TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn wraps up a four-game homestand and the 2025 year inside of Lee Arena hosting Truman State for the Season of Giving Game beginning at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 16. 

OPENING TIP

• Washburn wraps up the 2025 calendar year at home facing Truman State. 
• The Ichabods will face the Bulldogs inside of Lee Arena at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 16.
• The game will be the Season of Giving Game for the 2025-26 season. Donating two non-perishable food or household items before the game gets you a free t-shirt while supplies last. 
• Washburn is coming off a 18-13 season in 2024-25, finishing 5th in the MIAA regular season with an 11-8 record in the conference play. They advanced to the MIAA Tournament Semifinals. 
• The Ichabods were picked to finish 2nd in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll and were tabbed 3rd by the media.   
• Truman State moved to 4-5 overall and 2-1 inside the GLVC after defeating Southwest Baptist 90-55 last time out on Dec. 6. 

BODS AND BITS

• Washburn returns ten letterwinners from last season's roster while adding four total new faces in the form of three transfers and one true freshman.  
• The experienced Ichabod roster consists of four seniors, four juniors, five sophomores and one freshman.  
• The Ichabods are receiving votes in the latest WBCA poll with eight total points of votes.
• As a team Washburn has shooting splits of 40.1% from the floor, 29.9% from deep and 66.9% at the free throw line to score 62.8 ppg. 
• They grab 36.7 rpg with 14.0 apg to 16.2 turnovers per contest. Defensively they average 9.7 spg with 3.3 bpg.  
• On the year opponents are averaging 57.8 ppg while shooting 37.9% from the floor and 25.0% from behind the 3-point line.  
• Washburn is 4-1 on the year inside the new Lee Arena, 2-1 in neutral court games and 0-1 in road contests.  
• Washburn made four triples on Saturday against Central Missouri to extend its streak with a made 3-pointer to 137 games.  

THE BLUE BUNCH

• Yiibari Nwidadah shares the team lead in scoring at 12.9 ppg in just 23.3 mpg on the season. She has started every game and leads the team grabbing 6.8 rpg while also shooting 55.7% from the floor. She swats away a team-high 1.1 bpg and has scored in double figures in six games. She is 1st in the MIAA and 29th nationally in field goal percentage. The senior is 7th in the conference in bpg and 11th in rpg.
• Payton Sterk is also tied for a team-lead scoring 12.9 ppg on 36.9% overall and 32.7% from deep. She has starting every game playing 30.9 mpg, most on the team while also coming away with 1.9 spg, a team-high. She has drilled 16 triples, second most on the team and has scored 14+ points in five games this season. The senior ranks 5th in the MIAA in triples per game and 8th in total steals. 
• Gabi Giovannetti has started all nine games for Washburn scoring 12.6 ppg on 43.3% shooting in 28.4 mpg of action. She is shooting a team-high 41.9% from deep with a team-high 18 3-pointers. She also brings down 3.8 rpg and is making 1.7 spg on the defensive end, second most on the team. The Shawnee, Kan. native is 3rd in the MIAA and 31st nationally in three-point percentage and 5th in the conference in triples per game. 
• Britany Kogbara has provided a spark off the bench as she sits fourth on the team scoring 7.7 ppg in just 14.2 mpg. She is shooting 56.1% from the floor, best on the team, while grabbing 3.2 rpg. Her four games scoring double figures off the bench lead the team. 
• Madelyn Amekporfor has started every game playing 26.1 mpg and scoring 5.7 ppg while shooting 34.6% from the floor. She is adding 3.3 rpg along with swiping 1.2 spg and swatting away 1.0 bpg, second most on the team. She is 9th in the MIAA in bpg. 
• Brooke Gomez has played in every game while making seven starts and is logging 19.0 mpg. She scores 2.7 ppg on 31.0% shooting and is dishing out a team-high 3.3 apg along with grabbing 3.0 rpg. She ranks 5th in the MIAA in assists per game. 
• Aniah Wayne has come off the bench in every game playing 16.8 mpg. She is scoring 4.4 ppg on 36.4% shooting from the floor. The senior also chips in 1.6 rpg and 1.0 apg. 
• Kellyn Hunter has played in seven games while making two starts for the Ichabods and logging 19.6 mpg. She is coming away with 1.6 spg, third most on the team, dishes 3.1 apg and grabs 2.9 rpg. She is 4th in the MIAA in assist to turnover ratio and 8th in assists per game in the conference.
• Nia McKenzie has played 13.0 mpg off the bench in every game. She is scoring 1.4 ppg on 41.7% shooting with 2.7 rpg.
• Kennadi Jackson has come off the bench in seven games playing 4.9 mpg and scoring 0.6 ppg.
• Kylin Shipman has appeared in six games for the Ichabods logging 8.8 mpg and scoring 0.7 ppg. 
• Willow Gideon has played in three games logging 6.0 mpg. She is scoring 2.3 ppg.
• Lauren Luebbert has come off the bench in four games playing 6.8 mpg. She is scoring 0.8 ppg with 0.8 spg.  
• Cloie Jansky has appeared in three games off the bench logging 3.3 mpg and grabbing 1.3 rpg. 

