TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn women's basketball gets set for another back-to-back weekend of games this time in Illinois against the McKendree Bearcats at 5 p.m. on Friday and the Quincy Owls at 3 p.m. on Saturday in the final game of the Quincy Classic. 
 

OPENING TIP

• Washburn women's basketball continues the 2023-24 non-conference schedule with a second weekend tournament to tip off the season as they head to Quincy, Ill for the Quincy Classic on Friday and Saturday. 
• The Ichabods will take on Bearcats of McKendree at 5 p.m. on Friday to open the tournament before facing the host Quincy Owls at 3 p.m. on Saturday. 
• This is the first season that Washburn has played in the Quincy Classic as it will be the first matchup between the Ichabods and the Owls in more than 30 years and the first time Washburn will play McKendree on the hardwood. 
• The Ichabods 2022-23 season came to an end with in the regular season with a ninth place finish in the MIAA after going 11-17 overall and 7-15 in the conference.
• Washburn returns six players from last seasons roster including three players who started in at least 50% of games. The Ichabods round out the roster with five freshmen and one transfer. 
• McKendree went 12-16 overall in 2022-23 and was 9-11 inside the GLVC. They fell in the first round of the GLVC Tournament to Lewis University. 
• In 2022-23 Quincy finished 16-16 overall and 9-1 in the GLVC. They lost in the opening round of the GLVC Tournament to Drury. 
• The Ichabods were picked to finish in eighth place in the MIAA Preseason Coaches poll and were slotted at 10th in the media vote.

QUINCY CLASSIC

• The two day tournament will include just four teams with Washburn joining Quincy, McKendree and Hillsdale College from the G-MAC rounding out the tournament. 
• All games will be played inside of Pepsi Arena in Quincy Il. 
• All games will be live-streamed on the GLVC Sports Network. Passes must be purchased online separate from the MIAA Network pass to watch the games. 

BODS AND BITS

• As a team Washburn averages 63.5 ppg on 46.2% shooting from the floor and 34.4% from deep. 
• Opponents average 58.5 ppg on 33.9% shooting and 19.5% from behind the arc. 
• Last season Washburn averaged 57.6 ppg and shot 37.4% from the floor and at a 30.4% clip from deep. While opponents scored 60.8 ppg on 38.8% shooting.  
• The Ichabods are pulling down 41.0 rpg while holding opponents to just 32 rpg. They have a narrow edge in assists, averaging 9 apg with opponents averaging 8.5. 
• Washburn extended its three point streak to 73 games with made triples in each of the first two contests. 
• The Ichabods are outscoring opponents while losing the turnover battle 22.5 per game to just 14.5 per game for opponents. 
• The 15-point road victory over Oklahoma Baptist is the second largest home win for the Ichabods in the last two plus seasons. The largest was an 18 point victory over Lincoln on Feb. 16, 2023. 
• The 12 player roster for Washburn is the smallest roster since the 2006-07 roster which also featured 12 players. 

LAST WEEK RECAP

• Washburn went 1-1 at the Central Region Crossover tournament losing the season-opener 63-58 to Southwestern Oklahoma State before rebounding for a 69-54 win over the host Oklahoma Baptist on Saturday in Shawnee, Okla. 
• Yiibari Nwidadah picked up a double-double in both games with a 15 point and 16 rebound in the season-opener. Sixteen rebounds is tied for the fourth most in a game in program history. 
• Aubree Dewey tied a career high with 20 points in the win over Okahoma Baptist. 
• The Ichabods held OBU to just 17 first-half points while they scored 27 themselves in the third quarter alone for their highest scoring quarter of the season. 

