TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn plays host to Northeastern State for the first time since 2023 on Saturday afternoon in a Valentine's Day contest beginning at 1 p.m. inside Lee Arena in the 2025-26 Pink Out game presented by Stormont Vail. 
 

OPENING TIP

• Washburn is home for Valentine's Day taking on Northeastern State in the 2026 Pink Out game. 
• The Ichabods take on the RiverHawks at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14 inside of Lee Arena. 
• Washburn improved to 16-7 overall and 9-5 in conference play with a 85-70 win at home over Arkansas-Fort Smith last time out on Thursday.
• The game is Pink Out presented by Stormont Vail Health. The game will be broadcast on channel 13.5, The 365. The game will air live for streaming on the WIBW app. 
• 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 41.1% from the floor, 31.3% from deep and 70.3% at the free throw line to score 65.1 ppg. 
• They grab 36.9 rpg with 13.1 apg to 16.4 turnovers per contest. Defensively they average 9.3 spg with 2.5 bpg.  
• On the year opponents are averaging 57.4 ppg while shooting 37.4% from the floor and 28.9% from behind the 3-point line.  
• Washburn is 9-1 on the year inside the new Lee Arena, 3-1 in neutral court games and 4-5 in road contests.  
• Washburn hit a season-high 13 3-pointers against Arkansas-Fort Smith to extend its streak with a made 3-pointer to 150 games. 
• Northeastern State fell to 16-7 overall and 8-6 inside the MIAA after falling 61-51 to Central Missouri on the road last time out on Thursday.

THE BLUE BUNCH

• Yiibari Nwidadah leads the team scoring 12.0 ppg in just 23.2 mpg on the season. She has started in all 22 games she has played in and leads the team grabbing 7.4 rpg while also shooting 56.4% from the floor, second best on the team. She has scored in double figures in 14 games with five double-doubles. She is 2nd in the MIAA in offensive rebounding per game and 9th among conference players in rpg.
• Payton Sterk is second on the team in scoring at 11.7 ppg on 35.9% overall and 32.5% from deep. She has started every game playing 31.1 mpg, most on the team while also coming away with 1.5 spg, second most on the team. She has drilled a team-high 37 triples and has scored 14+ points in ten games this season. The senior ranks 12th in the MIAA in 3-pointers.
• Gabi Giovannetti has started all 23 games for Washburn scoring 10.4 ppg on 42.2% shooting in 28.3 mpg of action. She is shooting a team-high 36.8% from deep and is second on the team with 32 3-pointers. She also brings down 3.9 rpg and is swiping a team-high 1.8 spg. The Shawnee, Kan. native is 7th in the MIAA in steals.
• Britany Kogbara sits fourth on the team in scoring at 7.3 ppg in just 16.3 mpg of action playing in every game with one start. She is shooting a team-high 56.6% from the floor while grabbing 3.8 rpg. Her seven games scoring double figures off the bench lead the team and she is 13th in the MIAA in bpg. 
• Madelyn Amekporfor has started every game playing 24.1 mpg and scoring 6.3 ppg while shooting 37.8% from the floor. She is grabbing 3.0 rpg along with swiping 1.3 spg.She has seven games with multiple steals.
• Brooke Gomez has played in every game while making 21 starts and is logging 18.1 mpg. She scores 4.3 ppg on 44.8% shooting and is dishing out a team-high 2.7 apg along with grabbing 2.5 rpg. She ranks 11th in the MIAA in total assists.
• Aniah Wayne has come off the bench in every game playing 20.4 mpg. She is scoring 6.9 ppg on 38.2% shooting from the floor and 34.6% from deep. The senior also chips in 2.2 rpg and 0.7 spg.
• Kellyn Hunter has played in 20 games while making two starts for the Ichabods and is logging 17.4 mpg. She scores 3.3 ppg while grabbing 2.8 rpg and making 1.1 spg. 
• Nia McKenzie has played 13.1 mpg off the bench in every game. She is scoring 1.8 ppg along with grabbing 2.9 rpg.
• Kennadi Jackson has come off the bench in 18 games playing 6.6 mpg and scoring 1.1 ppg.
• Willow Gideon has played in nine games logging 3.8 mpg. She is scoring 0.9 ppg.
• Kylin Shipman has appeared in 13 games for the Ichabods of the bench logging 7.9 mpg.
• Lauren Luebbert has come off the bench in 11 contests, playing 5.5 mpg and scoring 0.5 ppg.
• Cloie Jansky has appeared in eight games off the bench logging 2.9 mpg and scoring 1.3 ppg. 

