TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn Ichabod women's basketball opens up conference play on the road as they face Nebraska Kearney at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. 

OPENING TIP

• Washburn women's basketball begins MIAA play away from home as they take on Nebraska Kearney. 
• The Ichabods will take on the Lopers on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 5:30 p.m. inside the Health & Sports Center. 
• Washburn is 4-4 on the year after winning its fourth straight game by more than 20 points knocking off Sterling College 98-65 on Saturday, Nov. 30.
• 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.  
• Nebraska Kearney has won its last two games and enters MIAA play with a 6-2 record after defeating Chadron State 86-59 on the road Nov. 30.

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 76.5 ppg on 46.0% shooting overall and 31.8% from behind the arc.
• Opponents average 67.5 ppg on 43.7% shooting and 28.7% from deep.
• They are grabbing 36.8 rpg while giving out 15.1 apg. On the defensive end they come away with 8.6 spg and swat away 3.1 bpg.
• Washburn is 2-0 inside of Lee Arena while going 2-2 in road contests and 0-2 in neutral court games. 
• Washburn hit ten triples against Sterling to extend its streak of games with a made triple to 106 games.
• Thursday's meeting against Nebraska Kearney will be the 49th meeting all-time between the two programs. 

BLUE REPORT

• Yiibari Nwidadah leads the team offensively with 17.3 ppg while also shooting a team-high 70.2% from the field. She grabs a team-best 7.8 rpg and swats away 1.4 bpg while snagging 1.3 spg. The junior has started every game playing 28.1 mpg. She has shot over 50.0% in every game this season and has two double-doubles. She is 3rd in the nation and first in the MIAA in field goal percentage. In scoring she is 63rd nationally and 3rd in the MIAA while also ranking seventh in the conference in rebounds per game. 
• Payton Sterk is second on the team in scoring at 16.4 ppg while starting all eight contests and playing a team-high 30.6 mpg. She is shooting 43.0% from the floor and a team-high 40.8% from deep while dishing out 2.9 apg, most on the squad. She also has a team-high 20 3-pointers and has made 15 in the last four games. Among MIAA players she ranks 5th in three point percentage, and sixth in both total 3-pointers and ppg. She is ranked top-100 nationally in all three. 
• Gabi Giovannetti is scoring 13.1 ppg while shooting 45.3% from the floor and 100.0% at the free throw line. The junior has started all eight games playing 28.5 mpg. She is adding 2.9 rpg with 2.3 apg and 1.1 spg. She is second on the team with 16 made triples and has scored at least nine points in four straight games. She is 11th among MIAA players in total 3-pointers and triples per game.
• Madelyn Amekporfor is scoring 7.1 ppg on 44.0% shooting while starting in all eight games and playing 23.6 mpg. She is grabbing 3.5 rpg while adding 2.6 apg. On the defensive end she comes away with 1.1 spg. She has a steal in six and multiple assists in six straight 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 eight games making seven starts in her freshman season logging 19.0 mpg. She averages 4.3 ppg while adding 2.4 rpg, 2.5 apg and 0.9 spg. Last time out she tossed a career-high seven assists. 
• Amaya Davison has played in all eight games and started one logging 15.0 mpg. She scoring 4.1 ppg on 43.5% shooting while giving out 1.3 apg and coming away with 1.3 spg. 
• Rebecca Snyder has come off the bench in all eight games playing 10.8 mpg and is scoring 2.4 ppg with 2.6 rpg.
• Nia McKenzie has played in all eight games averaging 11.1 mpg off the bench while grabbing 3.3 rpg and scoring 2.4 ppg.She has at least five rebounds in four straight games. 
• Emajin McCallop has played in six games scoring 1.3 ppg across 10.2 mpg. 
• Willow Gideon has played 6.0 mpg across five appearances while scoring 1.4 ppg. 
• Lauren Luebbert and Liz Boyd are each playing less than 5.0 mpg off the bench. 

STAT STACKING

• Washburn is shooting efficiently from the field with the 22nd best FG% at 46.0%. The number is best in the MIAA.
• Scoring 76.5 ppg the Ichabod offense is ranked 38th in the nation and third among conference foes.
• Washburn is giving out 15.1 assists per game, good for 62nd in the nation and fifth among MIAA teams.  
• With 7.0 3-pointers per game the Ichabods are 78th in the nation. They are also efficient as they rank 90th in 3-point percentage shooting at a 31.8% clip. 
• With a plus 4.5 rebounding margin Washburn ranks 85th in the nation controlling the glass.

