TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn could not overcome a slow offensive start Thursday evening as they fell 85-47 to No. 8 Fort Hays State in Lee Arena. The Ichabods are back in action next on Saturday hosting Nebraska Kearney at 1:10 p.m. in the MIAA Game of the Week on 38 the Spot in Kansas City.
The Ichabods (11-10, 5-6 MIAA) got the first bucket of the game from Yiibari Nwidadah 28 seconds in. The next 10 points all went to the Tigers (17-2, 8-2 MIAA) as they held Washburn to 3-12 shooting in the first quarter. All seven points for the Ichabods in the first frame came from Nwidadah as they trailed 18-7 after 10 minutes.
In the second quarter Washburn cut the lead back down to single digits, scoring the first three points of the quarter, making it 18-10 after Payton Sterk got a layup to go at the 8:25 mark. Fort Hays State scored the next four points to push it back into double digits as the visitors offense began to heat up shooting 8-14 (57.1%) in the quarter. The Ichabod offense wasn't able to keep pace in the final five minutes as the visitors went into the half leading 41-17.
Once again Washburn got the first points of the quarter in the third as Gabi Giovannetti got a layup to go. The hot shooting for Fort Hays State continued with 10 field goals in the quarter pushing the lead up to 30 points at the 5:37 mark. The Ichabods trailed 64-30 heading into the fourth.
The Ichabods traded baskets to begin the fourth quarter, getting the lead down to 30 after Nwidadah got a layup to go. The deficit was unable to be cut below that mark as both teams emptied the benches late with the Tigers winning 85-47.
Washburn closed out the game shooting 32.7% and were just 2-9 from three-point range, with both makes coming in the fourth quarter. Fort Hays State shot 50.8% (33-65) and knocked down 8-19 triples.
On the boards the Ichabods were outrebounded 40-29 while FHSU also won the turnover battle 19-9.
Yiibari Nwidadah shot 5-9 to lead Washburn with 13 points and eight rebounds. Gabi Giovannetti and Payton Sterk each scored in double figures with 12 and 10 respectively.
Four from the Tigers reached double figures led by Talexa Weeter with 19 points and six rebounds.
