TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn women's basketball puts the non-con season behind them on Saturday and begins MIAA competition in Emporia against the Hornets at 1:30 p.m. 
 

OPENING TIP

• Washburn women's basketball heads down the turnpike to begin MIAA play this Saturday in Emporia. 
• The Ichabods will face the Lady Hornets for the 112th time in program history at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2 in White Auditorium.  
• Washburn is coming off a 95-58 exhibition loss to South Dakota State on Tuesday in Brookings, S.D. 
• WU is now 5-1 overall on the year and have gone 2-0 at home, 2-0 on the road and 1-1 in neutral court games. 
• 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. 
• Emporia State finished 2-3 in its non-conference schedule, wrapping it up on Nov. 27 with a 100-37 victory over Avila University. 
• The Ichabods were picked to finish in eighth place in the MIAA Preseason Coaches poll and were slotted at 10th in the media vote. 

BODS AND BITS

• As a team Washburn averages 84.5 ppg on 48.8% shooting from the floor and 42.4% from deep. 
• Opponents average 56.0 ppg on 33.4% shooting and 24.3% 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 42.5 rpg while holding opponents to just 29.5 rpg. They also average 16.5 apg while opponents only average 9.3. 
• Washburn extended its three point streak to 76 games with a record-breaking 18 triples on Saturday. 
• The Ichabods have a 1.1 assist to turnover ratio while opponents average 0.5 assist for every giveaway. 
• The five game winning streak is the longest in the Lora Westling era and is the longest since WU won nine games in a row between Dec. 6 and Jan. 16 in the 2018-19 season. 
• The 12 player roster for Washburn is the smallest roster since the 2006-07 roster which also featured 12 players. 

MAKING HISTORY - BARCLAY RECAP

• Washburn scored 117 points in the game for the second most points in a game in program history. The record is 120 coming against Nebraska Christian on 11/15/17.
• The Ichabods scored 64 points in the first half for the most points in any half of basketball in program history.
• The 90-point victory is the second largest margin of victory in any game with the largest margin sitting at 92 points in a 111-19 win over Tabor College on 11/14/11.
• Washburn broke the record for 3-pointers in a game with 18 triples on Saturday. The previous high was 17 in a 1/29/11 game against Missouri Western. The 40 three pointers attempted is tied for the second most in program history with 41 attempts against Benedictine on 12/30/17 setting the record.
• The Ichabods 41 made field goals are tied for the 7th most made in a game in program history. Eighty-one attempts are tied for the second most in a game. 
• Washburn made 21 steals in the victory, the third most in a game in program history. The high is 30 which came in a 1/1/06 game against Missouri Valley.
• The Ichabods dished out 29 assists, tied for the eight most in a game in program history.

THE BLUE CREW

• Aubree Dewey paces the Washburn scoring attack at 15.2 ppg on 52.9% shooting. She also while leading the passing game averaging a team-high 7.3 apg. From the point guard position Dewey is second on the team averaging 5.2 rpg and has come away with 1.8 steals per contest this season as well. Dewey leads all players at 30.7 mpg. 
• Yiibari Nwidadah is averaging a double-double for the Ichabods and has picked up one in foru games this season. She is third on the team averaging 12.8 ppg while also pulling down a team-best 11.5 rpg including 4.8 orpg. Nwidadah also leads WU shooting 60.7% from the floor.
• Gabi Giovannetti is second on the team scoring 13.3 ppg in just 19.0 mpg after missing the first two games of the year. She has averages of 55.9% from the floor and is shooting a team-high 54.2% from behind the arc. Defensively she has come away with a team-high 1.3 bpg and snagged 0.8 spg. 
• Aniah Wayne is averaging double figures scoring 12.0 ppg this season. In 25.0 mpg with five starts. She also pulls down 3.5 rpg. Wayne is shooting 45.9% from behind the arc and leads Washburn with 17 triples this season.
• Lakyn Schieferecke has started all six games for Washburn playing 21.8 mpg. She is averaging 5.5 ppg on 46.7% shooting and is pulling down 4.5 rpg with 0.8 spg. 
• Amaya Davison is averaging 7.8 ppg off the bench on the year shooting 48.6% from the floor. She is 42.9% from three point range in 19.7 mpg. 
• Mackenzie Gamble has made one start and is averaging 22.5 mpg so far. She is scoring 7.0 ppg, dishing 2.7 apg with 1.0 spg. She is third on the squad at 48.0% from behind the arc this season. 
• Liz Boyd is averaging 7.2 ppg in just 11.3 mpg while shooting 51.6% from the field. She's also pulling down 4.0 rpg off the bench.
• Madelyn Amekporfor has started all but one game averaging 17.3 mpg and is scoring 5.7 ppg  on 40.6% shooting with 1.0 steals per game. 
• Nia McKenzie has made one start and appeared in every game playing 8.0 mpg.
• Rebecca Snyder is scoring 1.8 ppg with 2.5 rpg playing 7.7 mpg with appearances in every game.

