TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn women's basketball, the No. 5 seed in the MIAA Tournament, is set to face the No. 4 seed Nebraska Kearney in the MIAA Quarterfinals in Kansas City, Mo. on Friday, March 7 at 6 p.m. 
 

OPENING TIP

• Tournament time is here for Washburn women's basketball as they open the MIAA Tournament as the No. 5 seed and will face No. 4 Nebraska Kearney. 
• The Ichabods will face the Lopers in a quarterfinal matchup on Fridya, March 7 at 6 p.m. inside of the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.
• Washburn finished the regular season with a 17-12 record overall and went 11-8 in the MIAA after defeating Missouri Southern 70-66 on March 1 in the regular season finale. 
• 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 finished the season 5th in the KPI standings used for seeding in the tournament. 
• Nebraska Kearney improved to 20-8 overall and 13-6 inside the MIAA after defeating No. 6 Fort Hays State 75-65 in the its regular season finale on March 1. 

TOURNAMENT TIME! 

• Washburn will make its 34th appearance in the MIAA Tournament this week as the No. 5 seed. 
• All-time in the MIAA Tournament the Ichabods have gone 42-24. 
• They are 19-9 in the quarterfinal round and 0-1 all-time as the No. 5 seed.
• As the lower seed they have a 6-14 record and are 0-2 overall against the Lopers. 
• Inside of Municipial Auditorum they are 28-19 overall. 
• With a win they would advance to the semifinal round for the first time since the 2020-21 season. 

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 72.7 ppg on 44.8% shooting overall and 32.3% from behind the arc. 
• They are grabbing 37.8 rpg while giving out 13.2 apg. On the defensive end they come away with 7.4 spg and swat away 3.0 bpg. 
• Opponents average 66.5 ppg on 40.8% shooting and 30.5% from deep. 
• Washburn went 9-2 inside of Lee Arena this season and has gone 6-8 in road contests and 2-2 in neutral court games.  
• Washburn made five triples against Missouri Southern to extend its streak with a made 3-pointer to 126 games. 
• Friday's contest against Nebraska Kearney will be the 51st meeting between the two teams. 

ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS

• Juniors Payton Sterk and Yiibari Nwidadah each earned multiple All-MIAA honors announced Tuesday. 
• Nwidadah was a member of the All-MIAA second team while also earning a spot on the MIAA All-Defensive team. 
• Sterk was named the Co-Newcomer of the Year while also earning a spot on the All-MIAA second team. 

BLUE REPORT

• Yiibari Nwidadah leads the team offensively scoring 16.6 ppg while shooting a team-high 63.3% from the field. She grabs a team-best 7.8 rpg and swats away 0.9 bpg. The junior has started all 27 games she has played in logging 28.3 mpg. She has shot at or above 50.0% in all but four games and has seven double-doubles. The Olathe, Kan. native has the 4th best field goal percentage in the nation while ranking 4th in the MIAA in ppg, 6th in rpg and 10th in bpg. She has 15+ points in 16 games this year. 
• Payton Sterk is second on the team scoring at 16.4 ppg while starting all 29 contests and playing a team-high 31.1 mpg. She is shooting 42.9% from the floor and a team-high 39.2% from deep while dishing out 2.3 apg and grabbing 3.3 rpg. The Colorado Springs native has drilled a team-high 62 3-pointers. She has 15+ points in 15 games this year. Sterk is 2nd in the MIAA in free throw percentage, three-point percentage and total points. In total triples made she ranks fourth. She is top-60 nationally in all four categories including 18th in 3-point percentage.
• Gabi Giovannetti is third on the team in scoring at 11.5 ppg while shooting 40.3% from the floor. The junior has started all 29 games playing 27.9 mpg. She is adding 3.3 rpg with 2.3 apg while snagging 1.0 spg. She is second on the team with 46 made triples. Among MIAA players she is 9th in total 3-pointers and 10th in triples per game. 
• Madelyn Amekporfor is scoring 7.5 ppg on 46.4% shooting while starting 27 of 28 games that she has appeared in, logging 26.4 mpg. She is grabbing 5.1 rpg while adding 2.0 apg. On the defensive end she comes away with a team-high 1.2 spg and 0.9 bpg. 
• Brooke Gomez has played in all 29 games making 28 starts in her freshman season logging 20.5 mpg. She averages 4.6 ppg while adding 3.1 rpg and 1.0 spg. Her 2.8 apg are a team-high. 
• Aniah Wayne is scoring 6.0 ppg in 18.0 mpg off the bench while playing in 27 games. She is shooting 35.5% 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 29 games and started two logging 15.4 mpg. She scoring 3.8 ppg on 43.2% shooting while giving out 1.2 apg and grabbing 1.6 rpg. 
• Nia McKenzie has played in 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 18 games with two starts logging 10.9 mpg and scoring 2.0 ppg with 1.9 rpg.  
• Emajin McCallop has played in 23 games scoring 1.1 ppg across 8.5 mpg.  
• Willow Gideon has played 6.5 mpg across 15 appearances while scoring 2.7 ppg on 46.4% shooting. 
• Lauren Luebbert has logged 7.1 mpg of action in 16 appearances off the bench. 
• Cloie Jansky has played in six games scoring 2.0 ppg in 4.8 mpg. 