STAT STACKING

• Washburn 44th in the nation at protecting the three-point line holding opponents to a 25.0% clip from beyond the arc, best in the MIAA. 
• Holding opponents to 57.8 ppg overall the Ichabods are 44th nationally and second in the MIAA in scoring defense. 
• Dishing out 14.0 apg the Ichabods are 84th nationally and 4th in the MIAA at sharing the ball. 
• With a 0.86 assist to turnover ratio they are 83rd in the nation and 5th in the MIAA. 
• Outscoring opponents by 5.0 ppg, the Ichabods have the 8th best margin in the conference and 109th nationally.
• Washburn is making with 3.3 rejections per game, putting them 80th in the nation and 7th among MIAA opponents. 

ADVANCED STATS

• Washburn has a team offensive rating of 88.9 and defensive rating of 81.8 based on averages per 100 possessions. 
• Yiibari Nwidadah leads the team among qualified players in rebounding percentage at 16.2%. 
• Britany Kogbara is second on the team grabbing 12.6% of rebounds when on the floor. 
• Brooke Gomez has the highest assist percentage on the team at 31.9% of assists while on the floor. 
• Kellyn Hunter has the second highest mark at 27.0%. 
• Yiibari Nwidadah has the highest true shooting percentage on the team at 58.1% when adding in free throw percentage and 3-pointers. 
• Britany Kogbara is second on the team at 56.6%. 

MILESTONE MARKERS

• With 253 career offensive rebounds Yiibari Nwidadah is 4th in program history at creating extra opportunities. In overall rebounding she is 10th with 684 career boards. 
• Her career field goal percentage of .578 is the 2nd best in program history. In scoring she ranks 15th among all Ichabods with 1,108 career points. 
• Nwidadah is also tied for 11th in program history with 68 career blocked shots. 
• Gabi Giovannetti is 8th in program history with 130 career 3-pointers made. She is tied for 19th among all Ichabods with 54 blocked shots. 
• Payton Sterk currently sits tied for 25th in program history with 78 3-pointers made in just 40 career games with Washburn. Her career percentage from deep of 36.8% is 12th in program history.
• With 53 career blocked shots Madelyn Amekporfor is 22nd in program history. 

HEAD COACH LORA WESTLING

• Lora Westling is in her fourth season as head coach at her alma mater entering the 2025-26 season. She has a 48-49 record with Washburn and is 125-127 mark  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 Katie Dalton and Robin Stahl along with student assistant Karly Neufeld complete out the coaching staff.
• Dalton enters her second year on the Washburn sideline in 2025-26. After moving to Topeka she reunited 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.
• Robin Stahl joins the Ichabod staff in 2025-26 after a one-year stop at Ottawa University where she was an assistant coach with the women's program. Before that she spent one season as a graduate assistant at Central Missouri. 
• Stahl is an Alliance, Ohio native who began her career at Malone University where spent four years with career averages of 13.5 ppg and 3.6 apg. She graduated from Malone in 2022. She played one season at Central Missouri before moving into a GA position. 
• Karly Neufeld is back for a second season as a student assistant in the 2025-26 season. 

