TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn women's basketball head to Emporia for round two of the Turnpike Tussle on Thursday, Jan. 15 at 5:30 p.m. 
 

OPENING TIP

• Washburn wraps up the regular season series with Emporia State in the second edition of the Turnpike Tussle. 
• The Ichabods will face the Lady Hornets for the second time in two weeks as they travel to Emporia, Kan. at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 15 inside of White Auditorium.
• 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.   

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.  
• As a team Washburn has shooting splits of 41.0% from the floor, 30.7% from deep and 72.2% at the free throw line to score 65.6 ppg. 
• They grab 37.2 rpg with 13.6 apg to 17.4 turnovers per contest. Defensively they average 9.5 spg with 2.9 bpg.  
• On the year opponents are averaging 57.5 ppg while shooting 36.9% from the floor and 26.5% from behind the 3-point line.  
• Washburn is 6-1 on the year inside the new Lee Arena, 3-1 in neutral court games and 1-3 in road contests.  
• Washburn hit two 3-pointers on Saturday afternoon against Northwest Missouri to extend its streak with a made 3-pointer to 142 games. 
• Emporia State improved to 8-7 overall and 2-4 in the MIAA after defeating Nebraska Kearney 82-78 last time out on Jan. 10 inside White Auditorium.

THE BLUE BUNCH

• Yiibari Nwidadah leads the team scoring 13.4 ppg in just 22.9 mpg on the season. She has started in all 14 games she has played in and leads the team grabbing 7.8 rpg while also shooting 58.7% from the floor, tops on the team as well. She swats away a team-high 0.8 bpg and has scored in double figures in nine games with four double-doubles. She is 1st in the MIAA and 12th nationally in field goal percentage while ranking 9th in the MIAA in rpg and 15th in ppg.
• Payton Sterk is second on the team in scoring at 12.2 ppg on 36.2% overall and 34.1% from deep. She has started every game playing 31.2 mpg, most on the team while also coming away with 1.8 spg, second most on the team. She has drilled a team-high 28 triples and has scored 14+ points in seven games this season. The senior ranks 7th in the MIAA in 3-pointers and 8th in steals. 
• Gabi Giovannetti has started all 15 games for Washburn scoring 12.1 ppg on 44.2% shooting in 28.1 mpg of action. She is shooting a team-high 41.3% from deep and is second on the team with 26 3-pointers. She also brings down 4.0 rpg and is making 1.9 spg, most on the team. The Shawnee, Kan. native is 7th in the MIAA in spg and 10th in 3-pointers. 
• Britany Kogbara sits fourth on the team in scoring at 7.9 ppg in just 16.5 mpg of action playing in every game with one start. She is shooting 54.2% from the floor, second best on the team, while grabbing 3.3 rpg. Her five games scoring double figures off the bench lead the team. 
• Madelyn Amekporfor has started every game playing 25.2 mpg and scoring 6.33 ppg while shooting 38.5% from the floor. She is adding 3.3 rpg along with swiping 1.1 spg and swatting away 0.7 bpg.
• Brooke Gomez has played in every game while making 13 starts and is logging 18.1 mpg. She scores 3.5 ppg on 38.5% shooting and is dishing out a team-high 3.1 apg along with grabbing 2.5 rpg. She ranks 8th in the MIAA in assists per game and 7th in assist to turnover ratio.
• Aniah Wayne has come off the bench in every game playing 18.1 mpg. She is scoring 5.1 ppg on 33.8% shooting from the floor. The senior also chips in 2.1 rpg and 1.1 apg. 
• Kellyn Hunter has played in 12 games while making two starts for the Ichabods and is logging 16.7 mpg. She is coming away with 1.1 spg, third most on the team, dishing out 2.3 apg and grabs 2.5 rpg. 
• Nia McKenzie has played 13.5 mpg off the bench in every game. She is scoring 2.3 ppg on 41.4% shooting with 2.5 rpg.
• Kennadi Jackson has come off the bench in 13 games playing 6.8 mpg and scoring 1.2 ppg.
• Kylin Shipman has appeared in 11 games for the Ichabods of the bench logging 8.8 mpg and scoring 0.4 ppg. 
• Willow Gideon has played in seven games logging 4.3 mpg. She is scoring 1.0 ppg.
• Lauren Luebbert has come off the bench in nine contests, playing 5.9 mpg and scoring 0.7 ppg.
• Cloie Jansky has appeared in seven games off the bench logging 3.0 mpg and scoring 1.1 ppg. 