THE BLUE CREW

• Yiibari Nwidadah is averaging a double-double for the Ichabods and has picked up one in both games so far this season. She is second on the team averaging 13.5 ppg while pulling down a team-best 14.5 rpg including 4.5 orpg. Nwidadah also leads WU shooting 54.5% from the floor and with one block per game. 
• Aubree Dewey leads the Ichabods in scoring at 14.0 ppg and in assists dishing out 4.5 per game. She is second on the squad pulling down 6.5 rpg from the guard position. She's shooting 47.8% from the floor and is 5-5 at the charity stripe. Dewey leads Washburn playing 35.5 mpg as well. 
• Aniah Wayne is third on the team scoring 12.5 ppg while shooting 40.0% from the floor. She started in the second game after scoring 16 points off the bench in the season-opener. Wayne leads the Ichabods with five 3-pointers. 
• Lakyn Schieferecke has started both games for Washburn playing 23.5 mpg. She is averaging 4.5 ppg on 50.0% shooting and is pulling down 4 rpg. 
• Amaya Davison is averaging 7.5 ppg off the bench on the year shooting 71.4% from the floor and is 2-2 from three point range in 23 mpg. 
• Mackenzie Gamble made one start and is averaging 28 mpg so far. She is scoring 5.5 ppg, pulling down 2 rpg with 1.5 apg and has made two steals. 
• Liz Boyd is averaging 3 ppg after scoring six in the win over OBU. She is 3-3 from the floor overall and is pulling down 3 rpg. 
• Madelyn Amekporfor is averaging 12.5 mpg with one start. She is averaging 2 ppg and one steal per contest. 
• Nia McKenzie got the start in the season-opener and is averaging 7 mpg. She has scored two points with one assist and one steal so far. 
• Rebecca Snyder is looking for her first points after playing 5 mpg the opening weekend. She pulled down two rebounds with an assist.

STACKING THE STATS

• After the opening weekend Washburn is 37th nationally in field goal percentage at 46.2. That number is good for fourth in the MIAA
• On the defensive end the Ichabods are 40th in the nation in field goal percentage defense with opponents shooting a combined 33.9%. That ranks third among the conference. 
• Washburn is crashing the glass and is 35th nationally in rebound advantage pulling down nine more boards per game than oppoennts, fifth in the MIAA.
• The Ichabods are second in the conference and 24th nationally in defending the three point line holding opponents to 19.5% shooting from behind the arc. 
• Yiibari Nwidadah leads the Washburn charge on the glass as she is fourth in the nation in rebounds per game at 14.5. She is fifth in defensive rpg at 9.5 and is first in the MIAA in both categories. 
• Aniah Wayne is tied for seventh in the conference with 2.5 three pointers per game.
• Aubree Dewey ranks eighth among conference foes averaging 4.5 assists per game. 

HEAD COACH LORA WESTLING

• Former Washburn women's basketball student-athlete Lora Westling is in year two as the head coach in Topeka for the 2023-24 season. 
• 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

• The Ichabods will have three fresh faces on the sidelines with an all new assistant coaching staff in year two of the Lora Westling era. 
• Matt Barreiro and Monique M. Scott join the staff as assistant coaches while Damiel Fulp is a volunteer assistant in his first season with WU. 
• Barriero is a 2005 graduate of Arizona Christian and got his masters from Walden University in 2005. He played basketball at both Washington State and Arizona Christian.  
• He has several years of head coaching experience with seven years at the helm at The King's University in Canada and most recently spending the last two years as the head coach at Central Christian College in McPherson, Kan. 
• Scott isa 2019 graduate of Xavier University and received her masters degree from Liberty University in 2022. 
• While at Xavier she worked as a manager on the women's basketball teams and has been a coach and teacher at the prep ranks. 
• Fulp is a 2020 graduate of The King's University where he played after transferring from the University of Alaska Anchorage. 
• He has experience working and attending basketball camps and conferences to develop training methods. 