STACKING THE STATS

• Washburn is first in the MIAA averaging 84.5 ppg and they are doing so on a league-high 48.8% shooting from the field. 
• Behind the arc the Ichabods are at 42.4% and have made 53 triples on the year, both tops in the conference. 
• Defensively, Washburn has held opponents to 56.0 ppg, tied for the third lowest mark in the MIAA.
• Aubree Dewey is first in the conference at 7.3 apg, leading the pack by more than two assists. 
• Yiibari Nwidadah also paces the MIAA pulling down 11.5 rpg and is one of just two players averaging a double double. 
• Gabi Giovannetti is second in the conference at 55.9% from deep on the year and leads all players sinking 3.25 3-pointers per game. 

MILESTONE MARKERS

• Aubree Dewey is 16 assists away from 250 in her career. 
• Mackenzie Gamble needs 11 more triples to reach 100 in her Ichabod career. 
• Gabi Giovannetti is six points away from 250 career points. 
• Lakyn Schieferecke is 7 rebounds and 6 points away from the 100 mark in both categories. 

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. 

LAST TIME OUT

South Dakota State 95, Washburn 58 (Nov. 28, 2023)
BROOKINGS, S.D. -- Washburn kept it close early against South Dakota State but a big second quarter for the DI Jackrabbits put the game out of reach in the only exhibition game of the season for the Ichabods. Washburn opens up conference play on Saturday against Emporia State at 1:30 p.m.  

In the first quarter offense wasn't the problem for the Ichabods as they stayed close behind South Dakota State and never trailed by more than seven points at any point in the period. A jumper by Yiibari Nwidadah with 2:02 left in the quarter made it a 16-13 game in favor of the home squad. The Jackrabbits would take a 20-15 lead into the second quarter.  

Washburn kept pace early in the second quarter, with each team scoring five points each to begin before South Dakota State went on a 15-0 run to open up the game. The Jackrabbits shot 15-21 in the period to score 38 points. The Ichabods trailed 58-38 going into halftime.  

Out of the break Washburn wasn't able to make up ground offensively, as they were held to 12 points in the quarter. South Dakota grew the lead to a game-high 43 points at the end of the quarter in front 83-40.  

The Ichabods ended the game strong, outscoring the home squad in the final quarter 18-12 holding the Jackrabbits to 33.3% shooting in the last 10 minutes. Aubree Dewey began the quarter with a layup which started a 9-2 run over the first three minutes of action. The lead never got lower than 36 with Washburn falling in the exhibition, 95-58.  

The Ichabods shot 22-69 in the game and were just 3-22 from beyond the arc while SDS shot 36-63 and made six of 15 3-pointers. Washburn lost the rebounding battle 52-26 but committed just nine turnovers while forcing 11. 

Aubree Dewey and Yiibari Nwidadah each led the Ichabods with 10 points, Dewey added six boards. Liz Boyd added eight points on 3-6 shooting off the bench.  

South Dakota State had six players finish in double figures led by Brookly Meyer with 18 points and followed by Tori Nelson and Paige Meyer who each had 14. 

ABOUT THE EMPORIA STATE LADY HORNETS

• Emporia State is 2-3 on the year after non-conference play finished up with a 100-37 win over Avila University. 
• The Lady Hornets went 14-15 overall in 2022-23 with a 9-13 mark in the MIAA, losing in the quarterfinals of the MIAA Tournament. 
• On the year Emporia State is averaging 69.6 points on 38.7% shooting overall and 23.0% from deep. 
• Opponents are averaging 62.4 points on 37.2% shooting and 27.3% from behind the arc. 
• ESU is 2-2 inside of White Auditorium this season, with only one road contest so far.  
• Emporia State averages six more rebounds and six more assists than opponents this season while also averaging 3.6 less turnovers per game. 
• Faith Paramore leads the Lady Hornets at 14.6 ppg on 41.0% shooting. She is second on the squad pulling down 8.2 rpg while also coming away with 2.0 spg. 
• Queen Ulabo nearly averages a double double at 13.0 ppg on 50.0% shooting and 9.4 rpg with five coming on the offensive end. 
• Katie Horyna does a little bit of everything for Emporia State leading the way with 4.6 apg while pulling down 4.8 rpg with 1.4 spg and chipping in 7.6 ppg. 
• Tylieea Wallace has averaged 10.2 pg and 4.8 rpg in just 19.0 mpg. 

