen Amaya Davison and Lizzy Sanders average 2.4 ppg and 2.0 ppg, respectively, off the bench.
• Lakyn Schieferecke averages 10.9 minutes per game off the bench and adds 1.4 rpg and 1.0 ppg.

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

• The 2022-23 season marks the 39th season of play in Lee Arena as the facility opened in the 1983-84 season.
• Washburn is 442-119 all-time in Lee Arena.
• The Ichabods went 8-7 at home last season.
• This season, Washburn has played all but two games in the friendly confines of Lee Arena ... WU is 3-4 so far in those games.

ON THIS DAY - DECEMBER 29

• Washburn is 6-2 all-time when playing on December 29 and has won the last four in a row (2021, 2007, 2004, 2001).
• Washburn's most recent Dec. 29 game was against Bethany where the Ichabods won by 21 points in 2021.
• In that game, Doebele scored 14 points in 19 minutes, going 4-of-6 from the field and 5-for-5 at the free throw line.
   

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
Missouri Western 57, Washburn 44 (Dec. 17, 2022)
TOPEKA, Kan. – Washburn outscored Missouri Western 18-10 in the final quarter and cut the deficit to eight after trailing by as many as 24 points earlier in the game, but the offensive push was too late after three low-scoring quarters as the Ichabods lost to the Griffons, 57-44, on Saturday.

Missouri Western (8-4, 3-2 MIAA) led from start to finish of the contest as the Griffons scored the first four points of the afternoon and ended the opening quarter on a 5-0 run to go up, 17-9.

The Griffons carried their momentum into the second quarter with 12 unanswered points and held the Ichabods (4-5, 1-3 MIAA) scoreless until the 3:04 mark. Missouri Western took a 35-18 advantage into the break and had held Washburn to a combined 6-of-20 from the field.

Missouri Western used an 8-0 run in third quarter to go up by a game-high 24 points at 47-23 with 4:51 on the clock. Gabi Artis hit a three-pointer with 1:41 remaining for the final points of the third to make the score 47-26.

In the fourth quarter, Aubree Dewey hit a jumper with 8:11 on the clock to spark a 7-0 run to make it a 48-33 game. After a pair of Missouri Western free throws, the Ichabods put together an 11-2 rally over the course of three minutes and 27 seconds to trim the deficit to single-digits, 52-44. That would be as close as it got in the final 79 seconds, though, as Missouri Western capped off the win on a 5-0 run.

The Ichabod defense held the Griffons to 21 points less than their season scoring average. Missouri Western ended the game shooting 41.2 percent from the floor while Washburn made just 30.6 percent. The Ichabods made 6-of-17 from three-point range and the Griffons were 5-of-16 from deep. Missouri Western forced 24 Washburn turnovers and converted that into 23 points.

Dewey led the team in three stat categories as she had a team-high 16 points, seven assists, and six rebounds. Mackenzie Gamble added nine points and Natalia Figueroa was close behind with eight points.

Three Griffons finished in double-figures led by Brionna Budgetts' 14 points. Connie Clarke recorded a double-double with 11 points and 18 rebounds.

ABOUT THE BETHANY SWEDES

• Bethany has won seven of their last nine games and are 9-5.
• The team averages 69.4 ppg and surrenders an average of 61.6 ppg to their opponents.
• Emily Weathers and Autumn Garrett have both started all 14 games for the Swedes and average double-digit scoring with 11.6 ppg and 10.7 ppg, respectively.
• Weathers is shooting 53.0 percent from the field and is tied for the team-lead in rebound at 5.1 rpg.
• Garrett contributes 10.7 ppg and has a 41.4 field goal percentage and leads the squad with 1.2 spg.
• Center Sarah Reiner is tied with Weathers with 5.1 rpg and adds 7.9 ppg ... in the 89-39 win over Avila on Nov. 19, she was 10-of-13 from the floor and totaled 24 points.

HEAD COACH KEITH FERGUSON

• Keith Ferguson is in his seventh season leading the women's basketball team at his alma mater.
• Prior to taking over the Swedes' program, he was an assistant coach at Fresno State for two seasons.
• He also served as a coach at Hutchinson CC, Brown Mackie College, and Barton CC.

SERIES WITH BETHANY

• Washburn has played Bethany five times and has won all five games,
• WU played BC twice in the 1975 calendar year and posted a 46-42 win and a 38-35 victory.
• After a 23 year hiatus, the teams squared off again in 1998 and Washburn rolled to a 75-50 win.
• Washburn is 4-0 when playing Bethany in Topeka.

WASHBURN'S LAST TIME AGAINST BETHANY
Washburn 71, Bethany 50 (Dec. 29, 2021)
TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn women's basketball team closed out its non-conference schedule with a 71-50 victory over Bethany College in Lee Arena on Wednesday evening.

After Bethany (11-5) scored the opening basket 20 seconds into the game, Washburn responded with a 9-0 run over the next four minutes. The Ichabods (4-7) limited the Swedes to just five shot attempts in the first quarter while Washburn made 8-of-14 from the floor for a 57.1 field goal percentage. Mackenzie Gamble hit a pair of free throws to close out the frame with Washburn on top, 20-10.

Both offenses struggled in the second quarter as Washburn scored nine unanswered points and held Bethany scoreless until the 3:08 mark. Hunter Bentley snapped a 9-0 run by the Swedes with a three-pointer with just under a minute left in the first half. The Ichabods went into the break holding a 32-21 advantage.

Bethany put together an 11-4 run in the first four minutes of the second half to pull within four points, 36-32, but it would get no closer as a layup from Aubree Dewey sparked a 15-0 tear to push Washburn's advantage to 51-32 at the end of the third. During the run, Macy Doebele recorded seven points and Dewey tallied six.

Washburn led by double-figures for the remainder of the game and drained four of its six three-pointers in the frame, all from different Ichabods. Making her official Washburn debut, Jaden Newfarmer hit a three-pointer on her first career shot attempt to close out the home victory.

Washburn finished the night shooting 48.2 percent while Bethany was close behind with a 44.2 field goal percentage. The Ichabods won the battle on the glass, outrebounding the Swedes by more than double, 36-17. WU also grabbed 14 offensive boards and made 18 second chance points. The two teams combined for 40 turnovers with 32 occurring in the first half. Washburn capitalized on Bethany's 22 miscues and turned those into 23 points with 14 happening in the first quarter.

Seventeen Ichabods competed in the game with 12 different players scoring at least two points. Doebele led team with 14 points and went a perfect 5-for-5 at the free throw line. Abby Oliver finished with 11 points and scored nine in the opening quarter. Bentley led the team with seven rebounds and added eight points.

Autumn Garrett led the Swedes with 10 points, shooting 3-for-3 from the field and making all four of her free throw attempts.

WASHBURN HISTORY

• Washburn women's basketball is 975-466-1 (.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

• Washburn resumes conference play on New Year's Eve at Central Oklahoma. Tip-off against the Bronchos will take place at 1:30 p.m. in Edmond, Okla.