TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn women's basketball embarks on the final week of the regular season, first hosting Missouri Southern on Thursday for senior night.

OPENING TIP

• The on-court senior recognition ceremony for Emma Chapman, Macy Doebele, Abby Oliver, and student manager Noah Garber will take place approx. 20 minutes before the 5:30 p.m. tip-off.
• The Ichabods (11-15, 7-13 MIAA) are coming off a 78-54 loss at No. 12-ranked Central Missouri on Saturday.
• The Lions are receiving votes in the latest WBCA Poll with a record of 22-6 (14-6 MIAA) and won their last game out against Fort Hays State, 61-58.
• Missouri Southern defeated Washburn in Joplin earlier this season, 61-45, on Jan. 12.
• In that game, the Ichabods led for 13 minutes of the first half and went into the break with the score tied, but the Ichabod offense made just five field goals in the second half while Missouri Southern made 16 baskets en route to the win.
• Washburn is 8-8 in Lee Arena this season and Missouri Southern is 7-3 in true road games.
• The Ichabods are tied for ninth in the MIAA standings and the Lions have clinched a place in the MIAA Tournament at fifth in the standings.
• The top-10 teams in the conference standings at the end of the week will advance to the MIAA Tournament in Kansas City, March 1-5.

BODS AND ENDS

• Washburn is averaging 57.5 ppg and shooting 37.5 percent from the field.
• This season, Washburn has held opponents to fewer than 60 points in 18 contests.
• The Ichabods now hold a 69 game three-point streak after making three at Central Missouri.
• Washburn hosted Missouri Southern last season for senior night on Feb. 24, 2022...the Lions came away with a 55-50 win.
• The Ichabods have won five of their last six senior day games going back to the 2015-16 season...there was no senior day in the 2020-21 season as there were no seniors on that team.

THE WU CREW

• Aubree Dewey leads the Ichabods and ranks in the top-25 in the MIAA in scoring (10.5 ppg/23rd), assists (3.6 apg/eighth), steals (1.3 spg/21st), and time on the court (33.9 mpg/second).
• She notched her 13th double-figure scoring game on Saturday with 10 points against the Jennies.
• In the month of February, Dewey is averaging 11.1 ppg.
• Natalia Figueroa did not play in either of the two games last week...in 24 games her freshman season, she has averaged 8.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg, and has made a team-best 41 three-pointers.
• Macy Doebele added 10 points against the Jennies and averages 7.8 ppg this season to go with 4.6 rpg. She leads the squad in free throws, making 82-of-104 for a 78.8 success rate to rank eighth among MIAA players.
• At forward, Emma Chapman also adds 7.8 ppg and 4.5 rpg. In two games last week, she averaged 11.5 ppg and made 10-of-18 from the field.
• Freshman center Yiibari Nwidadah leads the squad with 5.9 rpg and adds 6.9 ppg with a 54.4 field goal percentage. She made all four of her field goal attempts at Central Missouri.
• Gabi Artis led the team in scoring in both games last week as she scored 16 at Lincoln and 14 at Central Missouri. For the season, she averages 6.9 ppg and 3.9 rpg.
• Artis also leads the team with 16 blocks and has made one block ing each of the last four games.
• Amaya Davison has played in all 26 games off the bench and contributes 2.9 ppg.
• Lakyn Schieferecke has started 16 of the 26 games she's played and is averaging 2.3 rpg and 2.0 ppg.
• Post players Lauren Cassaday and Lizzy Sanders average 1.6 ppg and 1.5 ppg, respectively.
• Jaden Newfarmer played a career-high 14 minutes at Central Missouri and recorded two points, an assist, and a rebound.

THANK YOU, SENIORS!

