TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn women's basketball team trailed by just one point at the end of the third quarter, but the Ichabods were unable to complete the upset over unbeaten No. 7 Central Missouri and lost, 67-53, on Thursday evening. The Ichabods will close out the first week of games in 2023 hosting Lincoln on Saturday at 1 p.m. 
 
Washburn (6-6, 2-4 MIAA) quickly found itself in a 9-0 deficit to start the game and did not score its first basket until the 6:16 mark. The Ichabods finished the quarter on a 6-2 run to cut Central Missouri's lead to 18-14. 
 
Both teams struggled to score to start the second quarter until the Jennies (12-0, 8-0 MIAA) hit a three-pointer with 6:51 on the clock for the first points of the frame. Washburn trailed 23-16 with 3:49 left in the first half when Aubree Dewey drained a three-pointer to spark an 11-2 burst for the Ichabods to even the score at 27. The Jennies made a jump shot to break the tie, but were held scoreless for the final two minutes while Washburn ended the half with four unanswered points to take a 31-29 lead at halftime.
 
It was back-and-forth scoring in the third quarter with six ties and five lead changes and neither team leading by more than two until Central Missouri built a 44-41 advantage at 2:44 with a 5-0 run. Emma Chapman made a layup on the following possession for the final points of the quarter to trim the deficit to one, 44-43.
 
The Central Missouri offense took control of the game to begin the fourth and ripped off a 12-2 scoring run in the first four minutes and five seconds of the period to take its largest lead of the contest, 56-45. Washburn would get no closer than nine points after that as the Jennies outscored the Ichabods 23-10 in the final quarter to capture the double-figure victory.
 
Both teams had nearly the same shooting percentage from the field as Washburn made 36.8 percent (21-of-57) and Central Missouri finished at 36.5 percent (23-of-63). From three-point range, UCM hit 5-of-12 and WU made 3-of-13 from deep. At the free throw line, the Jennies made 16 of their 19 attempts while the Ichabods were 8-of-13. UCM finished with 10 more rebounds, 44-34, and turned its 17 offensive boards into 13 points. 
 
Dewey made 6-of-10 from the field and sank both her three-pointer attempts to total a team-high 15 points. Yiibari Nwidadah recorded 10 points and six rebounds. Natalia Figueroa had nine points and Chapman had six rebounds and six points. 
 
Brooke Littrell scored a game-high 27 points for Central Missouri.