STAT STACKING

• Washburn 50th in the nation at protecting the three-point line holding opponents to a 26.5% clip from beyond the arc, best in the MIAA. 
• Holding opponents to 57.5 ppg overall the Ichabods are 41st nationally and first in the MIAA in scoring defense. 
• With opponents shooting 36.9% overall, Washburn is 5th in the conference and 70th in the nation in field goal percentage defense.
• Forcing 17.4 turnovers per game the Ichabods are first in the conference in 81st in the nation.
• Outscoring opponents by 8.1 ppg, the Ichabods have the 79th best scoring margin in the nation and 6th among MIAA teams.
• With a +3.2 rebounding margin Washburn is 7th among conference teams and 86th in the nation. 

ADVANCED STATS

• Washburn has a team offensive rating of 90.9 and defensive rating of 79.7 based on averages per 100 possessions. 
• Yiibari Nwidadah leads the team among qualified players in rebounding percentage at 19.6%. 
• Britany Kogbara is second on the team grabbing 11.7% of rebounds when on the floor, second highest on the team. 
• Brooke Gomez has the highest assist percentage on the team at 32.1% of assists while on the floor. 
• Kellyn Hunter has the second highest mark at 24.6%. 
• Yiibari Nwidadah has the highest true shooting percentage on the team at 62.4% when adding in free throw percentage and 3-pointers. 
• Britany Kogbara is second on the team at 56.1%. 

MILESTONE MARKERS

• With 271 career offensive rebounds Yiibari Nwidadah is 3rd in program history at creating extra opportunities. In overall rebounding she is 8th with 732 career boards. 
• Her career field goal percentage of .582 is the 2nd best in program history. In scoring she ranks 13th among all Ichabods with 1,179 career points. 
• Nwidadah is also 11th in program history with 69 career blocked shots. 
• Gabi Giovannetti is 8th in program history with 138 career 3-pointers made. She is tied for 19th among all Ichabods with 55 blocked shots. 
• Payton Sterk currently sits 18th in program history with 90 3-pointers made in just 46 career games with Washburn. Her career percentage from deep of 36.7% is 13th in program history.
• With 55 career blocked shots Madelyn Amekporfor is tied for 19th 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 52-51 record with Washburn and is 129-129 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

Northwest Missouri 65, Washburn 61 (January 10, 2026)
MARYVILLE, Mo. -- For the first time since Jan. 5 2019 Washburn needed 50 minutes to find a winner on Saturday afternoon. After rallying late in regulation the Ichabods came up short, falling 65-61 to Northwest Missouri on the road in double overtime. They will stay on the road facing Emporia State at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 15 next.  

In the opening minutes Washburn (10-5, 3-3 MIAA) was in control, leading 8-3 at the 5:27 mark after Gabi Giovannetti got her second basket of the game to go. The lead stayed at six inside the final two minutes of the quarter as the Bearcats were held to 1-12 shooting to begin the game. The home team finished on a 4-0 run and it was a 10-8 lead for the Ichabods after one.  

Offense was hard to come by for both teams in the second quarter. Washburn was held scoreless until a Britany Kogbara at the 4:34 mark. Both teams managed just one field goal as they combined for nine points in the quarter. The Ichabods went into the break still in front, leading 14-13. 

