TOPEKA, Kan. -- No. 3 seeded Washburn women's basketball is set for a semifinal meeting with the No. 7 seed Missouri Western inside Municipal Auditorium on Saturday, March 7 in Kansas City, Mo. at 2:15 p.m. 

OPENING TIP 

• Washburn continues its 35th appearance in the MIAA Tournament as the No. 3 seed against the No. 7 seed Missouri Western State. 

• The Ichabods take on the Griffons at 2:15 p.m. on Saturday, March 7 inside Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. 

• Washburn moved to 22-7 on the year with a 60-49 win over Pittsburg State in the quarterfinal round on Friday afternoon. 

• 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. They finished 3rd in the regular season. 

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. 

• Washburn was ranked No. 6 in the final NCAA Central Region rankings released on Wednesday, March 4. Eight teams from the region will advance into the NCAA Tournament announced on Sunday, March 8. 

• The Ichabods are looking to make their first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 2012-13 season. 

• As a team Washburn has shooting splits of 41.4% from the floor, 32.0% from deep and 72.0% at the free throw line to score 66.7 ppg.  

• They grab 37.8 rpg with 13.3 apg to 16.4 turnovers per contest. Defensively they average 8.9 spg with 2.7 bpg.   

• On the year opponents are averaging 57.3 ppg while shooting 36.8% from the floor and 28.9% from behind the 3-point line.   

• Washburn is 12-1 on the year inside the new Lee Arena, 4-1 in neutral court games and 6-5 in road contests.   

• Washburn knocked down three 3-pointers in the quarterfinal win over Pittsburg State to extend its streak with a made 3-pointer to 156 games.  

• Missouri Western enters the semifinals 15-15 overall and on a seven-game winning streak after defeating the No. 2 seed Fort Hays State 77-68 in the quarterfinals on Thursday. 

TOURNAMENT TIME 

• The MIAA Championship Tournament will take place in Kansas City, Mo. at Municipal Auditorium from March 4-8. 

• Tickets can be purchased at the Municipal box office or via ticketmaster.  

• Games will be broadcasted on the MIAA Network and can be purchased with a $15 single-game pass or $40 for the entire tournament. 

• Washburn is 44-25 overall in the MIAA Tournament. They have gone 11-9 in the semifinal round and are 30-20 inside of Municipal Auditorium. 

• The Ichabods are 4-3 as the No. 3 seed in the tournament and 7-1 against the No. 7 seed. They are 37-10 overall as the higher seed.  

• Washburn is 7-5 against the Griffons all-time in the MIAA Tournament. 

ALL-MIAA HONORS 

• Washburn landed three players on the 2025-26 All-MIAA squads headlined by Yiibari Nwidadah earning All-MIAA First Team honors as well as All-Defensive team recognition. 

• She is the first First Team selection since Laura Kinderknecht in 2012-13 and the first to earn First Team honors as well as be named to the All-Defensive team since Crystal Walker in 2002-03. 

• Payton Sterk landed on the All-MIAA Second Team for the second time in her two seasons with Washburn. 

• Gabi Giovannetti earned her first career All-MIAA selection as she was named an Honorable Mention All-Conference member. 

THE BLUE BUNCH 

• Yiibari Nwidadah is second on the team scoring 11.8 ppg in just 22.3 mpg on the season. She has started in all 28 games she has played in and leads the team grabbing 7.4 rpg while also shooting a team-high 58.5% from the floor. She has scored in double figures in 17 games with seven double-doubles.  

• Payton Sterk is leading the team scoring 12.2 ppg on 37.4% shooting overall, 34.3% from deep and a team-best 89.9% at the line. She has started every game playing 31.5 mpg, most on the team while also coming away with 1.5 spg, second most on the team. She has drilled a team-high 49 triples and has scored 14+ points in 12 games this season.  

• Gabi Giovannetti has started all 29 games for Washburn scoring 11.1 ppg on 41.3% shooting in 28.6 mpg of action. She is shooting 34.8% from deep and is second on the team with 40 3-pointers. She also brings down 4.0 rpg and is swiping a team-high 1.6 spg. 

• Britany Kogbara sits fourth on the team in scoring at 7.6 ppg in just 16.6 mpg of action playing in every game with one start. She is shooting 55.8% from the floor, second best on the team, while grabbing 4.1 rpg. Her 11 games scoring double figures off the bench lead the team. 

• Madelyn Amekporfor played in every game while making 28 starts logging 23.9 mpg and scoring 6.4 ppg while shooting 36.6% from the floor. She is grabbing 2.9 rpg along with swiping 1.3 spg. She has nine games with multiple steals. 

