TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn women's basketball will return after the Thanksgiving break to host Sterling College at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 30 in the final home contest of 2024. 
 

OPENING TIP

• Washburn women's basketball wraps up the 2024 calendar year at home on Saturday as they host Sterling College before heading on the road for all of December.
• The Ichabods will take on the Warriors on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 4 p.m. inside of Lee Arena.
• Washburn is 3-4 on the year after winning its third straight game by more than 20 points knocking off Lincoln 80-55 in the home-opener on Monday evening. 
• They are coming off a 13-16 season in 2023-24, finishing 10th in the MIAA with an 8-14 record in the conference and advancing to the first round of the MIAA Tournament.
• The Ichabods were picked to finish 9th in the MIAA Preseason Media Poll and were tabbed 10th by the coaches.  
• Sterling enters the game on a three-game winning streak with a 7-1 overall record. Last time out they won 73-65 over Avila on Nov. 23. 

BODS AND BITS

• Washburn returns eight letterwinners from last season's roster while adding seven total new faces with five incoming freshmen and two junior transfers rounding out the 15-player roster. 
• The five freshmen are flanked by four sophomores and a junior class that is six players deep. It is the first roster without a senior going back to the 1980's. 
• The Ichabods are scoring 73.4 ppg on 44.7% shooting overall and 30.9% from behind the arc.
• Opponents average 67.9 ppg on 43.0% shooting and 30.1% from deep.
• They are grabbing 36.7 rpg while giving out 14.0 apg. On the defensive end they come away with 8.1 spg and swat away 3.4 bpg.
• Washburn is 1-0 inside of Lee Arena while going 2-2 in road contests and 0-2 in neutral court games. 
• Washburn hit SIX triples against Lincoln to extend its streak of games with a made triple to 105 games.
• The Saturday meeting against Sterling will be just the 3rd non-exhibition contest all-time between the two programs.

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

• The 2024-25 season marks the 41st season of play in Lee Arena as the facility opened in the 1983-84 season.
• Washburn is 457-128 all-time in Lee Arena. 

BLUE REPORT

• Yiibari Nwidadah leads the team offensively with 17.7 ppg while also shooting a team-high 69.7% from the field. She grabs a team-best 7.7 rpg and swats away 1.6 bpg while snagging 1.1 spg. The junior has started every game playing 28.7 mpg. She has shot over 50.0% in every game this season and has back-to-back double-doubles. She is 4th in the nation in field goal percentage and first in the MIAA. She is second in the conference in scoring and 51st nationally. 
• Payton Sterk is second on the team in scoring at 16.1 ppg while starting all seven contests and playing a team-high 31.1 mpg. She is shooting 43.5% from the floor and a team-high 40.0% from deep while dishing out 3.1 apg, most on the squad. She also has a team-high 16 3-pointers and has made 11 in the last three games. Among MIAA players she ranks 5th in ppg and 3-point percentage and is in the top-100 nationally in both. 
• Gabi Giovannetti is scoring 12.3 ppg while shooting 42.2% from the floor and 100.0% at the free throw line. The junior has started all seven games playing 28.7 mpg. She is adding 2.9 rpg with 2.4 apg and 0.9 spg. She is second on the team with 13 made triples and has scored at least nine points in three straight games. She is 11th among MIAA players in total 3-pointers and triples per game.
• Madelyn Amekporfor is scoring 6.9 ppg on 45.0% shooting while starting in all seven games and playing 24.0 mpg. She is grabbing 3.6 rpg while adding 2.0 apg. On the defensive end she comes away with 1.1 spg. She has a steal in each of the last five games. 
• Aniah Wayne is scoring 8.0 ppg while shooting 35.9% from the floor and 30.8% from deep off the bench. She is logging 19.0 mpg while playing in six games and pulling down 2.8 rpg and making 1.2 spg. Her three games with double figure scoring off the bench lead the team.
• Brooke Gomez has played in all seven games making six starts in her freshman season logging 18.6 mpg. She averages 3.6 ppg while adding 2.3 rpg, 1.9 apg and 0.7 spg. 
• Rebecca Snyder has came off the bench in all seven games playing 11.6 mpg and is scoring 2.6 ppg with 2.9 rpg.
• Amaya Davison has played in all seven games and started one logging 14.6 mpg. She is giving out 1.3 apg and coming away with 1.3 spg while scoring 3.6 ppg. 
• Nia McKenzie has played in all seven games averaging 10.9 mpg off the bench while grabbing 3.0 rpg and scoring 2.0 ppg.
• Emajin McCallop has played in five games scoring 1.2 ppg across 10.4 mpg. 
• Lauren Luebbert, Liz Boyd and Willow Gideon have each made multiple appearances off the bench while logging 5.0 mpg or less. 

