TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn women's basketball travels south for the week beginning by taking on Central Oklahoma for the first time this season on Thursday, Feb. 19 at 5:30 p.m. 
 

OPENING TIP

• Washburn goes on the road for its final road trip of the regular season beginning by taking on Central Oklahoma.
• The Ichabods take on the Bronchos at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 19 in Edmond, Okla. inside Hamilton Field House.
• Washburn improved to 17-7 overall and 10-5 in conference play with a 72-64 win over Northeastern State on Saturday, Feb. 14.
• 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 41.2% from the floor, 31.3% from deep and 70.6% at the free throw line to score 65.4 ppg. 
• They grab 36.8 rpg with 13.1 apg to 16.5 turnovers per contest. Defensively they average 9.2 spg with 2.5 bpg.  
• On the year opponents are averaging 57.7 ppg while shooting 37.6% from the floor and 28.9% from behind the 3-point line.  
• Washburn is 10-1 on the year inside the new Lee Arena, 3-1 in neutral court games and 4-5 in road contests.  
• Washburn knocked down four triples against Northeastern State to extend its streak with a made 3-pointer to 151 games. 
• Central Oklahoma improved to 9-15 overall and 4-11 inside the MIAA with a 64-61 win over Rogers State at home last time out. 

THE BLUE BUNCH

• Yiibari Nwidadah leads the team scoring 11.9 ppg in just 23.0 mpg on the season. She has started in all 23 games she has played in and leads the team grabbing 7.3 rpg while also shooting a team-high 56.7% from the floor. She has scored in double figures in 14 games with five double-doubles. She is 4th 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 36.1% overall and 32.5% from deep. She has started every game playing 31.2 mpg, most on the team while also coming away with 1.4 spg, second most on the team. She has drilled a team-high 38 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 24 games for Washburn scoring 10.7 ppg on 41.9% shooting in 28.4 mpg of action. She is shooting a team-high 35.9% from deep and is second on the team with 33 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 7.4 ppg in just 16.5 mpg of action playing in every game with one start. She is shooting 56.1% from the floor, a team-high, while grabbing 4.0 rpg. Her eight games scoring double figures off the bench lead the team and she is 11th in the MIAA in bpg. 
• Madelyn Amekporfor has started every game playing 23.8 mpg and scoring 6.1 ppg while shooting 37.2% from the floor. She is grabbing 3.0 rpg along with swiping 1.3 spg.She has eight games with multiple steals.
• Brooke Gomez has played in every game while making 22 starts and is logging 18.5 mpg. She scores 4.5 ppg on 45.6% shooting and is dishing out a team-high 2.7 apg along with grabbing 2.6 rpg. She ranks 12th in the MIAA in total assists.
• Aniah Wayne has come off the bench in every game playing 20.5 mpg. She is scoring 7.0 ppg on 38.4% shooting from the floor and 35.4% from deep. The senior also chips in 2.2 rpg and 0.8 spg.
• Kellyn Hunter has played in 21 games while making two starts for the Ichabods and is logging 17.1 mpg. She scores 3.3 ppg while grabbing 2.6 rpg and making 1.0 spg. 
• Nia McKenzie has played 13.3 mpg off the bench in every game. She is scoring 1.7 ppg along with grabbing 2.8 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 57.7 ppg overall Washburn is 39th nationally and first in the MIAA in scoring defense. 
• Forcing 18.21 turnovers per game the Ichabods lead the conference and are 101st nationally at creating giveaways.
• With opponents shooting 37.6% from the floor, Washburn is 6th in the conference and 73rd in the nation in field goal percentage defense.
• Outscoring opponents by 7.7 ppg, the Ichabods have the 77th best scoring margin in the nation and 4th among MIAA teams.
• With a +3.8 rebounding margin Washburn is 6th among conference teams and 73rd 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 92.5 and defensive rating of 81.6 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 14.1% of rebounds when on the floor, second highest on the team. 
• Brooke Gomez has the highest assist percentage on the team at 28.7% of assists while on the floor. 
• Kellyn Hunter has the second highest mark at 20.2%. 
• Yiibari Nwidadah has the highest true shooting percentage on the team at 59.3% when adding in free throw percentage and 3-pointers. 
• Britany Kogbara is second on the team at 57.0%. 