• Brooke Gomez has played in every game while making 27 starts and is logging 18.8 mpg. She scores 4.4 ppg on 44.2% shooting and is dishing out a team-high 2.7 apg along with grabbing 2.7 rpg.  

• Aniah Wayne has appeared in every game while making one start and is playing 20.3 mpg. She is scoring 7.1 ppg on 37.8% shooting from the floor and 36.4% from deep, best on the team. The senior also chips in 2.1 rpg and shoots 78.9% at the free throw line. 

• Kellyn Hunter has played in 26 games while making two starts for the Ichabods and is logging 17.2 mpg. She scores 3.2 ppg while grabbing 2.8 rpg and making 1.0 spg.  

• Nia McKenzie has played 13.0 mpg off the bench in every game. She is scoring 1.7 ppg along with grabbing 2.9 rpg. 

• Kennadi Jackson has come off the bench in 22 games playing 6.7 mpg and scoring 1.1 ppg. 

• Willow Gideon has played in ten games logging 3.8 mpg. She is scoring 1.2 ppg. 

• Kylin Shipman has appeared in 15 games for the Ichabods of the bench logging 7.2 mpg. 

• Lauren Luebbert has come off the bench in 12 contests, playing 4.8 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.  

ADVANCED STATS 

• Washburn has a team offensive rating of 94.4 and defensive rating of 81.1 based on averages per 100 possessions.  

• Yiibari Nwidadah leads the team among qualified players in rebounding percentage at 19.2%. On the defensive end she grabs 25.1% of rebounds.  

• Britany Kogbara is second on the team grabbing 14.3% of rebounds when on the floor, second highest on the team.  

• Brooke Gomez has the highest assist percentage on the team at 28.4% 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 61.0% when adding in free throw percentage and 3-pointers.  

• Britany Kogbara is second on the team at 56.7%.  

MILESTONE MARKERS 

• With 302 career offensive rebounds Yiibari Nwidadah is 3rd in program history at creating extra opportunities. In overall rebounding she is 3rd with 831 career boards.  

• Her career field goal percentage of .582 is the 2nd best in program history. In scoring, she ranks 11th among all Ichabods with 1,322 career points.  

• Nwidadah is also tied for 9th in program history with 71 career blocked shots.  

• Gabi Giovannetti is 6th in program history with 154 career 3-pointers made. She is 14th among all Ichabods with 64 blocked shots.  

• She ranks 23rd in program history with 1,022 career points.  

• Payton Sterk currently sits 14th in program history with 111 3-pointers made in just 60 career games with Washburn. Her career percentage from deep of 36.3% is the 14th best in program history. 

• Sterk's career free throw percentage of 86.6% is the best for any Ichabod.  

• With 62 career blocked shots Madelyn Amekporfor is tied for 16th in program history at coming away with rejections.  

• Aniah Wayne has made 109 3-pointers in her Ichabod career putting her 17th 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 64-53 record with Washburn and is 141-131 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 60, Pittsburg State 49 (March 6, 2026) 

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.   

ABOUT THE MISSOURI WESTERN GRIFFONS 

• The No. 7 seed Missouri Western advanced to the semifinals with a 77-68 win over the No. 2 seed Fort Hays State in the quarterfinals on Thursday. It was a seventh straight victory overall, moving them to 15-15 on the year. 

• The Griffons have gone 9-3 inside of MWSU Fieldhouse, 3-9 on the road and are 3-3 in neutral court games. 

• Last season Missouri Western went 20-10 overall and 14-5 inside the MIAA, advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Central Region Championship Tournament. 

• On the year the Griffons average 72.1 ppg with shooting splits of 41.0% from the floor, 32.7% from deep and 66.9% at the line. They also grab 40.3 rpg with 13.8 apg. Opponents are scoring 70.1 ppg on 39.1% shooting.  

• Mia Morel has started every game for the Griffons leading the team in scoring at 18.2 ppg. She is adding 3.6 apg and 4.3 rpg in 35.1 mpg. She was named the MIAA Newcomer of the Year. 

• Ana Olivera Dias has played and started in 29 games scoring 13.1 ppg on 41.0% shooting from the field. She grabs 4.5 rpg and is leading the team with 45.2 apg and 2.5 spg.  

• Starting in 29 of 30 games Nakiya Harris is scoring 11.8 ppg on 44.6% shooting and 36.0% from deep. She leads the team grabbing 8.1 rpg and is swiping 1.3 spg as well. 

• Lindsey Kelderman chips in 7.2 ppg on 40.4% shooting overall. Her 38.2% from deep leads the team and she had made 52 total triples across all 30 games.  