STAT STACKING

• Holding opponents to 57.4 ppg overall Washburn is 37th nationally and first in the MIAA in scoring defense. 
• Forcing 18.43 turnovers per game the Ichabods lead the conference and are 94th nationally at creating giveaways.
• With opponents shooting 37.4% from the floor, Washburn is 5th in the conference and 71st in the nation in field goal percentage defense.
• Outscoring opponents by 7.7 ppg, the Ichabods have the 78th best scoring margin in the nation and 6th among MIAA teams.
• With a +3.6 rebounding margin Washburn is 6th among conference teams and 72nd in the nation. 
• The Ichabods are 5th in the conference holding opponents to 28.9% shooting from beyond the arc.

ADVANCED STATS

• Washburn has a team offensive rating of 91.9 and defensive rating of 81.0 based on averages per 100 possessions. 
• Yiibari Nwidadah leads the team among qualified players in rebounding percentage at 18.4%. 
• Britany Kogbara is second on the team grabbing 13.4% of rebounds when on the floor, second highest on the team. 
• Brooke Gomez has the highest assist percentage on the team at 29.7% of assists while on the floor. 
• Kellyn Hunter has the second highest mark at 20.3%. 
• Yiibari Nwidadah has the highest true shooting percentage on the team at 59.2% when adding in free throw percentage and 3-pointers. 
• Britany Kogbara is second on the team at 57.5%. 

MILESTONE MARKERS

• With 286 career offensive rebounds Yiibari Nwidadah is 3rd in program history at creating extra opportunities. In overall rebounding she is 5th with 785 career boards. 
• Her career field goal percentage of .577 is the 2nd best in program history. In scoring she ranks 13th among all Ichabods with 1,257 career points. 
• Nwidadah is also 11th in program history with 69 career blocked shots. 
• Gabi Giovannetti is tied for 6th in program history with 144 career 3-pointers made. She is 19th among all Ichabods with 57 blocked shots. 
• Payton Sterk currently sits 17th in program history with 99 3-pointers made in just 54 career games with Washburn. Her career percentage from deep of 35.7% is 15th in program history.
• Sterk's career free throw percentage of 86.2% is the best for any Ichabod. 
• With 58 career blocked shots Madelyn Amekporfor is 18th in program history at coming away with rejections. 
• Aniah Wayne has made 97 3-pointers in her Ichabod career putting her 18th 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 58-53 record with Washburn and is 135-131 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

Washburn 85, Arkansas-Fort Smith 70 (February 12, 2026)
TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn returned to Lee Arena and drained a season-high 13 3-pointers to pull away for a 85-70 win on Thursday evening. The Ichabods finish the homestand on Saturday, Feb. 14 facing Northeastern State at 1 p.m. for a Pink Out contest.  

After Washburn (16-7, 9-5 MIAA) scored the first six points of the game the next 12 came from the Lions (4-19, 3-1 MIAA). Washburn answered right back, scoring 10 in a row after Aniah Wayne knocked down a fast break triple. It was the first of four 3-pointers for Wayne inside the final five minutes of the quarter as she helped build a 25-21 advantage.  

The Ichabods continued to churn offensively, shooting 46.2% in the quarter with three more connections from deep. Arkansas-Fort Smith kept pace, staying within four before going in front 38-36 with 1:45 remaining using a 6-0 run. Washburn scored the final six points on triples from Wayne and Payton Sterk to lead 42-38 going into the break.  

Both teams continued to trade baskets out of the break. Wayne provided some breathing room pushing the lead to four with 4:55 left in the quarter hitting another 3-pointer. The Ichabods got stingy on the defensive end, holding the Lions without a basket for the final 4:44 of the quarter. They finished on a 6-0 run to lead 58-49.  

Gabi Giovannetti scored the first five points of the fourth for Washburn, pushing the lead into double figures. The Ichabod offense kept the lead there, shooting 68.8% for the quarte to score 27 points in the frame. They led by as many as 18 after Kellyn Hunter scored with 2:34 left as they eased into an 85-70 win.  