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 790 career boards. 
• Her career field goal percentage of .578 is the 2nd best in program history. In scoring she ranks 13th among all Ichabods with 1,265 career points. 
• Nwidadah is also 11th in program history with 69 career blocked shots. 
• Gabi Giovannetti is tied for 6th in program history with 145 career 3-pointers made. She is 19th among all Ichabods with 57 blocked shots. 
• She ranks 31st in program history with 948 career points. 
• Payton Sterk currently sits 17th in program history with 100 3-pointers made in just 55 career games with Washburn. Her career percentage from deep of 35.7% is tied for 15th in program history.
• Sterk's career free throw percentage of 86.5% 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 99 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 59-53 record with Washburn and is 136-131 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 72, Northeastern State 64 (February 14, 2026)
TOPEKA, Kan. -- A second half surge gave Washburn a second straight home victory knocking off Northeastern State 72-64 at home on Saturday afternoon in front of a pink out crowd. The Ichabods will hit the road facing Central Oklahoma at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 19.  

Both sides traded baskets throughout the first quarter with multiple ties and lead changes. It was a 3-pointer by Aniah Wayne inside the final minute that tied the game up at 15 heading into the second period.  

Washburn (17-7, 10-5) created some separation with a five-point lead after Payton Sterk sank a triple to make it 22-17. The RiverHawks (16-8, 8-7 MIAA) battled back, scoring ten of the next 14 points to go in front 27-26 at the four-minute mark. This time a 3-pointer in the final minute by Northeastern State put them in front 36-33 heading into halftime.  

Out of the break the RiverHawks pushed the lead to five in the opening minutes. The Ichabods were able to tighten up defensively, allowing them to go on a 5-0 run and tie the game at 44. Both teams shot under 30.0% in the quarter and it was a pair of free throws by Sterk in the final second of the quarter that gave Washburn a 50-49 lead with 10 to play.  

Northeastern State continued to answer back, taking the lead three times in the first five minutes of the fourth. A fastbreak and-one layup by Brooke Gomez with 3:04 left would put the Ichabods in front for good. Wayne sealed it with a jumper in the final lead that pushed the lead to six as Washburn went on to win 72-64. 

The Ichabods finished the game shooting 44.4% overall and 4-13 from deep. They were aggressive going 20-27 at the free throw line. Northeastern State shot 42.6% from the floor while going 5-17 from deep and were efficient in limited trips at the line shooting 13-16. 

The rebounding battle was won 35-26 by Washburn, creating a 16-7 advantage in second chance scoring. Points in the paint also went 40-24 in favor of the home team.  

Five players scored in double figures for the Ichabods led by 17 points for Gabi Giovannetti who also had two steals. Payton Sterk had 11 with five assists and Britany Kogbara had 11 with nine rebounds and a pair of blocks. Aniah Wayne and Brooke Gomez each scored ten. 

Deyanna Dougas led the RiverHawks with 15 points.  

ABOUT THE CENTRAL OKLAHOMA BRONCHOS

• With a 64-61 home win over Rogers State last time out Central Oklahoma moved to 9-15 overall and 4-11 inside the MIAA. 
• The Bronchos are 6-8 playing at home in Edmond this season, 3-7 on the road and have not played a neutral site game.
• Last season Central Oklahoma went 8-20 overall and 7-12 in the MIAA, missing out on the MIAA Tournament. 
• So far on the year the Bronchos average 63.1 ppg with shooting splits of 36.0% from the floor, 26.5% from deep and 65.6% at the line. They also grab 42.1 rpg with 9.0 apg. Opponents are scoring 63.9 ppg on 36.8% shooting. 
• Central Oklahoma is first in the MIAA and 6th nationally in blocks per game, they are also tops in the conference in rpg, ranking 23rd nationally.
• Nykaiya Dillard is scoring a team-high 12.4 ppg in just 18.7 mpg while shooting 40.2% from the field. She has played in all 24 games making just two starts while grabbing 3.2 rpg and making a team-high 1.9 spg.She is 5th in the MIAA in spg. 
• Kaitlyn McCarn is scoring 11.2 ppg in a team-high 30.5 mpg. She is shooting 35.8% from the floor while starting in all 24 games. She is grabbing 5.3 rpg. 
• Jerney Bennett is scoring 8.5 ppg on 43.3% shooting. She is averaging team-highs of 4.0 bpg and 8.0 rpg. She is 4th in the nation and 1st in the MIAA in bpg while ranking 7th in the conference in rpg.
• Bobbie Fouquet is scoring 8.1 ppg while grabbing 5.9 rpg. She has played in 23 games making 22 starts. 
• Olivia Quapaw is chipping in 5.4 ppg along with 1.5 rpg in 15.8 mpg.