STAT STACKING

• The Ichabods are shooting 44.8% from the floor as a team, third best in the conference and 21st in the nation. 
• Washburn is 36th nationally scoring 72.7 ppg, fifth highest mark in the conference. 
• With a scoring margin of +6.2 they have the fifth best mark in the conference and 83rd in the nation.
• In overall rebound margin the Ichabods rank 49th nationally and fourth in the MIAA at +5.3.
• Washburn attacks the basket and gets to the line averaging 21.55 free throw attempts per game, 2nd most in the MIAA and 22nd in the nation.
• Shooting 32.3% from deep, Washburn is third in the MIAA and 66th nationally. 
• Giving out 13.2 apg the Ichabods are fifth in the conference and 114th nationally when it comes to sharing the rock. 
• With 37.79 rpg the Ichabods are seventh in the MIAA at cleaning the glass.

ADVANCED STATS

• Brooke Gomez has the highest AST% on the team as she accounts for 23.6% of all assists when on the floor. Gabi Giovannetti is second at 16.5%. 
• Yiibari Nwidadah grabs 15.7% of total rebounds when on the floor, a team high. Nia McKenzie is second at 14.6%. 
• Payton Sterk's true shooting percentage is 56.8% taking into account free throws and an extra point on 3-pointers. She has the biggest jump of any player from standard field goal percentage. 
• Yiibari Nwidadah has the highest true shooting percentage at 63.5%. 
• Washburn has a team offensive rating of 99.9 ppg and a defensive rating of 91.4 ppg which are based on per 100 possessions. 

MILESTONE MARKERS

• With 223 career offensive rebounds Yiibari Nwidadah is 5th in program history. She needs ten more to move up to 4th. In overall rebounds she is 13th in Washburn history with 601. 
• Her career field goal percentage of .582 is the 2nd best in program history. In scoring she ranks 30th with 952 career points. 
• Gabi Giovannetti is 13th in program history with 111 career 3-pointers made. With three more triples she will move into 12th.
• Payton Sterk currently sits 17th in single-season three-point percentage in program history shooting 39.2% from beyond the arc. 
• In single-season 3-pointers made she is tied for 12th with 62 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 41-45 record with Washburn and is 118-123 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 70, Missouri Southern 66  (March 1, 2025)
JOPLIN, Mo. -- Washburn finished out its regular season with a come-from-behind win Saturday afternoon, knocking off Missouri Southern 70-66 on the road. The Ichabods MIAA Tournament seeding will be announced later on Saturday night.  