ABOUT THE MCKENDREE BEARCATS

• McKendree is off to an 1-1 start defeating Ohio Dominican University and falling to Ferris State in the GLVC/G-MAC Crossover Challenge last weekend at home. 
• The Bearcats went 12-16 overall in 2022-23 going 9-11 in the GLVC good for a seventh place finish. They were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the GLVC Tournament.  
• On the year McKendree is averaging 64.9 points on 43.8% shooting overall and 29.0% from deep. 
• Opponents are averaging 67.9 points on 42.8% shooting and 31.2% from behind the arc. 
• The Bearcats were picked to finish sixth in the GLVC Preseason Coaches Poll with the team returning its entire roster from the season before. 
• Friday's contest will be McKendree's first action of the season away from its home arena. 
• MU has been out-rebounded 73-59 through two games but force 21.5 turnovers per contest while committing just 19.0. 
• Clare Breden leads the Bearcats in scoring at 21 ppg on 66.7% shooting from the floor. She is also 11-15 from the line and is averaging 1.5 apg. 
• Naomi McDaniel averages 10 ppg on the year shooting 52.9% from the field. She is second on McKendree averaging 1.5 spg in just 18 mpg. 
• Both Maclayne Taylor and Madyson Harper are tied for the team lead with four assists per game. Harper also leads the Bearcats with 2 spg.
• Taylor and Christy Fortune average 4.0 rpg to pace McKendree, Fortune also chips in 6 ppg. 
• The Bearcats have used the same starting lineup in both games so far this season. 

HEAD COACH KARI KERKHOFF

• Kari Kerkhoff enters her ninth season at the helm of the McKendree University women's basketball program with an 83-133 record in that span. 
• In five of her first seven seasons at the helm of the Bearcats' bench, Kerkhoff has guided McKendree to double-digit win totals.
• Kerkhoff joined McKendree after serving as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at NCAA Division I Southern Illinois University Edwardsville for three seasons.
• Prior to her three seasons at SIUE, Kerkhoff served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Bradley University for six seasons. She also had stops at Elon University from 2005-06 and Michigan Tech from 2003-05.
• Kerkhoff graduated from the University of Nebraska Omaha in 2002 with her B.S. in Secondary Education specializing in Physical/Health Education, and was a four-year letterwinner for the Mavericks.

SERIES WITH MCKENDREE

• The matchup between Washburn and McKendree on Friday will be the first between the two programs. 

ABOUT THE QUINCY HAWKS

• Quincy is off to an 0-2 start after falling to Cedarville University and Ursuline College at home in the GLVC/G-MAC Crossover Challenge last weekend. 
• The Hawks went 13-16 overall in 2022-23 going 9-11 in the GLVC good for an eighth place finish. They were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the GLVC Tournament. 
• Heading into this season Quincy was picked to finish ninth in the GLVC pre-season poll.  
• Through two games the Hawks are averaging 56.0 points per game on 35.2% shooting from the field and 20.8% from deep. 
• Opponents are scoring 65.5 points per game on 40.5% shooting overall and 28.6% from behind the arc. 
• Quincy is winning the rebounding battle averaging 36.0 per game while allowing just 31. They have had trouble holding onto the ball, committing 24.0 turnovers per game while opponents have given the ball up just 16.5 time per game. 
• Cymirah Williams leads Quincy in scoring at 11 ppg in 25 minutes per game off the bench on 50.0% shooting. She is also averaging a double-double pulling down a team-high 11 rpg with 3.5 coming on the offensive end. 
• Janiece Dawson is right behind her in both categories at 10.5 ppg on 45.0% shooting while grabbing 8.0 rpg, both second on the team. She has started both games and averages a team-high 31 mpg. 
• Taya Stevenson averages 2 apg to lead the Owls so far and is doing so off the bench in 24 mpg. She has also come up with six steals (3 per game), five more than any other player. With three 3-pointers she is also the only player to make more than one triple on the year. Her 9 ppg are third. 
• Acheampomaa Danso averages 8 ppg on 55.6% shooting for OU. 
• Quincy has used the same starting lineup in both games this season. 