The basket opened up in the third, with 7:50 remaining Madelyn Amekporfor drilled the first 3-pointer for either team in the game. A pair of free throws by Brooke Gomez pushed the lead up to six. In the final minutes of the half Northwest Missouri flipped a three-point deficit into a five-point lead, going in front 33-28 after three.  

After the opening minutes of the fourth quarter the Bearcats pushed the lead to nine points with 5:15 remaining. Washburn answered with a 12-0 run across the next four minutes, with half of the points coming from Giovannetti. Northwest Missouri scored four in a row to go in front by one. Giovannetti got a free throw to go in the final 10 seconds to tie the game back up and eventually send it to overtime.  

In the first extra period the Ichabods built the largest lead by either side at four points after Payton Sterk got a layup to go with 3:26 remaining. The offense went cold over the last three minutes of overtime as the Bearcats scored four to tie it back up. Both sides had multiple stops inside the final minute to send the game to a second overtime tied at 53. 

The lead continued to trade hands in the opening minutes of the second overtime. Giovannetti hit a layup to go in front 59-58 with 1:12 remaining. Northwest Missouri answered right back with a 3-pointer in the final minute that would put them in front for good. The home team went 4-4 at the free throw line to hold off the Ichabods and win 65-61. 

Washburn shot 33.3% for the game while going just 2-19 from beyond the arc. On the other end the Bearcats shot 36.1% from the field overall and 6-20 from deep. The Ichabods won the rebounding battle 47-42 and led 10-0 in second chance points.  

Gabi Giovannetti led the game in scoring with 19 points on 8-15 shooting with four steals and five rebounds. Yiibari Nwidadah had a third straight double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds.  

Kirsten Hauck led Northwest Missouri State with 15 points while four scored in double figures.  

ABOUT THE EMPORIA STATE LADY HORNETS

• Emporia State won 82-78 over Nebraska Kearney at home last time out on Jan. 10 to improve to 8-7 overall and 2-4 in the MIAA. 
• The Lady Hornets have gone 7-1 inside of White Auditorium, are 1-4 on the road and 0-2 in neutral court games. 
• Last season Emporia State went 10-19 overall and 5-14 inside the MIAA, losing in the first round of the MIAA Tournament. 
• On the year the Lady Hornets average 68.7 ppg with shooting splits of 39.1% from the floor, 28.9% from deep and 69.5% at the line. They also grab 38.3 rpg with 13.9 apg. Opponents are scoring 67.9 ppg on 39.5% shooting. 
• Emporia State is 4th in the MIAA in offensive rebounding per game at 13.3, in turnover margin at +2.67 and in free throw makes with 14.73. 
• Kaitlyn Sanders leads the scoring attack for the Lady Hornets at 16.8 ppg on 44.3% shooting from the floor while playing in all 15 games with 13 starts. She also dishes out a team-high 3.4 apg and swipes 1.3 spg. She is 3rd in the MIAA in ppg, 2nd in free throw attempts and 6th in apg. 
• Gracie Gilpin has started all 15 games and is scoring 12.5 ppg on 30.9% shooting overall and 30.6% from deep. She has drilled a team-high 34 triples while coming away with 1.2 spg in 32.2 mpg. She is 40th nationally and 3rd in the MIAA in total 3-pointers. 
• Macey Gandee has also started all 15 games in the post scoring 9.7 ppg on 46.2% shooting. She grabs a team-high 6.2 rpg while swatting away 1.3 bpg and making 1.6 spg, both team highs. She is 5th in the MIAA and 74th nationally in bpg. 
• Vanessa Coleman scores 5.4 ppg on 46.4% shooting and 41.7% from deep with 10 makes. She has played in all 15 games with four starts and is grabbing 2.7 rpg. 
• Makenzie McDaniel has come off the bench in all 15 games playing 10.1 mpg. She scores 4.1 ppg with 3.7 rpg. 