• Emma Chapman transferred to Washburn last season and has started 22 of the 48 games she's played. She has recorded 230 points and 135 rebounds to go with a 43.2 field goal percentage. This season, she has had eight double-digit scoring games and scored a career-high 18 points after making 8-of-11 from the floor at Northwest Missouri. She is majoring in psychology.
• Macy Doebele is a four-year member of the Washburn women's basketball team and has played in 104 games with 56 starts. She has amassed 613 points, 392 rebounds, and 107 assists. Earlier this season at Central Oklahoma, Macy set Washburn's single game record for most free throws made as she went 17-of-20 at the charity stripe and finished with a career-high 19 points to help the Ichabods to a 75-73 win. She is majoring in medical imaging.
• Abby Oliver has been a part of Washburn women's basketball for four seasons and was an All-MIAA Honorable Mention selection last year. In three seasons, Abby has played in 61 games with 38 starts and tallied 469 points and 271 rebounds. In the regular season finale at Emporia State last year, Abby scored a career-high 20 points. She is majoring in nursing.
• Noah Garber is in his first season as a student manager for the Ichabods and will be graduating with his kinesiology degree.

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 447-123 all-time in Lee Arena.
• The Ichabods went 8-7 at home last season.

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
Central Missouri 78, Washburn 54 (Feb. 18, 2023)
WARRENSBURG, Mo. – A trio of Ichabods scored double-figure points on Saturday afternoon, but it wasn't enough as No. 12-ranked Central Missouri posted 78-54 win on its home court.

Washburn (11-15, 7-13 MIAA) leveled the score early at 2 and 4 when Central Missouri used a 13-2 run to create some space. At the end of the first quarter, the Jennies held a 22-10 advantage.

Central Missouri's (21-3, 17-3 MIAA) offense continued to click in the second quarter and led by as many as 22 points in the frame. The Ichabods closed out the first half on a 6-2 run to trim the deficit to 42-24 at the break.

The Jennies held a double-figure lead throughout the second half. Washburn finished out the game on a 5-0 run in the last 2:16 of the contest with points by Gabi Artis and Jaden Newfarmer.

Central Missouri finished the afternoon with a 50.9 field goal percentage and Washburn shot at a 44.9 clip. From three-point range, UCM made 7-of-18 and WU hit 3-of-11. The Jennies made 13-of-15 from the free throw line and the Ichabods were 7-of-10. Central Missouri had the edge in rebounds, 31-25.

Artis led the Ichabods in scoring, making 6-of-9 from the field and tallying 14 points. She also led the team in rebounds with seven. Aubree Dewey and Macy Doebele contributed 10 points apiece.

Brooke Littrell led all scorers with 25 points as she made 10-of-14 from the floor and hit all three of her three-point attempts.

ABOUT THE MISSOURI SOUTHERN LIONS

• Missouri Southern got back in the win column last time out after consecutive losses to Pittsburg State and then-ranked No. 10 Nebraska-Kearney.
• The Lions average 71.4 ppg and have a 41.6 field goal percentage.
• The team also ranks in the top-15 in Division II for fewest turnovers per game (12.0/fifth), assist/turnover ratio (1.27/eighth), and in blocks (4.8 bpg/11th).
• The 2021-22 MIAA Freshman and Player of the Year Lacy Stokes has continued to lead Missouri Southern in her second collegiate season, averaging 16.0 ppg (fifth in MIAA) with a 40.3 field goal percentage (10th in MIAA) and 76 steals (second in MIAA/11th in Division II) while leading the league in assists (149/sixth in DII).
• Kryslyn Jones also contributes double-digit scoring with 10.4 ppg and leads the team with 48 made three-pointers.
• Madi Stokes helps the team on both sides of the ball as she averages 9.1 ppg, 2.2 blocks per game (second in MIAA/eighth in DII), and 8.7 rpg (fourth in MIAA).

HEAD COACH RONNIE RESSEL

• Ronnie Ressel was named the 2021-22 MIAA Coach of the Year and is in his seventh season at the helm of the Lions' bench where has compiled a record of 80-89 heading into this season.
• He is 5-6 against Washburn.
• He has been a part of the Missouri Southern athletic department for 21 seasons, serving as an assistant for both the men's and women's programs.
• Prior to joining the Missouri Southern coaching staff, he was the head coach at Rend Lake College and was named the Great Rivers Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1996.
• Ressel was a two-time letterwinner for Missouri Southern and led the team in assists both seasons.