HEAD COACH COURTNEY BOYD

• Courtney Boyd was hired earlier in the year to become the thirteenth women's basketball coach at Quincy University. 
• She comes to the Owls after a successful six-year tenure at Clarke University. Boyd went 155-42 with the Pride, leading the team to five NAIA National Tournament berths and finishing with a NAIA National Championship ring.
• Prior to joining Clarke University, Boyd served as the Associate Head Women's Basketball Coach at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and has also had stops at AID College of Business, Augusta University and Grand View University.
• Boyd earned her bachelor's degree in education from Dixie State University and a master's degree in educational leadership from Augusta University. She was a two-year starting point guard and team captain for the Dixie State women's basketball team.

SERIES WITH QUINCY

• Saturday's matchup will be the first time in 11,666 days that Quincy and Washburn will play. The most recent meeting was a 71-51 win for the Ichabods on Dec. 10, 1991 in Quincy, Il. 
• Washburn leads the all-time series 4-0 with each team playing two games at home.
• The series between the two programs began on Dec. 13, 1985. 

LAST TIME OUT

Washburn 69, Oklahoma Baptist 54 (Nov. 11, 2023)
SHAWNEE, Okla. -- Washburn was able to even its record on the year and pick up win number one in the 2023-24 season on Saturday night defeating Oklahoma Baptist 69-54 in the final game of the Central Region Crossover. The Ichabods return to action on Friday, Nov. 17 against McKendree University in the first game of the Quincy Classic in Quincy Ill. beginning at 5 p.m.  

Washburn (1-1) was strong defensively to start and picked up the pace in the second half offensively to pull away leading for the entirety of the final three quarters to knock of the host Bison (0-2).  

Oklahoma Baptist led 5-4 with 4:43 to go in the first quarter and it would be the last time they would have the lead. The Ichabods finished the quarter on a 13-4 run with three triples by senior guards, two from Mackenzie Gamble and one in the final seconds of the quarter by Aubree Dewey.  

Amaya Davison got the first bucket of the second quarter to put the lead into double digits at the 9:17 mark. The lead stayed at 10 or more for the remainder of the half with the Washburn defense locking in and holding the Bison to 3-8 shooting in the quarter and forcing eight turnovers in the second alone. Liz Boyd put in a layup just before halftime to make the score 29-17.  

Both teams came out of the break hot offensively with Washburn shooting a blistering 71.4% in the quarter on 10-14 shooting while the Bison were able to do their scoring at the line going 8-8. The quarter started with seven straight by the Ichabods with a layup by Dewey making it 36-17 and giving WU it's largest lead of the game.  

Lakyn Schieferecke put in back-to-back layups midway through the quarter to keep the lead above 15. The lead stayed that way as Nwidadah put in two more points in the paint in the final seconds to lead 56-40 going into the fourth.  

After another layup from Nwidadah with 6:29 left in the game Oklahoma Baptist was able to go on a 7-0 run and cut the lead down to nine with 2:24 left to go. That was as close as the Bison would get with Aniah Wayne sinking back-to-back triples as the only two buckets from that point on and Washburn was able to close it out defensively to win 69-54.  

The Ichabods shot 28-58 overall (48.3%) and were 8-20 behind the arc (40.0%) while holding OBU to 32.1% shooting and a 1-11 performance behind the arc. Washburn dominated on the boards, winning that battle 40 to 30 and outscored Oklahoma Baptist in both second chance points and points in the paint.  

Aubree Dewey did a bit of everything, scoring a team-high 20 points to tie her career high while she added seven rebounds, six assists and two steals. Yiibari Nwidadah recorded her second double-double in as many games with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Aniah Wayne and Amaya Davison each added nine points with five combined 3-pointers.  

Jaedyn Getman led all scorers with 27, including all nine of the points in the first quarter for the Bison, she also added seven rebounds.   

WASHBURN HISTORY

• Washburn women's basketball is 983-479-1 (.672) all-time and are in the 55th 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.

LOOKING AHEAD

• The Ichabods play in Lee Arena for the first time at 5:30 p.m. against William Jewell on Nov. 21. 
• Senior day for Washburn will be on March 2 against Emporia State
• The MIAA Championship Tournament begins March 6 in Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.