TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn women's basketball wraps up a two-game stint at home on Saturday against Pittsburg State at 1 p.m. in Lee Arena. 

OPENING TIP

• Washburn women's basketball plays its final home game in the month of January on Saturday against No. 25 Pittsburg State. 
• The Ichabods will face the Gorillas at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 20 in Lee Arena. 
• Washburn is coming off a 69-50 loss at home to Missouri Southern on Wednesday.
• WU is now 10-6 overall on the year and has gone 5-5 in the MIAA. 
• They have gone 6-1 at home, 3-4 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. 
• Pittsburg State is 12-4 overall to start the year and are 6-4 in the MIAA after falling to Emporia State 71-59 in Emporia on Wednesday. 
• The Ichabods were picked to finish in eighth place in the MIAA Preseason Coaches poll and were slotted at 10th in the media vote. They are currently 9th in the conference.

BODS AND BITS

• As a team Washburn averages 73.3 ppg on 42.3% shooting from the floor and 34.9% from deep. 
• Opponents average 63.0 ppg on 38.2% shooting and 27.8% from behind the arc. 
• WU is shooting 70.1% from the line this year going 244-348 overall while opponents are 212-287, for a 73.9% clip. 
• The Ichabods are pulling down 40.9 rpg while holding opponents to just 34.3 rpg. They also average 12.2 apg while opponents only average 10.4.
• Washburn extended its three point streak to 84 games with one triple on Wednesday.
• The 12 player roster for Washburn is the smallest roster since the 2006-07 roster which also featured 12 players. 

THE BLUE CREW

• Aubree Dewey leads the Ichabod scoring attack at 15.6 ppg on 45.7% shooting from the floor. Dewey dishes out a team-high 5.0 apg and pulls down 5.5 rpg from the point guard position, second most on the team. She leads the team playing 33.3 and snags 1.6 spg. 
• Yiibari Nwidadah is second on the team averaging 12.7 ppg and nearly averages a double double pulling down a team-high 9.8 rpg with 3.9 on the offensive end. She also leads WU in shooting at 54.9% from the floor and is doing so in just 24.6 mpg. 
• Aniah Wayne is averaging double figures, scoring 10.0 ppg this season in 26.5 mpg with 15 starts. She also pulls down 3.1 rpg and is shooting 35.0% from behind the arc, leading the Ichabods with 35 triples. 
• Mackenzie Gamble has made 10 starts and is averaging 22.5 mpg. She is scoring 6.3 ppg, dishing 1.6 apg with 2.8 rpg. She leads the team shooting 42.2% from deep and is 88.9% from the free throw line. 
• Gabi Giovannetti is scoring 6.8 ppg in 16.6 mpg off the bench in 10 games. She has averages of 39.0% from the floor and is second on the team shooting 40.0% from deep.
• Lakyn Schieferecke has started seven games for Washburn playing 20.5 mpg. She is averaging 5.0 ppg on 40.7% shooting and is pulling down 3.5 rpg .
• Amaya Davison is averaging 6.3 ppg off the bench on the year shooting 36.8% from the floor with 2.1 rpg in 20.2 mpg.  
• Madelyn Amekporfor has made nine starts averaging 16.9 mpg and is scoring 5.6 ppg on 40.8% shooting with 0.9 steals per game. 
• Liz Boyd is averaging 5.5 ppg in just 11.9 mpg while shooting 45.7% from the field. She's also pulling down 3.4 rpg off the bench.
• Rebecca Snyder is scoring 1.1 ppg with 1.7 rpg playing 7.9 mpg with appearances in every game and six starts. 
• Nia McKenzie has made one start and appeared in 15 games playing 5.7 mpg and scoring 1 ppg.

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 453-125 all-time in Lee Arena. 

STACKING THE STATS

• WU is 52nd in the nation in scoring margin as they have outscored teams by an average of 10.3 points per game. 
• Washburn is 73rd nationally in field goal percentage at 42.3. That number is good for sixth among MIAA teams. 
• Washburn is crashing the glass and is 24th nationally in rebound advantage pulling down 6.7 more boards per game than opponents, third in the MIAA.
• The Ichabods are 29th in the nation in efficiency from deep shooting 34.9% for the year, the third best mark in the MIAA. They are 61st in the nation averaging 6.9 3-pointers per game. 
• Washburn is fourth in the conference and 71st nationally in defending the three point line holding opponents to 27.8% shooting from behind the arc. 
• WU is first in the MIAA and 25th nationally shooting 21.75 free throws per game. They are 24th in the nation knocking down 15.25 shots from the charity stripe per contest. 
• Aubree Dewey ranks 24th in the nation in assists per game with 5.0, that number is second among MIAA players. She is 17th nationally in total assists with 80. 
• She is also sixth in the conference in field goal percentage at 45.7%.
• Yiibari Nwidadah is first in the MIAA and 22nd nationally averaging 9.9 rpg. She is tied for 14th nationally and first in the conference with seven double doubles on the year. 
• Aniah Wayne is second in the conference in three-point percentage among qualified shooters at 35.0%. She is third in the MIAA in three's per game and total 3-pointers made. 
• Mackenzie Gamble is 12th in the conference in total 3-pointers made with 27. 