• LaNicia Parker has played 28 games with one start scoring 8.1 ppg in 19.9 mpg. She also adds 4.1 rpg along with 1.1 spg. 

HEAD COACH LUKE SCHEIDEKER 

• Is in his first season as the head coach at Missouri Western where he has a 15-15 record.  

• Joined the Griffons from Wabash Valley College in Mount Carmel, Illinois, where he amassed a career record of 231-22 (.913 winning percentage) from 2016-18 and again from 2020-2025. 

• The 2024 WBCA Two-Year National Coach of the Year, has received numerous accolades, including six NJCAA Region 24 Coach of the Year awards and six Midwest District Coach of the Year honors at WVC. 

• Before his second run at WVC, Scheidecker was on staff at Indiana State (2018-20), serving as Recruiting Coordinator 

• Scheidecker also served as the Director of Men's Basketball Operations at Southeast Missouri State (2011-12), where he obtained his Bachelor's Degree. Scheidecker completed his Master's in education at Southern Illinois in 2014. 

LAST TIME VERSUS MISSOURI WESTERN 

Washburn 71, Missouri Western 55 (January 23, 2026) 
 

TOPEKA, Kan. -- It was cold outside but Washburn was loose from the start on Friday afternoon, scoring 47 points in the first half to down Missouri Western 71-55 and earn a fourth straight win. The Ichabods will take the win streak on the road to face Fort Hays State at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 29.   

It was the Griffons (6-13, 2-8 MIAA) that took an early 9-7 lead with a pair of 3-pointers. Washburn (14-5, 7-3 MIAA) answered back with an 8-0 run and five points coming from Payton Sterk who had 20 in the first half. The Ichabods shot 50.0% in the first quarter and ended the final minute on a 4-0 run to lead 21-14 after one.   

The run continued with the first four points in the second quarter coming for the home team, pushing the lead to double-figures. A quick 5-0 burst was capped off by a 3-pointer for Gabi Giovannetti that pushed the lead up over 20 points. While Washburn shot over 50.0% again in the second, Missouri Western was held to just 2-8 shooting in the frame as the Ichabods built a 47-24 lead.   

Out of the break Washburn's offense cooled off as they were held scoreless until Kellyn Hunter knocked down a jumper with 4:24 left in the quarter. She hit another to push the lead back over 20 points the next possession. The Ichabod defense helped maintain the lead with the Griffons shooting just 4-11 in the quarter.   

The visitors offense picked up in the fourth scoring the first 10 points to make it a single-digit game with 6:38 remaining. Britany Kogbara got a pair of buckets to fall over the next few possessions to push the lead back into double digits. Missouri Western knocked down a 3-pointer with 3:06 remaining but that was the last time they would get on the scoreboard. The Ichabods finished the game on a 6-0 run to put away a 71-55 win.   

The hot start helped Washburn shoot 40.7% for the game along with 8-17 (47.1%) from deep. They also were 19-22 at the line to complete an efficient day. On the other end the Griffons shot 16-49 overall and just 4-17 from three-point land while getting to the line 29 times and knocking down 19.   

The Ichabods narrowly lost the turnover battle 34-33 but held a 20-15 advantage in turnovers. Those turnovers generated 17 points for Washburn to just nine for the visitors. Bench scoring also favored the home squad 28-2.   

Payton Sterk finished with a game-high 22 points on 7-14 shooing and four triples. Britany Kogbara had 10 points with a pair of steals and Kelly Hunter scored nine with three assists. Gabi Giovannetti and Aniah Wayne each chipped in nine.   

Mia Morel and Ana Dias Oliveira each scored 15 to lead Missouri Western.   

SERIES WITH MISSOURI WESTERN 

• Washburn has a 59-49 lead in the all-time series between the two teams.  

• The Ichabods are 5-0 against Missouri Western in neutral court games. 

• The series began on Jan. 17, 1976 with a 74-70 win for Washburn on the road in St. Joseph.  

• The two teams split the season series with each team winning at home. The Ichabods won the most recent meeting 71-55 in Topeka on January 23. 

• Washburn averages 64.44 ppg all-time against the Griffons. 

WASHBURN HISTORY 

• Washburn women's basketball is 1,035-514-1 (.668) 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 

• With a win on Saturday, Washburn would advance into the Championship game set for Sunday, March 8 at 1 p.m. 

• They would face the winner of the other semifinal game between No. 1 Central Missouri and No. 4 Missouri Southern. 

• The NCAA selection show will take place at 10:30 p.m. EST on Sunday, March 8 and will be streamed online.