HEAD COACH HANNAH MOELLER

• Is in her first season as the head coach at Central Oklahoma where she has a 9-15 record. 
• Spent the previous nine seasons as head coach at Mid-America Christian University in Oklahoma City. She brings a 305-102 career record to UCO.
• Moeller began her coaching career as an assistant for MACU in 2010 and spent one season as the associate head coach at Randall University before being named head coach
• Moeller, originally from Edmond and a graduate of Edmond Memorial, played college basketball at Rogers State where she was a 2009 NAIA Academic All-American and the RSU Female Student-Athlete of the Year.

LAST TIME VERSUS NORTHEASTERN STATE

Washburn 75, Central Oklahoma 60 (February 20, 2025)
TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn outscored Central Oklahoma by 16 points in the middle two quarters to defeat the Bronchos 75-60. The Ichabods will wrap up the regular season inside Lee Arena on Saturday at 1 p.m. hosting Rogers State.  

In the first five minutes of the opening quarter both teams traded baskets, with five ties. Three straight points from Yiibari Nwidadah sparked a 7-0 run for Washburn (15-11, 9-7 MIAA) that would put them in front by five. Central Oklahoma (7-18, 6-10 MIAA) ended the quarter with a jumper to make it 20-17 after one.  

A 3-pointer by Payton Sterk at the 9:39 mark in the second quarter was the only basket for either team in the first four minutes of play. After a layup from the Bronchos with 5:40 to play the Ichabods went on a 12-0 run that began and ended with layups by Brooke Gomez. Central Oklahoma shot just 2-10 in the quarter and got its second field goal at the buzzer on a last second 3-pointer to cut the lead down to a dozen going into halftime.  

The first four points of the second half went to the visitors, cutting the lead to single digits. After a jumper by Niwdadah at the 7:46 mark in the quarter the lead never got below 10 for the remainder of the quarter. Sterk and Nwidadah combined to go on a 9-2 run to end the quarter as the Ichabods shot 61.5% in the frame to lead 53-34 going into the fourth. 

Washburn scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter, going up by 26 with 7:29 left after Willow Gideon knocked down a 3-pointer. Both offenses shot at or over 50.0% in the quarter as the Ichabods stayed in front by more than 20 until the Bronchos ended the game on an 11-0 run that was too little, too late as Washburn eased into a 75-60 win.  

For the game Washburn shot 28-54 (51.9%) while shooting just 5-16 from beyond the arc and 14-26 at the line. Central Oklahoma shot 21-52 (40.4%) and were 8-20 from deep. A 36-29 rebounding advantage and 18-14 turnover advantage helped the Ichabods gain an edge.  

Points in the paint went big to Washburn, 46-24, as did points of turnovers 24-14.  

Payton Sterk led all players with 20 points going 7-14 from the floor with three assists. Yiibari Nwidadah added 13 points with a team-high seven boards and Gabi Giovannetti added 12 points.  

Three players scored in double figures for the Bronchos led by LaKysie Johnson with 15 points.  

SERIES WITH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA

• Washburn leads the all-time series between the two teams 16-12.
• The Ichabods are 5-6 against Central Oklahoma in Edmond.
• The series began on Dec. 9, 1994 with a 75-68 win for Washburn in Edmond. 
• The Ichabods took a 75-60 win in the last meeting between the two teams last season on Feb. 20, 2025.
• Washburn averages 67.68 ppg all-time against Central Oklahoma. 

WASHBURN HISTORY

• Washburn women's basketball is 1,030-514-1 (.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 plays its final regular season road game of the year on Saturday, Feb. 1 against Rogers State in Claremore, Okla.
• 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.