MILESTONE MARKERS

• Aubree Dewey needs four more steals to reach 100 as an Ichabod. 
• Mackenzie Gamble is only one assist away from recording 100 in her career. 

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 is a 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

Missouri Southern 69, Washburn 50 (Jan. 17, 2024)
TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn was unable to bounce back from a slow offensive start Wendesday evening falling to Missouri Southern 69-50. The Ichabods finish off a two-game stint at home on Saturday against Pittsburg State at 1:00 p.m.  

Early on Washburn (10-6, 5-5 MIAA) was able to build a lead, going up 8-4 with 3:56 in the first quarter after Aubree Dewey and Madelyn Amekporfor each went coast to coast for layups off of turnovers. The Lions (12-4, 8-2 MIAA) were able to finish the quarter strong and go up 11-10 after the first.  

In the second quarter the Ichabods had trouble scoring with their first and only point coming on a free throw from Liz Boyd with 4:11 left. Defensively, Washburn held Missouri Southern to just 4-12 shooting from the floor in the second quarter, the Lions were able to get to the free throw line eight times, making six to the Ichabods' two attempts. At the break the visitors led 28-12.  

Out of the break Washburn was able to score at a quick pace, going 6-12 overall for the quarter but on the other end Missouri Southern shot 9-11 in the frame. The lead was pushed up to 20 points for the first time with 2:28 left in the third quarter and led by 21 heading into the fourth.  

The Ichabods started the fourth on a 5-0 run with Mackenzie Gamble knocking down the only triple of the game for Washburn to kick it off. The lead never got below the 15 mark as the Lions led by as many as 23 with 5:32 left and eventually took the 69-50 win.  

For the game Washburn shot just 26.8% from the field going 15-56. Missouri Southern ended the game at 52.0% after going 17-24 in the second half. The Lions also had advantages on the boards, 40 to 32, and in assists, 15 to 11. Missouri Southern got a spark from the bench with 49 points coming from the reserves.  

Aubree Dewey led the Ichabods with 11 points, Madelyn Amekporfor had nine, both with a pair of steals. Yiibari Nwidadah led with eight rebounds.  

Missouri Southern finished with two double-digit scorers, both off the bench, Ryan Franklin paced the Lions with 20 while Brandi Hudson had 13.    

ABOUT THE PITTSBURG STATE GORILLAS

• The Gorillas are 12-4 on the year and 6-4 in MIAA play after a 71-59 road loss to Emporia State on Wednesday. They are ranked No. 25 in the latest WBCA poll. 
• Pittsburg State went 23-8 overall in 2022-23 with an 17-5 mark in the MIAA, advancing to the semifinals of the MIAA Championship Tournament. 
• On the year the Gorillas are averaging 76.0 points on 46.2% shooting overall and 30.3% from deep. 
• Opponents are averaging 64.6 points on 37.1% shooting and 30.8% from behind the arc. 
• PSU is 7-2 in true road games this season. 
• The Gorillas have large advantages on the boards and in assists, pulling down 7.8 more rpg than opponents while also dishing out 6.7 more apg. 
• Grace Pyle is one of two Gorillas averaging more than 16 ppg as she leads the team at 17.3 ppg on 40.0% shooting along with 7.1 rpg and 2.8 apg playing a team-high 34.1 mpg. 
• Karenna Gerber completes the scoring tandem putting up 16.3 pg on a conference-leading 58.9% shooting to go along with 7.1 rpg and 2.2 bpg. All while playing just 26.3 mpg. 
• Macie Mays averages 10.9 ppg on 57.1% shooting and 34.5% from deep while also pulling down 3.1 rpg. 
• Harper Schreiner averages a team-high 5.0 apg to go along with 7.0 rpg and 7.8 ppg. She leads Pitt State with 1.6 spg. 
• Only six players have started games so far this season for the Gorillas. 

