KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- No. 3 seed Washburn took control with a strong first quarter and never looked back, knocking off the No. 6 seed and two-time defending tournament champion Pittsburg State on Friday afternoon. The Ichabods move onto the semifinals where they will face the No. 7 seed Missouri Western at 2:15 p.m. on Saturday in Kansas City.
After a brief 5-4 lead for the Gorillas (18-11, 11-8 MIAA) in the opening minutes of the game Washburn (22-7, 14-5) went on a 5-0 run in a lead that would last for the remainder of the game. A pair of triples for Aniah Wayne and Payton Sterk capped off the quarter but the defensive side led the way, holding Pittsburg State to 2-10 shooting to open the game with a 18-6 lead after one.
The Gorillas began to chip away at the start of the second quarter, cutting the lead down to six points with 7:17 remaining in the half. The Ichabod defense tightened up from that point on in the quarter as they allowed just two points in the final four minutes of the quarter. Yiibari Nwidadah had the final four points of the half for Washburn as they went into the locker room leading 28-22.
Offense for both teams came easy to begin the third quarter. For the Ichabods, Nwidadah and Madelyn Amekporfor combined to score the first 10 points of the half for them. After a Pittsburg State layup made it an eight-point game at the 5:30 mark the next 10 points were scored by the Washburn trio of All-MIAA seniors, Nwidadah, Gabi Giovannetti and Payton Sterk to go up 48-30. The lead was 17 heading into the fourth quarter.
After an early bucket for Amekporfor the Ichabod offense slowed down to begin the fourth, but remained solid on the defensive end, holding the Gorillas under 25.0% shooting in the quarter. A 8-0run over nearly four minutes brought the lead down to ten inside the final minute but free throws for Sterk and Giovannetti were able to salt the game away as Washburn advanced into the tournament semifinals for a second straight season winning 60-49.
The Ichabods shot just 34.4% in the game and 3-19 from deep but held Pittsburg State to just 26.8% shooting overall and under 30.0% from behind the arc as well. The Gorillas won the rebounding battle 46-39 but Washburn made up for it with a 17-10 turnover advantage, leading to 23 points to just nine for Pitt State.
Yiibari Nwidadah led the way with a 19-point and 10-rebound double-doulbe while shooting 8-10 from the field and adding a block and steal as well. Madelyn Amekporfor scored 12 points while adding a pair of blocks and Gabi Giovannetti also had 12 with a steal. Payton Sterk scored nine with eight rebounds and three steals.
Clara Swearingen led the Gorillas scoring 15 points, Marin Adams added 12.