It was a back-and-forth affair early on with four ties in the first quarter. Washburn (17-12, 11-8 MIAA) went fron down by three to up by three with a 6-0 run started by a Yiibari Nwidadah shot inside. They led by five with 1:27 to play in the quarter after Aniah Wayne connected on a triple. The Lions (18-13, 10-9 MIAA) tied things up in the next minute but the Ichabods still led 21-19 after one with Nwidadah scoring in the final seconds.  

The second quarter began much like the first with both teams trading scores. A free throw by Gabi Giovannetti tied the game up at 29 with 3:52 to go before the half. The next nine points would all come from the Lions as they shot 61.5% in the quarter. The run came to an end as Giovannetti ended the half with a 3-pointer to make it 38-32 going into the break.  

Washburn began chipping away at the lead early in the third, pulling within two at the 6:46 mark after another layup by Nwidadah. The next six points went to Missouri Southern to go back in front by eight. The Ichabods kept it there and after a triple by Aniah Wayne cut it to three with 2:19 in the quarter neither team scored the rest of the frame making it 52-49 heading into the fourth.  

Twice early in the fourth quarter Washburn brought the lead down to just one. Finally, they pushed through and took the lead on a layup by Madelyn Amekporfor with 7:32 to play. A few minutes later she followed with a triple that began a 5-0 run to put the Ichabods up 63-58 with 4:30 to play.  

They held back the Lions, going up by five with 40 second to go after Payton Sterk sunk a pair of free throws. On the other end Missouri Southern got free throws to go and force a turnover, resulting in two more from the charity stripe, pulling within two. Sterk put Washburn back up by two and the Ichabods were able to force a turnover on the next possession. Giovannetti put the game away at the line for a 70-66 win.  

The Ichabods ended the game shooting 44.1% (26-59) and 5-13 from deep. The Lions were efficient, shooting 26-53 (49.1%) overall but hit just three of 11 3-point attempts. A 37-27 rebounding advantage boosted Washburn, with 15 coming on the offensive end.  

Yiibari Nwidadah secured a double-double finishing with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Madelyn Amekporfor and Gabi Giovannetti each scored 15 with Giovannetti also grabbing seven rebounds.  

Ryan Franklin led Missouri Southern with a game-high 29 points on 14-18 shooting and Grace Frazier had 15 for the Lions.  

ABOUT THE NEBRASKA KEARNEY LOPERS

• Nebraska Kearney went 20-8 overall during the regular season with a 13-6 mark inside the MIAA. They defeated No. 6 Fort Hays State 75-65 in Kearney, Neb. to wrap up the regular season. 
• 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 went 11-2 playing inside the Health & Sports Center, 7-5 on the road and went 2-1 in neutral court games.
• The Lopers average 72.0 ppg on 43.0% shooting while allowing 59.1 ppg to opponents. They pull down 40.3 rpg while dishing out 15.0 apg. 
• They rank first in the MIAA in bench scoring at 26.8 ppg, first in ORPG at 12.7 and in turnovers forced per game at 17.79. They are second in both scoring defense and rebound margin. 
• Jillian Aschoff does a bit of everything for the Lopers while playing and starting all 28 games. She leads the team in ppg, rpg and apg at 11.9, 7.0 and 4.8 respectively. She shoots 45.9% from the floor and also snags 1.6 spg. Last time out she had a career-high 30 points. She is 4th in the MIAA and 26th nationally in apg and 10th in the conference in rpg. She earned All-MIAA second team honors. 
• Kia Wilson is second on the team in scoring at 9.6 ppg on a team-high 58.7% shooting. She has started all 28 games logging 22.2 mpg while grabbing 5.1 rpg. She was named to the All-MIAA third team. 
• Meg Burns has played and started in 27 games logging 28.5 mpg. She grabs 2.4 rpg and shoots 32.2% from the floor. 
• Bailee Sobczak averages 9.1 ppg in just 15.0 mpg coming off the bench in all 28 games. She is shooting 54.2% from the floor and also grabs 5.6 rpg. 
• Samantha Moore chips in 8.7 ppg in 27.3 mpg while grabbing 6.7 rpg, giving out 3.1 apg and making 1.4 spg. She earned All-MIAA honorable mention honors. 