Both teams shot an even 50.0% from the field in the game, the Ichabods took 18 more shots than Arkansas-Fort Smith while also going 13-25 from three-point range to create the advantage.  

Washburn had a narrow 31-28 lead on the glass but won the turnover battle 22-15, leading to 27 points off turnovers while the Lions had just 11. Paint scoring also went in favor of the Ichabods 34-24.  

Payton Sterk led the way with 23 points on 7-15 shooting while adding a pair of steals. Aniah Wayne tied her career-high with 19 points coming on 6-9 shooting from downtown. Yiibari Nwidadah scored 10 on 5-6 shooting and Madelyn Amekporfor had six steals to go along with five points.  

Haleigh Jackson led Arkansas-Fort Smith with 18 points on 4-6 shooting and 8-9 at the line.  

ABOUT THE NORTHEASTERN STATE RIVERHAWKS

• Northeastern State enters the game with a 16-7 overall record and 8-6 mark in conference play after losing a fourth straight game 61-51 to Central Missouri on Feb. 12 in Warrensburg, Mo.
• The RiverHawks are 6-4 playing in Tahlequah this season, 7-3 on the road and 3-0 in neutral court meetings.
• Last season Northeastern State finished 11-17 overall and 7-12 in MIAA play, missing out on the conference tournament.
• So far on the year the RiverHawks average 70.4 ppg with shooting splits of 40.2% from the floor, 30.8% from deep and 81.1% at the line. They also grab 37.1 rpg with 13.0 apg. Opponents are scoring 61.2 ppg on 37.3% shooting. 
• Northeastern State is 2nd in the nation in free throw percentage and 4th in free throws made per game. They are 13th nationally averaging 30.2 bench ppg.
• McKenzie Smith leads the team scoring 13.0 ppg on a team-high 47.2% from the field. She is also grabbing 5.3 rpg, a team-high while starting in every game. She is 14th in the MIAA in total points.
• Deyanna Douglas is scoring 10.6 ppg on 43.1% shooting from the floor in just 18.4 mpg. She has played in all 23 games making 22 starts and grabbing 5.1 rpg. 
• Annaston Brown is scoring 10.5 ppg coming off the bench in every game logging 20.8 mpg. She has made a team-high 39 3-pointers on 31.7% from deep. She ranks 9th in the MIAA in total 3-pointers.
• Gabrielle Tilley is scoring 9.8 ppg off the bench on 44.3% shooting in 23.0 mpg. She snags 2.5 rpg and is shooting 88.3% at the line. She is 18th in the nation and 1st in the MIAA at the charity stripe.
• Reese Shirey chips in 8.6 ppg scoring on 43.2% shooting overall and a team-best 44.4% from downtown. She has started all 23 games and leads the RiverHawks with 2.9 apg. She is 8th in the MIAA in apg.

HEAD COACH KEITH FERGUSON

• Is in his 3rd season as the head coach at Northeastern State where he has a 41-39 record.
• Came to NESU after spending seven as the head women's basketball coach at Bethany College (Kansas). 
• Before returning to Bethany, Ferguson spent four seasons as an NCAA Division I assistant women's basketball coach splitting his time between Fresno State University and the University of Louisiana at Monroe. 
• He was an assistant at Hutchinson Community College (Kan.) during the 2011-12 season when the team finished with a 36-1 record and was the national runner-up at the NJCAA Tournament.
• Ferguson graduated from Bethany College with a bachelor's in business management in 2011.

LAST TIME VERSUS NORTHEASTERN STATE

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.  

SERIES WITH NORTHEASTERN STATE

• Washburn leads the all-time series between the two teams 16-8.
• The Ichabods are 9-2 against Northeastern State in Topeka. 
• The series began last season on March 13, 2010 with a 56-51 win for the RiverHawks. 
• The most recent meeting between the two teams came last season with a 62-52 win for the Ichabods in Topeka. 
• Washburn averages 60.00 ppg all-time against Northeastern State. 

WASHBURN HISTORY

• Washburn women's basketball is 1,029-514-1 (.667) 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 heads south for a two-game road trip beginning Thursday, Feb. 19 against Central Oklahoma at 5:30 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.