STAT STACKING

• Washburn is shooting efficiently from the field with the 42nd best FG% at 44.7%. The number is good for fourth in the MIAA. 
• Scoring 73.4 ppg the Ichabod offense is ranked 59th in the nation and fifth among conference foes. 
• Washburn is fifth in the MIAA in both blocks per game and assists per game. They rank inside the top-100 nationally in both categories. 
• The Ichabods are connecting on 6.6 3-pointers per game, 96th most in the nation. 

MILESTONE MARKERS

• With 171 career offensive rebounds Yiibari Nwidadah is tied for 9th in program history. She is 16 rebounds away from moving up to No. 8. In overall rebounds she ranks 29th in Washburn history with 445. 
• Her career rebounding average of 7.5 rpg is sixth highest in program history. With an average of 2.9 orpg she has the third highest offensive average of any Ichabod. 
• Gabi Giovannetti is tied for 24th in program history with 78 career 3-pointers made. She will move up to 23rd with two more triples. 

HEAD COACH LORA WESTLING

1. Lora Westling is in her third season as head coach at her alma mater entering the 2024-25 season. She has a 27-37 record with Washburn and is 104-115 at the DII level. 
2. Westling comes back to Topeka 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.
3. Her overall victories is second on the Western all-time list and her 63 RMAC wins is tied for second in program history.
4. Prior to Western Colorado, Westling spent three seasons as the head coach at the Division III program, Illinois College.
5. Before becoming a head coach Westling had stints as an assistant at Missouri-St. Louis from 2007-10 and Truman State from 2010-13.
6. 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.
7. 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. 
8. She also played one season of soccer for the Lady Blues.

WASHBURN ASSISTANT COACHES

• Assistant coaches Matt Barreiro and Katie Dalton along with student assistant Karly Neufeld round out the coaching staff.
• Barriero enters his second year on the staff. He is a 2005 graduate of Arizona Christian and got his masters from Walden University in 2012. 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 as the head coach at Central Christian College in McPherson, Kan. for two years.
• Dalton joins the staff for the 2024-25 season. She reunites with Westling who she played for at Western Colorado from 2017-22 and was a two-time All-RMAC selection. She graduated from Western Colorado in 2022. 
• She is originally from Magnolia, Texas and has spent time as a head rehabilitation technician and a physical therapy technician.
• Karly Neufeld joins the coaching staff after spending the 2023-24 season on the Ichabod roster.  

LAST TIME OUT

Washburn 80, Lincoln 55 (November 25, 2024)
TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn used a 48-point second half to blow past Lincoln 80-55 in the 2024-25 home-opener. The Ichabods will face Sterling College at 4 p.m. inside of Lee Arena to wrap up the 2024 calendar year at home.  

After 40 seconds of action it was 4-0 for Washburn (3-4) with baskets by Payton Sterk and Yiibari Nwidadah. The lead grew to 8-2 at the 6:17 mark after Gabi Giovannetti knocked down a jumper. The Blue Tigers (1-1) responded with a 12-2 run over the next 3:05 to go up 14-10. Lincoln shot 8-13 (61.5%) in the quarter to lead 21-16 after 10 minutes.  

After both teams traded baskets to start the second, Washburn cobbled together a 7-0 run, going in front after a pair of made free throws by Sterk with 6:09 left. Lincoln went back in front by three but the final three baskets of the half were all scored by Nwidadah, giving the Ichabods a 32-29 advantage heading into the break after holding the Blue Tigers to 3-13 shooting in the quarter.  

Out of the break, a triple by Sterk and six more points in the paint from Nwidadah pushed the Washburn lead to double figures at 41-30. The Ichabods scored 25 points in the quarter with 24 coming from Nwidadah, Giovannetti and Sterk. After scoring the final four points of the quarter the lead grew to 17 points.  

The Washburn offense was kept in check until the 6:30 mark in the fourth quarter when Giovannetti got a jumper to fall. Even with the slow start the Blue Tigers never got closer than 13 points. Turnovers down the stretch allowed the Ichabods to expand the lead in the final two minutes, outscoring Lincoln 9-2 to make it an 80-25 final.  

Washburn scored at least 80 points for the third straight game shooting 30-62 (48.4%) from the floor and 6-14 from deep. The Blue Tigers shot 38.8% overall (19-49) but were only 4-20 from beyond the arc. The Ichabods were all over the boards, outrebounding Lincoln 46-20 while also dishing out 16 assists to just 10.  

Thanks to the rebounding edge, points in the paint also went in favor of Washburn 44-24, along with second chance points by an 18-2 margin.  

