By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University women's basketball was strong on the defensive end Saturday, building a first-half lead and holding on late for a 62-52 road win over Northeastern State.
Junior Yibari Nwidadah (32) scored 23 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in Washburn's 62-52 MIAA win at Northeastern State. [File photo/TSN]
With Saturday's victory Washburn improved to 14-11 overall and 8-7 in the MIAA, eclipsing its win total for the 2023-2024 campaign with a minimum of five games remaining in the current season. The 14 victories are also a high-water mark for WU under coach Lora Westling, in her third season.
It was a slow start to the game offensively for both teams, with the first field goal of the game coming from junior Yibari Nwidadah at the 7:04 mark of the first quarter.
Washburn held the RiverHawks (10-14, 6-9) 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 Ichabod halftime lead up to 12 (31-19) as the visitors held the home team scoreless over the final four minutes of the second quarter. Northeastern State shooting 18.2 percent 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 a 50-47 game 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 the WU lead 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.
Washburn shot 21-51 (41.2 percent) in the game and was 3-16 from beyond the arc. The game was decided on the other end, where the RiverHawks were held to 16-54 (29.6 percent) shooting while also going 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.
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.
Sterk also finished in double figures with 10 points.
Alex Hill and Annaston Brown had 14 points apiece to lead Northeastern State.
The Ichabods return home to face Central Oklahoma in Lee Arena on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
