TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn led into the second half but an offensive burst from Northwest Missouri State was too much to overcome Saturday afternoon in a 62-50 loss. The Ichabods head to Edmond to take on Central Oklahoma on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 1:30 p.m.  

The Bearcats (18-5, 12-5 MIAA) jumped out to a 6-2 lead in the first two minutes. After trailing 11-6 with 3:23 left in the quarter Washburn (11-12, 6-11 MIAA) scored the final eight points capped off by free throws from Aubree Dewey in the final seconds of the quarter.  

Washburn extended the lead to seven with the first four points of the second quarter, Northwest Missouri State responded with a 8-0 run to take the lead at the 4:51 mark. The Ichabods got a pair of free throws from Nia McKenzie with 2:02 left in the half but still went into the break with a 24-23 lead.  

The Bearcats retook the lead with the first basket of the third quarter but Washburn quickly took it back and led by as many as four three times, the final coming after Yiibari Nwidadah suck a pair of free throws with 3:56 left. Northwest got going offensively, scoring the last nine points of the quarter while shooting 8-12 in the third to lead 41-36 going into the fourth.  

Northwest pushed its lead up to eight early in the fourth quarter but a pair of jumpers from Dewey and a layup by Nwidadah cut it down two with 5:42 left. Dewey got another jumper to go with 4:48 left but just like the quarter before NWMSU got hot offensively going on a 10-1 run over the next four minutes with the final six points all coming at the free throw line. The lead didn't reach double figures until the final minute when it got up to as many as a dozen which was the final deficit with the Bearcats winning 62-50. 

The Ichabods shot just 18-63 in the game (28.6%) while Northwest Missouri was 22-52 (42.3%). Washburn stayed in the game with 14 rebounds and by winning the turnover battle 17-12, but they shot just 1-19 from behind the arc in the loss.  

Aubree Dewey led all players with 20 points on 7-18 shooting while adding a pair of steals. Yiibari Nwidadah had 11 points and six rebounds off the bench. No other player had more than six for the home squad.  

Three Bearcats finished in double figures led by Caely Kesten and Molly Hartnett who each had 16 in the game.