TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn women's basketball opens its final week at home hosting Central Oklahoma on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. for Pink Out night presented by Stormont Vail. 
 

OPENING TIP

• Returning home for the final homestand, Washburn women's basketball takes on Central Oklahoma. 
• The Ichabods will face the Bronchos inside Lee Arena on Thursday, Feb. 20 at 5:30 p.m. 
• Thursday's game will be the 2024-25 pink out game inside of Lee Arena. Each player will wear a custom warm up shirt featuring the players name, number, signature and the Stormont Vail Logo.
• A silent auction for each of the custom shirts will be held to raise money for the American Cancer Society. 
• The auction will open when doors open for the women's game and end during halftime of the men's game. Winners will be notified via text/email.
• There will also be 200 pink out shirts given out for free, first come, first serve. Cancer screening info will be provided at the game via Stormont Vail & The American Cancer Society. 
• Washburn is 14-11 on the year and 8-7 in the MIAA after defeating Northeastern State 62-52 on Saturday, Feb. 15. 
• 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. They are ranked No. 5 in the latest KPI standings which are used for seeding in the MIAA Tournament.
• Central Oklahoma improved to 7-17 overall and 6-9 inside the MIAA after defeating Rogers State 74-44 last Saturday. 

BODS AND BITS

• Washburn returns seven letterwinners from last season's roster while adding seven total new faces with five incoming freshmen and two junior transfers rounding out the 14-player roster.  
• The five freshmen are flanked by three 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 44.6% shooting overall and 32.3% from behind the arc. 
• They are grabbing 38.1 rpg while giving out 13.8 apg. On the defensive end they come away with 7.9 spg and swat away 3.1 bpg. 
• Opponents average 66.6 ppg on 40.3% shooting and 30.3% from deep. 
• Washburn is 7-2 inside of Lee Arena while going 5-7 in road contests and 2-2 in neutral court games.  
• Washburn made three triples against Northeastern State to extend its streak with a made 3-pointer to 122 games. 
• Thursday's contest against Central Oklahoma will be the 28th meeting between the two teams. 

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 463-130 all-time in Lee Arena. 

BLUE REPORT

• Payton Sterk is second on the team scoring 16.6 ppg while starting all 25 contests and playing a team-high 31.0 mpg. She is shooting 43.3% from the floor and a team-high 40.8% from deep while dishing out 2.2 apg and grabbing 3.5 rpg. The Colorado Springs native has drilled a team-high 58 3-pointers. She has 15+ points in 13 games this year. Sterk is 2nd in the MIAA in total points, 2nd in 3-point percentage and ranks fourth in total 3-pointers. She is top-40 nationally in all three categories including 16th in 3-point percentage.
• Yiibari Nwidadah leads the team offensively scoring 17.0 ppg while also shooting a team-high 66.5% from the field. She grabs a team-best 7.7 rpg and swats away 1.0 bpg. The junior has started all 23 games she has played in logging 27.7 mpg. She has shot at or above 50.0% in all but three games and has six double-doubles. The Olathe, Kan. native has the best field goal percentage in the nation while ranking 4th in the MIAA in ppg, 5th in rpg and 9th in bpg. She has 15+ points in 15 games this year. 
• Gabi Giovannetti is third on the team in scoring at 11.4 ppg while shooting 40.0% from the floor. The junior has started all 25 games playing 27.6 mpg. She is adding 2.9 rpg with 2.4 apg while snagging 1.2 spg. She is second on the team with 42 made triples. Among MIAA players she is 9th in total 3-pointers and 11th in triples per game. 
• Madelyn Amekporfor is scoring 7.1 ppg on 44.5% shooting while starting 23 of 24 games that she has appeared in, logging 26.3 mpg. She is grabbing 5.2 rpg while adding 2.1 apg. On the defensive end she comes away with a team-high 1.3 spg. She has a block and a steal in five of the last seven games. 
• Brooke Gomez has played in all 25 games making 24 starts in her freshman season logging 20.4 mpg. She averages 4.5 ppg while adding 2.8 rpg and 1.2 spg. Her 2.9 apg are a team-high. She has a steal in ten straight games. 
• Aniah Wayne is scoring 6.5 ppg in 18.1 mpg off the bench while playing in 23 games. She is shooting 37.5% from the floor while adding 2.8 rpg. Her six games with double figure scoring off the bench leads the team. 
• Amaya Davison has played in all 25 games and started two logging 15.7 mpg. She scoring 4.0 ppg on 44.2% shooting while giving out 1.32apg and grabs 1.6 rpg. 
• Nia McKenzie has played in all 25 games while making one start averaging 15.0 mpg. She is grabbing 3.8 rpg and scoring 3.5 ppg on 46.0% shooting. 
• Rebecca Snyder has played in 14 games with two starts logging 10.1 mpg and scoring 2.2 ppg with 2.0 rpg.  
• Emajin McCallop has played in 19 games scoring 1.2 ppg across 8.5 mpg.  
• Willow Gideon has played 7.2 mpg across 10 appearances while scoring 2.8 ppg on 45.8% shooting. 
• Lauren Luebbert has logged 7.2 mpg of action in 15 appearances off the bench. 
• Cloie Jansky has played in five games scoring 2.0 ppg in 6.3 mpg. 