LAST TIME OUT

Central Missouri 67, Washburn 56  (December 13, 2025)
TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn fell for the first time in conference action on Saturday afternoon with a 67-56 loss to Central Missouri inside Lee Arena. The Ichabods will wrap up a four-game homestand on Tuesday, Dec. 16 against Truman State at 6 p.m.  

The Jennies (6-3, 2-1 MIAA) opened the game with the first five points. Washburn (6-3, 2-1 MIAA) was able to get going offensively, pulling ahead at 10-9 after a layup by Gabi Giovannetti at the 2:46 mark. Central Missouri kept connecting from outside, shooting 4-6 from deep in the quarter to lead 18-12 after 10 minutes.  

Both sides traded baskets to begin the second quarter, the Ichabods pulled within three points after a steal and score by Yiibari Nwidadah at the 5:02 mark. The Washburn offense bounced back after a slow first quarter to shot 50.0% in the second. They went in front briefly in the final minute after Payton Sterk sunk a pair of free throws. The Jennies matches with a free throw on the other end to go into the break tied at 29.  

The lead flipped sides to begin the third quarter. Washburn created separation with five straight points by Aniah Wayne to go up 39-35 with 5:23 remaining. The next six points came from the Jennies to go in front. They would lead by three heading to the fourth quarter at 45-42.  

Sterk hit a jumper with 7:29 to go in regulation that tied the game up at 45. The Ichabod offense slowed down while Central Missouri scored the next 10 points to lead by double figures inside of five minutes. Washburn got back-to-back triples by Amekporfor but were unable to cut the lead lower than eight as the Jennies won 67-56.  

The Ichabods finished the game shooting 39.6% from the floor and 4-16 from deep. Central Missouri shot 45.8% but was 8-20 (40.0%) from beyond the arc. A 37-27 rebounding advantage aided the Jennies while Washburn won the turnover battle 19-15.  

Madelyn Amekporfor led in scoring with 16 points on 5-11 shooting and grabbed a team-high five rebounds. Payton Sterk hit double figures at 10 points while Gabi Giovannetti added nine.  

Reese Schaaf and Taylor Weishaar each scored 24 points to lead Central Missouri.   

ABOUT THE CENTRAL MISSOURI JENNIES

• Truman State enters the Tuesday game with a 4-5 record overall after defeating Southwest Baptist 90-55 at home last time out on Dec. 6. 
• The Bulldogs have gone 2-4 inside of Pershing Arena, 2-1 in road games and have not played a neutral court game. 
• Last season Truman State finished 14-17 overall and 11-9 inside the GLVC, falling in the quarterfinal round of the GLVC Conference Tournament. 
• So far on the year the Bulldogs average 72.4 ppg with shooting splits of 42.5% from the floor, 34.0% from deep and 70.3% at the line. They also grab 35.1 rpg with 15.6 apg. Opponents are scoring 70.7 ppg on 44.8% shooting. 
• Truman State is first in the GLVC in assists per game and assist to turnover ratio, ranking top-50 nationally in each. They rank 38th in the nation making 8.0 triples per game. 
• Emajin McCallop leads the Bulldogs scoring 12.3 ppg on 45.3% shooting in six games off the bench. She also adds 3.8 rpg and 2.2 apg. McCallop spent the 2024-25 season with the Ichabods. 
• Morgan Miller is scoring 11.7 ppg on 37.2% shooting. She has started all nine games playing 30.2 mpg while dishing out 2.9 apg and 1.1 spg. She is 7th in the GLVC in triples. 
• Mariann Blass is scoring 11.2 ppg on 45.6% shooting and 39.4% from deep with 13 3-pointers. She has started all nine games logging 26.3 mpg and is making 1.2 spg. 
• Mallory Ott scores 9.9 ppg on a team-high 50.9% shooting from the floor. She grabs a team-best 7.2 rpg while starting in all nine games playing 26.8 mpg. She is 7th in the GLVC in rpg. 
• Avery Rausch chips in 9.1 ppg in 20.3 mpg across all nine games. She adds 3.0 rpg and is shooting 36.7% from deep. 