HEAD COACH DREW JOHNSON

• Is in his 2nd season as the head coach at Nebraska Kearney where he has a 39-19 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

Washburn 85, Nebraska Kearney 78  (February 1, 2025)
TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn jumped out to an early lead with a hot-shooting first quarter and held on down the stretch for an 85-78 win over Nebraska Kearney. The Ichabods have a week off before finishing out their homestand against Central Missouri next Saturday, Feb. 8 at 1 p.m.  

Yiibari Nwidadah got the scoring started for Washburn (12-10, 6-6 MIAA) and Payton Sterk followed with a triple to go in front 5-0. The Ichabods continued to shoot well from deep, making their next two triples coming from Madelyn Amekporfor and Gabi Giovannetti to make it 15-9 at the 4:44 mark. Washburn continued to light up the nets, shooting 9-13 (69.2%) in the first quarter to build a 25-17 lead.  

To open up the second quarter the Lopers (16-5, 8-3 MIAA) brought the deficit down to five before a bucket inside from Nwidadah and triple by Sterk pushed the lead to double-digits. The lead continued to grow, with Nwidadah scoring six straight points to make it 40-23 with 5:05 left in the half. Nebraska Kearney was able to keep pace, with both teams shooting exactly 7-14 in the quarter. Washburn would head to the locker room with a 44-33 advantage.  

Out of the break the Ichabods got off to a quick start, leading 54-37 after Nia McKenzie converted on an old-fashioned three-point play. The Lopers were able to make up some ground, bringing the lead down to 10 but never into single digits. A jumper from the visitors on the final possession of the quarter made it an 11-point game once again heading to the fourth.  

Washburn held Nebraska Kearney off the board for the first two minutes of the fourht, building the lead to 15 after Giovannetti got a layup to go. After a Nwidadah basket to make it 72-58 with 5:44 remaining the Lopers scored the next nine points, cutting the deficit to just two with 2:01 left. Sterk got a layup to go on the next possession and from that point Nebraska Kearney put Washburn at the line the rest of the way. In the final 40 seconds of the game Sterk was sent to the line five times, and she was able to convert all 10 of her chances to hold off the Lopers comeback bid and secure an 85-77 win.  

The Ichabods finished the game shooting 25-46 (54.3%) overall and were efficient all around shooting 8-15 (53.3%) from deep and 27-34 (79.4%) at the line. Nebraska Kearney shot 30-62 (48.4%) and were held to just 7-26 (26.9%) shooting from deep.  

Washburn narrowly lost the rebounding battle 30-26 but shared the ball well, with 17 assists to just nine for the visitors.  

Payton Sterk finished with her second 30+ point game of the year, scoring 30 on 7-15 shooting and 13-14 at the line along with five assists. Yiibari Nwidadah had 21 points in 21 minutes on a perfect 8-8 shooting. Madelyn Amekporfor had 12 points and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. Gabi Giovannetti also scored in double figures with 13.  

Four players scored in double figures for Nebraska Kearney, led by Jordan Sears with 20 points. Kia Wilson had 19 to go along with seven rebounds.  

SERIES WITH NEBRASKA KEARNEY

• Washburn leads the all-time series with Nebraska Kearney 29-21.
• They are 0-2 against the Lopers in neutral court games, both in the MIAA Tournament. 
• The series began on Jan. 14, 1977 with a 64-57 win for Washburn in Topeka. 
• The season series between the two teams was split one going each way. Both team won its home contest, most recently with an Ichabod win on Feb. 1 85-78. 
• Last season Nebraska Kearney ended Washburn's season with a 72-65 win in the first round of the MIAA Tournament. 
• Washburn averages 63.48 ppg all-time against the Lopers. 

WASHBURN HISTORY

• Washburn women's basketball is 1,012-506-1 (.667) 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

• With a win Washburn would face the winner of the semifinal game between No. 1 Pittsburg State and either No. 8 Northwest Missouri or No. 9 Missouri Southern. The semifinal contest would take place at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 8.