STAT STACKING

• The Ichabods are shooting 44.6% from the floor as a team, third best in the conference and 21st in the nation. 
• Washburn is 31st nationally scoring 73.4 ppg, fourth highest mark in the conference. 
• With a scoring margin of +6.8 they have the fourth best mark in the conference and 76th in the nation.
• In overall rebound margin Washburn ranks 49th nationally and fourth in the MIAA at +5.4.
• Giving out 13.8 apg the Ichabods are fifth in the conference and 86th nationally when it comes to sharing the rock. 
• With 38.12 rpg the Ichabods are sixth in the MIAA at cleaning the glass.
• Washburn attacks the basket and gets to the line averaging 21.92 free throw attempts per game, 2nd most in the MIAA and 19th in the nation.

MILESTONE MARKERS

• With 215 career offensive rebounds Yiibari Nwidadah is 7th in program history. She needs two more offensive boards to move up to 6th. In overall rebounds she is 14th in Washburn history with 569. 
• Her career field goal percentage of .591 is the best in program history. In scoring she ranks 34th with 895 career points. 
• Gabi Giovannetti is 16th in program history with 107 career 3-pointers made. She needs two triples to move into the top-15. 
• Payton Sterk currently sits 9th in single-season three-point percentage in program history shooting 40.8% from beyond the arc. 
• In single-season 3-pointers made she is tied for 14th with 58 so far this season.

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 38-44 record with Washburn and is 115-122 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 62, Northeastern State 52  (February 15, 2025)
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. -- Washburn was strong on the defensive end, building a first half lead and held on late for a 62-52 win on the road over Northeastern State on Saturday afternoon. The Ichabods return home to face Central Oklahoma in Lee Arena on Feb. 20 at 5:30 p.m.  

It was a slow start to the game offensively for both teams with the first field goal of the game coming from Yiibari Nwidadah at the 7:04 mark. Washburn (14-11, 8-7 MIAA) held the RiverHawks (10-14, 6-9 MIAA) without a field goal until there was just 3:16 in the quarter. The Ichabods led by as many as six in the first quarter but finished the opening 10 minutes leading 14-12. 

Both teams traded baskets to open the second quarter. Separation was created by Washburn with a 6-0 run over the final 4:11 of the half, with a layup by Nwidadah pushing the deficit up to 12 as the Ichabods held the home team scoreless over the final four minutes of the second quarter. They went into the half leading 31-19 with Northeastern State shooting 18.2% in the second quarter.  

After the first two points of the third quarter went to the RiverHawks the next seven all went to Washburn, capped off by back-to-back 3-pointers, first from Payton Sterk then Gabi Giovannetti to lead 38-21. The next seven points all came from the home team as the Ichabods were held scoreless for 3:56. Northeastern State got the deficit down to as little as eight points but the Ichabods closed on a 5-0 run all from Madelyn Amekporfor and Nwidadah to lead 46-33 with 10 to play.  

A layup by Nia McKenzie at the 8:16 mark in the fourth kept the lead at 13 before a 10-0 run for the RiverHawks made it 50-47 at the 5:37 mark. Two possessions later Nwidadah got another bucket to go in the paint and it was the last points by either team for over two minutes. A triple from Northeastern State with 2:46 left cut it to two but once again Nwidadah responded, scoring the next three points. The score never got closer than three as Washburn put the game away at the free throw line and would end with a 62-52 double-digit win.  

Washburn shot 21-51 (41.2%) in the game, and was just 3-16 from beyond the arc. The game was decided on the other end, where the RiverHawks were held to 16-54 (29.6%) shooting while also going just 14-23 at the free throw line.  

The rebounding battle went to the Ichabods 39-36 while both teams were nearly even in turnovers with 19 for Washburn and 18 for the RiverHawks. Points in the paint went big to Washburn, 36-20, as did second chance points 13-0.  

Yiibari Nwidadah registered her second straight double-double, scoring 23 points on 10-12 shooting while tying a career-high with 16 rebounds and adding a pair of blocks. Payton Sterk also finished in double figures with 10 points.  

Both Alex Hill and Annaston Brown had 14 points apiece to lead Northeastern State.  