MILESTONE MARKERS

• With 175 career offensive rebounds Yiibari Nwidadah is 9th in program history. She is 11 boards away from moving up to No. 8. In overall rebounds she ranks 27th in Washburn history with 453. 
• Her career rebounding average of 7.6 rpg is sixth highest in program history. With an average of 2.9 orpg she has the second highest offensive average of any Ichabod. 
• Gabi Giovannetti is tied for 20th in program history with 81 career 3-pointers made. She will move up to 19th with three more triples. 

HEAD COACH LORA WESTLING

• Lora Westling is in her third season as head coach at her alma mater entering the 2024-25 season. She has a 28-37 record with Washburn and is 105-115 at the DII level. 
• 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.
• 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 becoming a head coach Westling had stints as an assistant at Missouri-St. Louis from 2007-10 and Truman State from 2010-13.
• 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 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 98, Sterling 65 (November 30, 2024)
TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn erupted for 98-points Saturday afternoon to down Sterling College 98-65 for a fourth straight victory. The Ichabods will begin MIAA play on Thursday, Dec. 5 on the road against Nebraska Kearney.  

A quick start from the Warriors, playing the game as an exhibition, had them up 6-5 early on. A 3-pointer by Madelyn Amekporfor at the 7:02 mark sparked what would become an 11-2 run for Washburn (4-4) to go up 16-8. Both sides scored efficiently in the first quarter, trading baskets for the rest of the frame leaving the Ichabods in front 24-19 after 10 minutes.  

Washburn kicked off the second quarter on a 9-0 run, going up by 14-points after Gabi Giovannetti got a layup to go. After shooting 50.0% in the first quarter the Ichabod offense continued to churn, shooting 52.6% in the second and connecting on four triples. Two of those connections from outside came on back-to-back possessions, first by Giovannetti then by Payton Sterk to go up 41-24 at the 4:29 mark. The lead grew to as many as 19 in the half and finished at 16 as the Ichabods led 50-34 at the break.  

Yiibari Nwidadah scored a quick five points in the first two minutes out of the break to push the lead past 20 points. The efficient offense continued and Washburn would lead by 32-points after Sterk drained another triple with 1:03 left to play in the quarter. Giovannetti continued the outside attack, ending the quarter with a buzzer-beating triple to make it 82-51.  

Sterling was unable to cut the lead below 25-points in the fourth quarter as all 12 Ichabods that were dressed touched the floor and entered the scoring column. Washburn ended the game with a 33-point win, 98-65, to get back to .500 on the season with a fourth straight victory by over 20 points.  

The Ichabods shot 37-69 (53.6%) in the game and were 10-19 from beyond the arc. The Warriors were efficient overall, shooting 27-55 (49.1%), but were 0-6 from deep. Washburn had advantages on the boards, 37-25, and won the turnover battle 22-14.  

The 22 turnovers from Sterling turned into 34 points for the Ichabods while the Warriors scored just six points on Washburn giveaways. Second chance points also went in Washburn's favor, 19-5.  

Gabi Giovannetti led the way with 19 points on 8-12 shooting while adding three steals and a block on the defensive end. Payton Sterk scored 18 points, shooting 4-9 from deep, and Yiibari Nwidadah had 15 points on 6-8 shooting with eight rebounds. Madelyn Amekporfor and Brooke Gomez each chipped in nine points while tossing out seven assists.  

Korynn Clason scored a game-high 25 points for Sterling on 11-17 shooting. Alissa Heskamp and Kayla Morris each finished with 10 points.  

ABOUT THE NEBRASKA KEARNEY LOPERS

• Nebraska Kearney is 6-2 on the year after defeating Chadron State 86-59 on the road last time out on Nov. 30. 
• Last season the Lopers went 19-11 overall and 12-10 inside the MIAA. They advanced to the quarterfinal round of the MIAA Championship Tournament. 
• This season, Nebraska Kearney is 2-0 playing inside the Health & Sports Center, 2-1 on the road and are also 2-1 in neutral court games. 
• The Lopers average 81.3 ppg on 45.2% shooting while allowing 56.5 ppg to opponents. They pull down 43.0 rpg while dishing out 16.8 apg. 
• They rank first in the MIAA in bench scoring, steals per game, points per game and scoring margin. They are top-50 nationally in every category. 
• Meg Burns leads the offense scoring 12.4 ppg on 41.5% shooting and 40.0% from deep. She has played in all eight games, starting all eight, and playing 27.0 mpg. She is 13th in the nation and third in the conference with 22 made triples. 
• Samantha Moor leads the team on the boards grabbing 6.9 rpg while also scoring 11.4 ppg on 49.3% shooting. She has started all eight games logging 26.8 mpg and adds 3.0 apg and 2.0 spg. 
• Jillian Aschoff has started all eight games playing 27.0 mpg and leads the Lopers with 4.4 apg. She chips in 8.9 ppg on offense and grabs 6.6 rpg while making 2.4 spg on defense. She is 3rd in the MIAA in steals and fifth in assists. 
• Bailee Sobczak averages 11.0 ppg in just 14.5 mpg off the bench. She is shooting a team-high 54.8% from the floor and also grabs 5.9 rpg. 
• Kia Wilson scores 8.9 ppg on 50.8% shooting while playing and starting all eight games. She adds 4.9 rpg in 20.1 mpg. 

