TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn women's basketball opens up its 40th season inside of Lee Arena on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. as they host William Jewell. 

OPENING TIP

• Washburn women's basketball plays inside of Lee Arena for the first time in the 2023-24 season on Tuesday evening. 
• The Ichabods will host the William Jewell Cardinals beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 21.
• Washburn finished up a four-game road trip on Saturday with a 97-62 win over Quincy at the Hansen-Spear Funeral Home Classic in Quincy, Il. 
• WU is now 3-1 on the season before its 2023-24 home opener. 
• 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. 
• William Jewell went 4-26 overall in 2022-23 and 2-18 in the GLVC. They are 1-3 to begin the 2023-24 season. 
• The Ichabods were picked to finish in eighth place in the MIAA Preseason Coaches poll and were slotted at 10th in the media vote.

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

• The 2023-24 season marks the 40th season of play in Lee Arena as the facility opened in the 1983-84 season.
• Washburn is 447-124 all-time in Lee Arena.
• The Ichabods went 8-9 at home last season.

BODS AND BITS

• As a team Washburn averages 76.0 ppg on 48.3% shooting from the floor and 39.7% from deep. 
• Opponents average 60.8 ppg on 36.0% shooting and 22.7% 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 37.8 rpg while holding opponents to just 30.5 rpg. They also average 12.8 apg while opponents only average 9.8. 
• Washburn extended its three point streak to 75 games with made triples in both contests last week. 
• The Ichabods are narrowly losing the turnover battle averaging 16.8 per game while  forcing opponents into 16.3.
• The 97 point performance against Quincy was tied for the 15th most in a game in program history and the most since WU scored 98 against Central Oklahoma on 1/29/22. 
• 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 2-0 at the Hansen-Spear Funeral Home Classic with an 80-64 opening game win over McKendree University and a 97-62 victory against the host Quincy on Saturday. 
• Yiibari Nwidadah was named MVP of the classic while Aubree Dewey was selected to the All-Tournament team. 
• The 35-point victory over the Owls was the largest margin of victory for the Ichabods since a 43-point win against Baker on 11/18/19 with Washburn winning 89-47. 
• The Ichabods shot a season-high 54.0% shooting from the field as a team in the win over Quincy. 
• Aniah Wayne scored 16 points for a second time this season on Friday knocking down four 3-pointers. 
• Yiibari Nwidadah and Aubree Dewey each had 17 points in the win on Saturday. Dewey had eight assists, six rebounds and four steals in the contest as well. 

THE BLUE CREW

• Yiibari Nwidadah is averaging a double-double for the Ichabods and has picked up one in two games this season. She leads Washburn averaging 13.5 ppg while also pulling down a team-best 10.5 rpg including 3.5 orpg. Nwidadah also leads WU shooting 62.2% from the floor with 0.8 bpg. 
• Aubree Dewey is second on the Ichabods at 13.3 ppg on 47.7% while leading the passing game averaging a team-high 6.5 apg. From the point guard position Dewey is second on the team averaging 5.8 rpg and has come away with 1.8 steals per game this season as well. Dewey leads all players at 33.5 mpg. 
• Aniah Wayne is third on the team scoring 12.5 ppg while shooting 43.6% from the floor. She has started three games averaging 27.5 mpg with 3.0 rpg. Wayne is shooting 46.2% from behind the arc and leads Washburn with 12 triples this season.
• Lakyn Schieferecke has started all four games for Washburn playing 21.8 mpg. She is averaging 5.5 ppg on 50.0% shooting and is pulling down 3.5 rpg with 1 spg. 
• Amaya Davison is averaging 8.0 ppg off the bench on the year shooting 48.8% from the floor. She is 50.0% from three point range in 22.0 mpg. 
• Mackenzie Gamble has made one start and is averaging 24.8 mpg so far. She is scoring 6.8 ppg, pulling down 1.3 rpg with 1.3 spg. She is second on the squad at 43.8% from behind the arc this season. 
• Gabi Giovannetti is averaging 16.5 mpg after missing the first two games due to injury. She has scored 7.5 ppg on 46.2% shooting in her two games and made 1.5 bpg. 
• Liz Boyd is averaging 6.5 ppg in just 12.0 mpg while shooting 57.9% from the field. She's also pulling down 3.8 rpg. 
• Madelyn Amekporfor has started the last three games averaging 13.3 mpg and is scoring 4.3 ppg  on 46.2% shooting with one steal per game. 
• Nia McKenzie has made one start and appeared in all four games playing 6.0 mpg.
• Rebecca Snyder is scoring 1.5 ppg with 1.5 rpg playing 6.0 mpg in all four games this season.

STACKING THE STATS

• Washburn is 14th nationally in field goal percentage at 46.2. That number is good for second among MIAA teams. 
• On the defensive end the Ichabods are 70th in the nation in field goal percentage defense with opponents shooting a combined 36.0%. That ranks fifth among the conference. 
• Washburn is crashing the glass and is 55th nationally in rebound advantage pulling down 7.2 more boards per game than oppoennts.
• The Ichabods are first in the conference and 38th nationally in defending the three point line holding opponents to 22.7% shooting from behind the arc. 
• Washburn is 27th in the nation in efficiency from deep shooting 39.7% for the year, third in the MIAA. 
• Aubree Dewey ranks first  among conference foes averaging 6.5 assists per game. That mark is good for 8th in the nation. 
• Yiibari Nwidadah is third in the MIAA and 24th nationally averaging 10.5 rpg. She is also 36th in the nation in field goal percentage at 62.2%. 
• Aniah Wayne is number one in the MIAA in total 3-pointers made with 12, she is 25 in the nation. 