HEAD COACH MJ Baker

• Is in her first season leading the Lady Hornet basketball program.
• has won 334 games as a collegiate coach before coming to Emporia State after an eight year run at Eastern Florida State College.  She went 183-58 with three conference championships and three trips to the NJCAA Division I National Tournament during her time.
• Prior to Eastern Florida, Baker spent three seasons at Broward College. She went 65-20 with two conference championships in her three years in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
• As a player, Baker excelled both on and off the court and still holds season and career records for rebounding and blocked shots at the University of West Florida, where she was an honorable mention All-American as well as the UWF Female Athlete of the Year in 2005
• A native of Delaware, Ohio, Baker earned a bachelors in Psychology at West Florida, graduating Magna Cum Laude. Following her college career, Baker played professionally in Germany.

LAST TIME VERSUS EMPORIA STATE

Washburn 86, Emporia State 59  (January 3, 2026)
TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn rung in the new year with a second straight win by more than 25 points as they took down Emporia State 86-59 on Saturday afternoon. The Ichabods will head on the road for the first time in conference play next, taking on Missouri Western at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 7.  

The Ichabods (10-3, 3-1 MIAA) got off to quick start scoring the first seven points after Yiibari Nwidadah got a layup to go at the 7:09 mark. The Lady Hornets (7-6, 1-3 MIAA) were held in check through nearly the first four minutes before getting on the board. Washburn responded by scoring the next 11 points, leading 18-2 after two straight triples by Payton Sterk. She connected again from distance to end the first quarter leading 23-6 after holding Emporia State to 1-11 shooting from the floor.  

The hot shooting for the Ichabods continued to start the second quarter as they pushed the lead to 20 points after another set of back-to-back triples by Sterk. Washburn shot 6-11 from deep in the quarter and finished the first half with 11 connections from behind the arc on 17 attempts. They scored 26 points in the second quarter to lead 49-26 heading into halftime.  

Out of the break Nwidadah scored the first six for Washburn pushing the lead up to 25. The Lady Hornets were able to cut into the deficit and get it down to 18. A pair of buckets inside by Nwidadah in the final minutes brought the lead back over 20 with the Ichabods shooting 9-12 from the floor in the quarter to lead 73-49 after three.  

A 5-0 run for Washburn early in the fourth gave them a 33-point advantage, the largest of the game after a triple by Gabi Giovannetti and layup by Nwidadah. They held Emporia State without a field goal in the quarter until the final 30 seconds of the game to win going away 86-59.  

A quick start offensively gave the Ichabods their most efficient game of the year shooting 33-65 (50.8%) from the floor and 12-20 (60.0%) from deep. On the other end the Lady Hornets shot just 29.6% overall while going 7-21 from deep.  

Washburn held a 39-34 advantage on the boards while out-assisting the Lady Hornets 24-11. Points in the paint went big in favor of the Ichabods, 36-16,  along with winning the turnover battle 16-10.  

Payton Sterk led the team in scoring with 21 points on 8-14 shooting overall and 5-7 from deep while also adding four assists. Yiibari Nwidadah had a double-double with 20 points on 7-11 shooting along with 12 rebounds. Gabi Giovannetti added nine points on 3-4 shooting with seven rebounds, a steal and block. Aniah Wayne also had nine points off the bench.  

Gracie Gilpin had 13 to pace Emporia State, Kaitlyn Sanders had 12.  

SERIES WITH EMPORIA STATE

• The Lady Hornets lead the all-time series between the two teams 63-53.
• The Ichabods are 23-31 on the road against Emporia State. 
• The series began on Dec. 6, 1974 with a 73-52 win for the Lady Hornets in Topeka. 
• Washburn has won the last four meetings in the series including a 86-59 win at home this season on Jan. 3. They were led by 21 points from Payton Sterk and 20 for Yiibari Nwidadah. 
• Washburn averages 64.74 ppg all-time against Emporia State.

WASHBURN HISTORY

• Washburn women's basketball is 1,023-512-1 (.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 wrap up its time on the road facing Newman in Wichita, Kan. on Saturday, Jan. 17 with tip-off at 1:30 p.m.
• 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.