HEAD COACH DREW JOHNSON

• Is in his 2nd season as the head coach at Nebraska Kearney where he has a 25-13 record. 
• Spent the previous two seasons as the head coach at Newman, leading the Jets to the MIAA Tournament for the first time in program history in the 2022-23 season. 
• Got his start as a head coach at Bethel College from 2017-21. 
• he was a nine-year high school coach in Kansas (Valley Center, Derby and Clay Center) and co-founded Ohlde Elite, an AAU program
• Played football and got his bachelor's degree in education from Friends University in 2011. 

LAST TIME VERSUS NEBRASKA KEARNEY

Nebraska Kearney 72, Washburn 65 (March 6, 2024)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Washburn women's basketball's season came to an end Wednesday afternoon as its comeback bid was turned away by Nebraska-Kearney in the opening round of the MIAA Tournament with the Ichabods falling 72-65.  

Washburn finishes the season 13-16 overall after going 8-14 in the MIAA and finishing 10th in the regular season.  

The Lopers came out of the gates knocking down shots as the jumped out to an 11-0 lead in the first 2:46 of the game. The Ichabods got on the board with 6:13 left in the opening quarter on a driving layup by Aubree Dewey. Nebraska-Kearney (19-10, 12-10 MIAA) kept firing offensively going 3-3 from deep and shooting 11-16 overall in the first quarter building a 29-13 lead.  

Washburn opened the second quarter witha 7-2 run capped off by a 3-pointer from Gabi Giovannetti with 7:46 left before half which cut the lead to 11. The Lopers responded with a 7-2 run of their own. The Ichabods were able to cut one point off the lead with Aniah Wayne knocking down a 3-pointer late in the quarter with WU going into halftime trailing 42-27.  

Out of the halftime break Washburn picked up the pressure to a full 94 feet, helping spark a 10-3 run to open the quarter with six points coming on a pair of triples by Lakyn Schieferecke. The lead was cut to single digits at the 6:17 mark after a layup from Yiibari Nwidadah which was part of a 6-0 run with a bucket by Wayne making it a five-point game. Over the final 3:43 of the quarter Nebraska-Kearney scored the final 10 points to bring the lead back up to 15 going into the fourth.  

Dewey scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter for Washburn, including the first five for either team. After a steal by Dewey she assisted Madelyn Amekporfor for a fast break layup to make it 65-56 with 6:29 left. Dewey picked off another ball and took it herself to make it a three-point game with 2:49 left. Nwidadah was able to knock down a free throw at the 1:52 mark to make it 67-65. The Ichabods would be unable to get anything going after that and the Lopers connected on free throws to secure a 72-65 first round win.  

Washburn shot 24-72 (33.3%) for the game and were 7-31 from behind the arc. Nebraska-Kearney was 23-56 (41.1%) from the floor while shooting 22-24 from the line and 4-9 from deep. 

The Lopers used a 53-31 rebounding advantage to earn an extra 11 free throw attempts. The Ichabods evened up the possession battle by turning the ball over only five times, a season low, and forcing UNK into 19 giveaways.  

Aubree Dewey led Washburn scoring 20 points on 8-18 shooting. She played a full 40 minutes and also came away with three steals and dished out a game-high seven assists. Yiibari Nwidadah had 11 points and five rebounds while dealing with foul trouble and Aniah Wayne had 10 points with a pair of 3-pointers off the bench. In their final games as Ichabods Lakyn Schieferecke and Mackenzie Gamble scored seven and two points respectively.  

Shiloh McCool paced Nebraska-Kearney with 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Meg Burns had 10 points and a trio of Lopers had nine.  

SERIES WITH NEBRASKA KEARNEY

• Washburn leads the all-time series with Nebraska Kearney 28-20.
• They are 1-0 against Lopers in Kearney, Neb. 
• The series began on Jan. 14, 1977 with a 64-57 win for Washburn in Topeka. 
• Nebraska Kearney has won the last seven meetings in the series and won all three games last year including a 72-65 win in the first round of the MIAA Tournament. 

WASHBURN HISTORY

• Washburn women's basketball is 999-498-1 (.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 continue MIAA play on the road on Saturday against Fort Hays State. 
• 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.