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 WILLIAM JEWELL CARDINALS

• William Jewell is off to a 1-3 start after falling to Northwest Missouri State 72-56 on Friday in the squads last time on the court. 
• The Cardinals went 4-26 overall and 2-18 in the GLVC in 2022-23, finishing in 13th place and missing out on the GLVC Tournament. 
• On the year William Jewell is averaging 65.3 points on 38.9% shooting overall and 26.2% from deep. 
• Opponents are averaging 67.9 points on 42.8% shooting and 31.2% from behind the arc. 
• William Jewell has won its only home game of the season but is 0-3 in all games away from the Mabee Center. 
• The Cardinals are being out-rebounded 176 (44.0 per game) to 120 (30.0 per game) this season. 
• Emree Zars leads WJC at 18.3 ppg and is shooting 51.9% from the field. She is also 53.8% from deep shooting 7-13 on the year. She is the top rebounder on the Cardinals at 7.8 per game. 
• Ayden Shannon is second on William Jewell at 17.5 ppg and is shooting 40.6% from the floor. She leads the Cardinals at 37.5 mpg and has the most free throw attempts on the squad with 23. 
• Averi Porter averages 2.5 apg to lead William Jewell while also chipping in 6.0 ppg on 53.8% shooting. 
• Chloe Frank has started two games and scores 8.5 ppg with 3.5 rpg. 

HEAD COACH KYLEY BACHAND

• Kyley Bachand begins her first season as the head coach at William Jewell College. 
• Prior to joining the Cardinals she spent two seasons at Colorado State University, going 41-24 with an appearance in the WNIT.
• She also served as an assistant coach at Sioux Falls in 2016-17 helping the Cougars go 22-8.
• Played two seasons at Illinois after transferring from Missouri and averaged 11 ppg, 2.7 rpg and 3.4 ppg at Illinois. She graduated with her bachelor's degree in communication from Illinois in 2015 followed by a master's in recreation, sport and tourism the following year.

SERIES WITH WILLIAM JEWELL

• Washburn is 9-0 all-time against William Jewell going back to the 1987-88 season. 
• The last matchup between the two programs came on Dec. 16, 2000 and was a 85-53 win for Washburn in Topeka, Kan. 
• The Ichabods are 4-0 all-time against WJC at home. 
• Washburn averages 83.78 ppg against the Cardinals. 

LAST TIME OUT

Washburn 97, Quincy 62 (Nov. 18, 2023)
QUINCY, Il. -- Washburn extended its winning streak to three games and completed a perfect weekend at the Hansen Speark Funeral Home Classic with a 97-62 win over Quincy on Saturday afternoon. The Ichabods return home on Tuesday, Nov. 21 for the home opener against William Jewell.  

Washburn (3-1) scored its most points since January 29, 2022 when they put up 98 against Central Oklahoma. The scoring started early against the hosting Owls (0-4). The Ichabods went up 7-0 with 6:40 left in the first after a 3-pointer by Madelyn Amekporfor. The lead grew to double digits after Amaya Davison made a driving layup with 3:04 remaining and it stayed that way with Washburn in front 20-9 after one.  

The Ichabods hot shooting was just getting started as they went 9-13 (69.2%) in the second quarter while holding Quincy to just 3-14 shooting. A steal by Nia McKenzie set up Aubree Dewey for a breakaway layup pushing the lead to 21 midway through the quarter. Washburn ended the quarter on a 12-4 run to lead 45-17 at the break.  

In the third the Ichabods were held to 40% shooting overall but made up for it by getting to the free throw line 15 times and converting 11 of them. The Owls offense got going as they scored 29 points in the quarter, 12 more than they had in the first half. Still, the lead stayed at 24 points with 10 minutes left to play.  

Washburn began the first half with an old-fashioned three-point play converted by Dewey to spark a 10-0 run which spoiled any chance of a comeback for Quincy. The Ichabods lead grew to a game-high 37 points with 1:47 to play after Amekporfor scored a layup and Washburn would ease into a 97-62 win finishing off a four-game road trip.  

For the game the Ichabods shot 36-63 (54.0%) and were 7-14 from deep while going 22-30 from the line. The Owls were held to 32.8% shooting and were 4-18 from behind the line.  

Aubree Dewey did a little bit of everything finishing with 17 points, eight assists, six rebound, four steals and a block all while shooting 7-11 from the floor. Yiibari Nwidadah joined her with 17 points and added eight rebounds while going 7-10 shooting. Madelyn Amekporfor set a career high with 11 points on 3-6 shooting and Mackenzie Gamble completed the quartet of double-figure scoring Ichabods with 10 off the bench.  

Eight different players for Washburn scored at least seven points.  

Quincy had three finish in double figures led by Acheampomaa Danso's 16 points on 6-11 shooting. 

WASHBURN HISTORY

• Washburn women's basketball is 985-479-1 (.673) 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 stay home for one more game taking on Barclay College on Saturday, Nov. 25 at 4 p.m. 
• 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.