HEAD COACH BRIAN OSTERMANN

• is in his first season as the head coach of the Lady Hornets after being hired on May 2, 2023. 
• is in his 35th season as a collegiate coach with a history record of success at all levels of the collegiate game.  He has 15 years of NCAA Division I experience, with the last nine years at K-State, to go with 20 years at the NCAA Division II and junior college levels
• prior to his time at K-State, Ostermann served as the Associate Head Coach at Texas Christian University from 2008-14
• He started out as a graduate assistant at Northwest Missouri State University from 1989-91. After a season at PSAC member Mercyhurst College he returned to the MIAA as an assistant coach for both the men and women at Missouri Western State University.  He was in St. Joseph from 1992-96.
• A 1988 graduate of Wisconsin-La Crosse with a bachelor of science degree in physical education.

SERIES WITH EMPORIA STATE

• Saturday will be the 112th meeting between the Ichabods and the Hornets with Emporia State leading the all-time series 62-49. 
• The series began in the 1974-75 season on Dec. 6, 1974 with a 73-52 ESU win over Washburn in Lee Arena. 
• The Ichabods are 22-30 against the Hornets in White Auditorium.
• Last season Emporia State swept the season series, they have won the last three matchups with the last Washburn victory coming on Jan. 22, 2022. 
• The last road victory for the Ichabods came on Jan. 5, 2019 in a double overtime 96-88 win. 

LAST TIME VS EMPORIA STATE

Emporia State 77, Washburn 63 (Feb. 25, 2023)
EMPORIA, Kan. – The Washburn women's basketball team saw its 2022-23 season come to a close on Saturday as the Ichabods lost to Emporia State, 77-63. Washburn finishes the season with a record of 11-17 (7-15 MIAA).

Macy Doebele got the game started with a pair of free throws just 16 seconds into the contest, but that would be Washburn's only lead of the afternoon. Emporia State (14-14, 9-13 MIAA) ended the opening quarter on a 6-0 run to go up, 24-16.

The Lady Hornets extended their lead to double-digits two minutes into the second quarter and held a 41-28 advantage at halftime.

The three-ball started to fall for Washburn in the third quarter to help close the gap. Gabi Artis scored 11 points during a 13-2 run and made three triples to cut Emporia State's lead to 47-43 midway through the frame. The Lady Hornets answered with a trio of three-pointers of their own in the last 3:36 and pushed their lead back to 58-48 heading into the fourth quarter.

Trailing 67-51 with 5:48 to go, Artis hit another three-pointer to spark an 8-0 run. The Ichabods would get no closer than an eight-point deficit as the Lady Hornets finished out the game on a 6-0 run to win by double-figures.

Emporia State finished the game with a 46.9 field goal percentage and made 6-of-17 from three-point range while Washburn shot 34.9 percent from the floor and tied a season-high in three-pointers, making 8-of-22. At the free throw line, Washburn made 15-of-24 and Emporia State was 11-for-14. The Ichabods edged the Lady Hornets in rebounds, 39-38.

For the fourth-straight game, Artis led the Ichabods in scoring and made 5-of-9 from behind the arc en route to a career-high 19 points. Aubree Dewey played all 40 minutes and added 15 points. In her final collegiate game, Doebele scored eight points and dished out a team-high five assists. Emma Chapman also played her last game as an Ichabod and scored five points and had five rebounds. Yiibari Nwidadah recorded seven boards and eight points.

For the Lady Hornets, Tre'Zure Jobe made 10-of-15 from the floor and went 7-for-8 at the free throw line to finish with 30 points to go with seven steals, four rebounds, and four assists.

WASHBURN HISTORY

• Washburn women's basketball is 987-479-1 (.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 have a full week off before returning to Lee Arena for the conference home opener against Rogers State University at 1 p.m. on Dec. 9. 
• 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.