HEAD COACH THEO DEAN

• Is in his 7th season as the head coach at Truman State where he has gone 100-77. 
• Overall, Dean has been on the sideline with the Bulldogs for five of the program's eight 20-win seasons, one Central Division Championship, one Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament title, two Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament championship games, three NCAA Tournaments appearances, and one NCAA Tournament victory.
• After graduating from Truman, Dean assisted the Lansing (Kansas) High School Boys Basketball program from 2014-16
• A Chicago, IL native, Theo Dean came to Truman in 2008 as a freshman and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communications (Graphic Design) degree from Truman State University in 2012 and his Master of Arts degree in Leadership, with a concentration in Coaching and Sports Management, from Truman in 2014. 

LAST TIME VERSUS TRUMAN STATE

Washburn 81, Truman State 59 (November 22, 2024)
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. -- Washburn picked up its second straight 22-point victory as they dispatched of Truman State 81-59 on Friday morning. After six games on the road to begin they year the Ichabods will return home on Monday, Nov. 25 to face Lincoln at 6 p.m.  

After falling behind 4-2 to start the game Washburn (2-4) got a layup by Nia McKenzie and 3-pointer by Payton Sterk to go in front with 7:20 to play and they would not look back the rest of the way. The Bulldogs (2-3) shot a blistering 60.0% in the first quarter but the Ichabods were able to lead 18-16 after one thanks to extra opportunities and limiting turnovers.  

In the second quarter, it was Washburn that began to light the nets on fire. They started the frame on a 10-2 run to lead by ten after Rebecca Snyder connected on her first career 3-pointer with 7:49 to play in the half. Truman State continued to chip away at the lead and would trail by just four at the 2:04 mark. From that point on the Ichabods closed the half on a 7-0 run with five points coming from Sterk to lead 40-29 at the half. Washburn shot 75.0% (9-12) in the quarter while going 4-6 from beyond the arc.  

There was no rust coming out of the half as the Ichabods went on a 7-2 run to lead 47-31 after an old-fashioned three-point play from McKenzie. Washburn pushed the lead to a game-high 17-points in the third quarter after a triple by Aniah Wayne who had seven points in the quarter. Defensively, the Ichabods held the Bulldogs to 5-14 (35.7%) shooting for a second straight quarter to lead by 15 going into the fourth.  

A deep shot from Sterk and layup by Yiibari Nwidadah pushed the lead up to 20 in the opening minute of the final quarter. The advantage never dipped below 15 the rest of the way with a free throw by Wayne in the final minute making the final deficit a game-high 22 points in the 81-59 victory.  

Washburn shot a season-high 55.0% from the floor while also going 9-22 (40.9%) from three-point land. The Ichabods won the paint battle 46-30 and bench outscored Truman State's 31-15.  

Defensively, Washburn forced 17 turnovers while committing just 12. They also had a 35-30 rebounding advantage and dished out more assists as well, 15-11.  

Payton Sterk delivered her second straight 20-point game scoring 22 on 8-15 shooting and 5-8 from deep. Yiibari Nwidadah had her first double-double on the year with 13 points on 5-6 shooting and 10 boards. Aniah Wayne added 11 points on 4-7 shooting off the bench.  

Jordan Cunningham led the Bulldogs with 18 points on 5-7 shooting and Molly Joyce had 12 points.  

SERIES WITH TRUMAN STATE

• Washburn leads the all-time series between the two teams 44-9.
• The Ichabods are 26-2 against their former conference foe inside of Lee Arena. 
• The series began on Nov. 30, 1979 with a 62-53 win for Truman State in Topeka. 
• Washburn has won the last four meetings in the series going back to the 2011-12 season including a 81-59 win last season in Kirksville. 
• The Ichaobds average 72.9 ppg all-time against the Bulldogs.

WASHBURN HISTORY

• Washburn women's basketball is 1,019-510-1 (.666) all-time and are in the 57th 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 play its final tournament of the regular season and wrap up non-conference play in Lawton, Okla. at the Fairfield Inn and Suites Holiday Classic taking on Western Colorado and Cameron University beginning Dec. 19.
• Senior night for the Ichabods will be in the regular season finale on Feb. 28 against Missouri Southern at 3 p.m.
• The MIAA Basketball Championship Tournament will be held in Kansas City, Mo. at the Municipal Auditorium from March 3-8.