SERIES WITH MISSOURI SOUTHERN

• Washburn won the very first meeting against Missouri Southern, 30-19, on Feb. 2, 1971.
• Although the Ichabods lead the all-time series, 53-34, WU is looking to snap a five-game losing streak to the Lions.
• When playing the Lions in Topeka, Washburn is 32-12.
• Washburn's last home win against Missouri Southern was on Jan. 14. 2021 ... the Ichabods came out on top 56-49.

WASHBURN'S LAST TIME AGAINST MISSOURI SOUTHERN
Missouri Southern 61, Washburn 45 (Jan. 12, 2023)
JOPLIN, Mo. – The Washburn women's basketball team led for 13 minutes of the first half and went into the break with the score tied, but the Ichabod offense made just five field goals in the second half while Missouri Southern made 16 baskets and went on to win, 61-45, on Thursday evening.

Lakyn Schieferecke scored Washburn's (7-7, 3-5 MIAA) first five points of the game while Missouri Southern missed its first six shots. The Lions (13-4, 5-4 MIAA) got on the board and responded with five points of their own to level the score and then later tied it up again at 7-all and 9-all before Aubree Dewey put the Ichabods back up, 12-9, with a free throw and a layup. The Lions made a floating jump shot with two seconds left in the frame to pull within one, 13-12, at the end of the opening quarter.

It was back-and-forth scoring in the second quarter as there were six lead changes and two ties. Missouri Southern took its first lead of the game 45 seconds into the second quarter and never led by more than two points in the frame. After Missouri Southern hit a three-pointer to go up, 21-19, Amaya Davison answered with a triple on the ensuing possession to put the Ichabods back in front with 1:46 remaining in the first half. That would be the final points of the quarter for Washburn, though, and Missouri Southern went 1-of-2 at the free throw line with 24 seconds left to knot up the score at 22 at the break. The Ichabods held reigning MIAA Player and Freshman of the Year Lacy Stokes to just four points in the first half.

Missouri Southern started the second half on a 6-1 run and found its groove offensively, making 9-of-15 from the field (60 percent) with three triples. The Washburn offense went ice cold as the Ichabods made just 2-of-11 from the floor, but kept things closer by going 8-of-10 from the free throw line. Macy Doebele made both of her free throws with 22 seconds left to trim the deficit down to six, 41-35, but Stokes drained a three-pointer at the buzzer to push the lead back to nine. The Lions scored one more point in the third quarter than they did the first half as they outscored the Ichabods, 22-13, in the frame.

Washburn's offensive struggles continued in the fourth as it made just 3-of-14 from the floor and Missouri Southern was 7-of-17 to push its lead to as many as 18. Stokes scored the final points of the game with a jumper just under two and a half minutes left to finish out the win.

The Ichabods shot a season-low 25 percent from the field (13-of-52) while the Lions finished at a 40 percent clip (24-of-60). MSSU made 6-of-21 from behind the arc and WU made 3-of-20. Washburn had the advantage at the free throw line, making 16-of-21, and Missouri Southern was 7-for-11. The Lions had six more rebounds than the Ichabods, 43-37.

The nine Ichabods who saw more than five minutes of playing time all scored two or more points. Schieferecke led the team with a career-high 10 points making all three of her field goal attempts and going 3-of-4 from the charity stripe. Gabi Artis had seven points and made all four of her free throws. Doebele had six points and five boards. Aubree Dewey led the team with seven rebounds and four assists and added five points.

Stokes finished the evening with 18 points, five steals, and five assists. Madi Stokes recorded a double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds to go with three blocks.   

WASHBURN HISTORY

• Washburn women's basketball is 982-476-1 (.677) 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 is set for the regular season finale at Emporia State on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.