Yiibari Nwidadah secured her second straight double-double as she scored 25 and grabbed 12 rebounds while shooting 10-14 from the floor. Payton Sterk added 18 points with three assists while Gabi GIovannetti scored 14 on 6-14 shooting with four assists and five boards.  

Ayreona Carter had 19 points to lead Lincoln while shooting 7-10 from the floor.  

ABOUT THE STERLING COLLEGE WARRIORS

• Sterling is 7-1 on the year and 3-0 inside the KCAC after defeating Avila 73-65 on the road last time out on Nov. 23.
• Last season the Warriors went 12-16 overall and finished 9-13 inside the KCAC. 
• This year, Sterling is 2-0 when playing in Sterling and 5-1 in road contests. 
• The Warriors average 79.5 ppg on 49.7% shooting while allowing 58.8 ppg to opponents. They pull down 39.3 rpg while dishing out 14.0 apg. 
• Korynn Clason is scoring a team-high 19.6 ppg on 47.5% shooting while starting in all eight contests. She grabs 3.5 rpg and adds 1.9 apg in 30.6 mpg. 
• McKenna Vogl is second on the team scoring 12.8 ppg while pulling down a team-high 7.1 rpg. She also shoots a team-high 63.2% from the floor while adding 1.1 spg. 
• Alissa Heskamp is scoring 11.9 ppg while starting all eight games. She is shooting 55.4% from the floor and 55.6% from beyond the arc. She adds 4.0 rpg and 2.4 apg. 
• Kali Briar is scoring 9.3 ppg in eight starts and has connected on a team-high 15 3-pointers and is shooting 36.6% from deep. She also gives out a team-high 3.0 apg. 
• Kayla Morris adds 6.8 ppg off the bench on 59.5% from the floor while playing 14.0 mpg. She adds 3.3 rpg and 0.8 bpg. 

HEAD COACH K.C. BASSETT

• Is in her 11th season as the head coach of the Lady Warrior's basketball program.
• Was named Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Leader in 2021 and also serves on the Athletic Leadership team.
• Bassett was an assistant coach for the Lady Warriors for seven years under the tutelage of NAIA, Kansas, and Sterling College Hall of Famer Lonnie Kruse. During her time as an assistant, Bassett helped Sterling attain a combined record of 146-72.
• From 2003-2007, K.C. was a four-year starter and twice captain on Sterling College teams that finished with a combined record of 99-28.

LAST TIME VERSUS STERLING

Washburn  67, Sterling 44 (November 28, 2008)
TOPEKA, Kan. -- The No. 2 ranked Washburn Lady Blues used a 14-2 run over a six-minute stretch in the second half to pull away from Sterling College in a 67-44 win in the second game of the AM 580 WIBW/Capitol Plaza Holiday Classic. The Lady Blues will take on No. 8-ranked Indiana (Pa.) Saturday night at 8 p.m. in Lee Arena. The Crimson Hawks defeated Missouri Western 68-47 in the first game.

Washburn led by 13 at the break while holding Sterling to 8 of 22 shooting. The Lady Blues also struggled from the field connecting on 9 of 39 attempts while outrebounding the Warriors 32 to 16. Janice Bright had 13 of her game-high 20 in the first half including a floater in the lane at the buzzer.

In the second half, Washburn improved to 13 of 26 in the half from the field and continued the defensive pressure on Sterling as the Warriors were limited to 8 of 26 shooting. Washburn led 48-37 with 9:23 to go, but the 14-2 run put the game away for the Lady Blues over Sterling, who is ranked No. 11 in the NAIA poll.

Bright led Washburn with 20 points while hitting all eight free throw attempts. Karla Tailele recorded her first double double of her career with new highs of 14 points and 10 rebounds. Dayna Rodriguez had 12 points.

Washburn recorded 54 rebounds including 28 coming off the offensive glass. The Lady Blues scored 39 of the 67 points for the Lady Blues.

SERIES WITH STERLING

• Washburn leads the all-time series with Sterling 2-0.
• They are 1-0 against the Lady Warriors inside Lee Arena. 
• The series began on Feb. 27, 1984 with an 87-60 road win for the Ichabods. 
• The last meeting came on Nov. 28, 2008 and saw Washburn win 87-60 at home.

WASHBURN HISTORY

• Washburn women's basketball is 998-498-1 (.667) all-time and are in the 56th 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

• Washburn will begin MIAA play next week on Thursday, Dec. 5 against Nebraska Kearney on the road with a 5:30 tip. 
• The home finale for the Ichabods will come on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 1p.m. against Rogers State. 
• The MIAA Basketball Championship Tournament will be held in Kansas City, Mo. at the Municipal Auditorium from March 5-9.