HEAD COACH AMANDA DAVIED

• is in her 6th season at the helm of the Pittsburg State women's basketball program after being hired on May 21, 2018. 
• served the previous 14 seasons as the assistant coach for the Gorillas, replaced her former mentor, Lane Lord
• began her coaching career as a graduate assistant for the Gorilla women's basketball program in the 2003-04 season and was hired as a full-tim assistant in July 2004 
• Finished her career at Pitt state scoring 1,299 points in 109 career games, finishing her career as the school's ninth-leading all-time scorer. She also set Pitt State records for career assists (553) and career free throw percentage (.844, 313-for-371).
• earned her bachelor's degree in physical education from Pittsburg State in December 2003. She completed her master's degree in physical education in December 2008.

SERIES WITH PITTSBURG STATE

• Saturday will be the 94th meeting all-time between the Washburn and Pittsburg State with the Ichabods leading the series 55-38. 
• The series began Jan. 18, 1975 with a 101-36 home win for Washburn. 
• The Ichabods are 30-15 against the Gorillas in Lee Arena.
• Last season Pittsburg State won the only game between the two teams 74-55 in Pittsburg.  
• The last time the Gorillas traveled to Topeka was Jan. 16, 2021. 

LAST TIME VS PITTSBURG STATE

Pittsburg State 74, Washburn 55 (January 14, 2023)
PITTSBURG, Kan. – Washburn's defense limited Pittsburg State to shooting just 24 percent in the opening half, but the Gorillas found their groove and shot a blistering 58.8 percent from the field in the second half to defeat the Ichabods, 74-55, on Saturday afternoon. The Ichabods will play the next four games at home first hosting Fort Hays State on Wednesday, Jan. 18.

The Ichabods (7-8, 3-6 MIAA) won the opening tip and got the scoring started just seconds into the contest as Natalia Figueroa drained a three-pointer. The Ichabods added four unanswered points after that to jump out to a 7-0 lead. The Gorillas used a 10-3 run to pull within one, 10-9, before Washburn responded with a 6-2 scoring stretch to close out the opening quarter with a 16-11 lead.

In the second quarter, Pittsburg State (13-4, 8-3 MIAA) scored the first six points and took its first lead of the game at 17-16. It was back-and-forth scoring from there with eight total lead changes in the frame. The Gorillas made two free throws to leap back ahead by one, 23-22, with 4:13 on the clock, but the Ichabods hit back-to-back three-pointers to reclaim the lead and stayed in front for the remainder of the first half. At the break, the Ichabods held a 30-26 advantage and limited the Gorillas to shooting just 6-of-25 from the field (24 percent). Free throws helped Pittsburg State stay competitive in the game as the it made 12-of-24 from the charity stripe.

The Gorillas leveled the score at 30 and then 34 before a couple of three-pointers gave them a 40-39 lead midway through the third quarter. Macy Doebele regained the lead for Washburn at 41-40 with a pair of free throws at the 3:49 mark, but Pittsburg State made two free throws of its own to start a 6-0 run to take its largest lead of the afternoon, 46-41. Emma Chapman made a jumper with 39 seconds left to trim the deficit to 46-43.

Lakyn Schieferecke made a jump shot to start the fourth quarter to make it a one point affair, but the Gorillas quickly pulled away with a 13-0 run over the course of three and a half minutes. The Ichabods were 5-of-14 from the field and struggled at the free throw line, going 2-of-10. The Pittsburg State offense was on fire in the final frame and made 13 out of 17 field goal attempts for a 76.5 percentage to finish off the double-digit comeback win.

The Ichabods finished with a 34.3 field goal percentage while the Gorillas' hot second half pushed them to a 44.1 field goal percentage. Pittsburg State made one more three-pointer, making 6-of-19, compared to Washburn's 4-of-14 from deep. The Gorillas had a big advantage at the free throw line, making 16-of-19, while the Ichabods were just 4-of-14. Pittsburg State outrebounded Washburn, 49-35.

Dewey tied a career-high in scoring with 20 points to lead the Ichabods. Figueroa had 11 points, all in the first half, and went 3-of-7 from three-point range. Yiibari Nwidadah had five points and tied with Schieferecke for a team-high six rebounds.

Four from Pittsburg State finished in double-figures, led by Karenna Gerber's 16.

WASHBURN HISTORY

• Washburn women's basketball is 992-484-1 (.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 begin a four game stint on the road against Fort Hays State on Thursday, Jan. 15 at 5:30 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.