ABOUT THE CENTRAL OKLAHOMA BRONCHOS

• Central Oklahoma is 7-17 on the year and 6-9 inside the MIAA after defeating Rogers State 74-44 on Feb. 15 last time out. 
• Last season the Bronchos went 8-20 on the year and 7-15 inside the MIAA, missing out on the conference tournament. 
• This season, Central Oklahoma is 4-6 inside of Hamilton Field House while going 3-10 in road contests and are 0-1 in neutral court games. 
• The Bronchos average 62.9 ppg on 38.9% shooting while allowing 69.6 ppg to opponents. They pull down 35.8 rpg while dishing out 9.8 apg.  
• They are fourth in the MIAA committing just 15.2 fouls per game. They are sixth best at protecting the ball as they commit just 13.7 turnovers. 
• Korie Allensworth leads the team scoring 12.9 ppg on 39.0% shooting. She has played and started 23 games while grabbing 6.1 rpg. 
• Lakysia Johnson is second on the team scoring 12.0 ppg on a team-high 51.0% shooting. She has played all 24 games with nine starts and logs 22.4 mpg. She is 7th in the MIAA in field goal percentage.
• Jordyn Turner scores 11.0 ppg on 46.0% shooting overall and 48.1% from deep with 13 makes. She grabs a team-high 9.1 rpg in 25.2 mpg while starting in 23 of 24 games. She is second in the MIAA in rpg. 
• Talia Pogi adds 10.6 ppg along with 2.7 rpg and 1.7 apg. She has played and started all 24 games logging a team-high 32.0 mpg. 
• Peyton Walker chips in 2.8 ppg along with a team-high 2.1 apg in 32.0 mpg. 

HEAD COACH EMMA ANDREWS

• Is in her third season at the helm of the UCO women's basketball program where she has a 26-54 record. 
• Andrews came to UCO from Cameron, where she spent six seasons leading the Aggie women's program in Lawton, Oklahoma. She led CU to five Lone Star Conference tournament appearances and one NCAA Division II national tournament appearance in 2020-21.
• Prior to her time in Lawton, Andrews was a graduate assistant coach for Fresno State from 2012-14. She was a student assistant in 2011-12. That span followed her four-year standout playing career for the Bulldogs.

LAST TIME VERSUS CENTRAL OKLAHOMA

Central Oklahoma 82, Washburn 68  (February 17, 2024)
EDMOND, Okla. -- Washburn women's basketball could not overcome a 25-point third-quarter offensive explosion on Saturday afternoon losing 82-68 to Central Oklahoma. The Ichabods return to Topeka and take on Lincoln on Feb. 22 at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.  

The first four points of the game belonged to Yiibari Nwidadah and came in the first 73 seconds. The Bronchos (6-18, 5-13 MIAA) responded with a 7-0 run in a high-powered first quarter for both teams. UCO led by as many as seven in the quarter before Washburn (11-13, 6-12 MIAA) scored the final four points, boosting its shooting percentage to 56.25% in the frame and cut the lead to just two.  

In the second quarter both teams went back and forth, with Central Oklahoma extending its lead up to seven points early and the Ichabods continuing to battle back. They went ahead with 1:24 left in the half after Nwidadah got another bucket to fall, but three free throws from the Bronchos gave them a 37-35 lead going into halftime after each team scored 15 points in the quarter.  

The home squad came out of halftime on a 7-0 run in the first two minutes of action. Washburn picked up its scoring, cutting the lead down to six after Gabi Giovannetti sunk a free throw at the 7:40 mark but UCO kept up its offensive attack. The Bronchos shot 8-13 in the quarter while going 3-4 from behind the arc and connecting on six free throws. Six turnovers in the quarter by the Ichabods helped push the Central Oklahoma lead to 16 at the end of the quarter.  

Early in the fourth the lead quickly grew to 20 on multiple occasions. Washburn worked to chip away at it, a 3-pointer from Giovannetti with 2:41 left was part of a 5-0 run for WU to cut the lead down to 11 but the Bronchos connected on free throws down the stretch winning 82-68.  

Washburn shot 28-61 (45.9%) in the game and made six three-pointers in 15 tries, but were just 6-14 from the free throw line. Central Oklahoma was 28-60 from the floor (46.7%) while going 8-19 from 3-point range and 18-22 from the line. Free throws and a 16 to eight turnover disadvantage were hurtful for the Ichabods in the loss.  

Gabi Giovannetti paced Washburn with a career-high 23 points on 8-13 shooting overall and 4-7 from deep. Yiibari Nwidadah pulled down a double double finishing with 17 points, 10 rebounds and a pair of blocks. Aubree Dewey had 11 points to go with a team-high six assists.  

Four players from the Bronchos finished in double figure scoring led by Raegan Fox with 22 points on 7-10 shooting. Caley Young added 16 and three blocks.  

SERIES HISTORY WITH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA

• Washburn leads the all-time series against Central Oklahoma 15-12.
• They are 7-4 against the Bronchos inside of Lee Arena. 
• The series began on December 9, 1994 with a 75-68 win for Washburn in Edmond, Okla. 
• Both teams split the season series a year ago, with each team winning at home. 
• The Ichabods average 67.41 ppg all-time against the Bronchos.

WASHBURN HISTORY

• Washburn women's basketball is 1,009-505-1 (.666) all-time and are in the 56th year of the program's history. They became the 11th team to reach 1,000 wins on Dec. 16 after defeating Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras.  
• 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

• 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.