By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
The Washburn University women exacted some revenge on Central Missouri by turning a close game into a 75-61 blowout at Lee Arena Saturday.
Junior Payton Sterk scored 28 points in Saturday's 75-61 Washburn MIAA win over Central Missouri in Lee Arena. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Ichabods shook off an early deficit with a third-quarter explosion. Washburn outscored the visitors 29-11 in the period to turn a close game into a 62-40 runaway. Leading the way was Payton Sterk, who knocked down 4-5 shots for 10 points in the period.
Sterk added another 11 points in the fourth period as the Ichabods cruised to the finish line. The junior closed with 28 points – 21 coming after halftime.
The Ichabods improved to 13-10 overall, 7-6 in the MIAA. They were bent on getting back at the Jennies, who defeated Washburn 85-72 in Warrensburg right before Christmas break.
“It’s our goal to never get beat twice by teams, so this was a big one,” Sterk said. “We really wanted that one and we just remembered how we lost it at Central Missouri. So, we just made sure we did the complete opposite to them.”
“We thought we gave one away at their place earlier this year,” Washburn coach Lora Westling said. “No disrespect to them. Obviously, they are a great team. But I thought we did some things that were pretty uncharacteristic (at Warrensburg).”
Gabi Giovannetti (5) scored 18 points, 14 in the first half, as Wasburn avenged an earlier loss with a 75-61 win over Central Missouri. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Saturday, Sterk picked up in the second half where fellow junior Gabi Giovannetti left off. Giovannetti, who led the Ichabods with 14 points in the first half (18 for the game), checked out late in the third period with an injury and did not return. Initial reports were that the injury would probably not affect her availability long term. Sterk praised Giovannetti’s impact when she was in.
“Gabi was hot in the first half,” Sterk said. “We were all just doing what goes together and plays well. Her going out was a big loss. She’s a key player and we all love having her out there with us. When she went out, we knew we all needed to pick up our energy.”
“Payton fills up the box score and she finishes. She’s a special scorer,” Westling said. “But that doesn’t happen without team balance. Part of the reason that frees (shooters) up is how hard our posts are working to block off the opposite block. And I thought Amaya (Davidson) and Brooke (Gomez) did a great job of game management and getting the ball where it needs to go.”
The Ichabods were highly efficient Saturday, hitting 44 percent on 3-point attempts and 16 of 17 free throws. After trailing 19-15 after one quarter, Washburn limited the Jennies to just 29 percent shooting in the ensuing three periods, outscoring the opponents 60-42.
“For this group, all year has been about growth and maturity and we’re really showing that right now,” Westling said. “I’m really proud of the way we’re getting better every week. I think we’re a long way from peaking, which is exciting for a team with no seniors.”
The win moved Washburn into the upper half of the MIAA standings. Westling said the team understands the high standard set for the program.
“Washburn is a program with rich tradition and we’re trying to get into the top teams in the country,” the coach said. “It’s gonna come one week at a time, but it’s showing that we’re making progress.”
WASHBURN WOMEN 75, CENTRAL MISSOURI 61
Central Missouri 19 10 11 21 -- 61
Washburn 15 18 29 13 -- 75
Central Missouri (13-11, 5-8) – Weishaar 4-7 7-8 15, Clevenger 2-4 0-0 6, Frost 1-10 4-4 6, Veirthaler 4-6 0-2 8, Schaaf 6-18 0-0 14, Davis 0-0 2-2 2, Muggeridge 1-3 0-0 2, Bonderer 1-2 0-0 2, Ziebell 0-2 1-2 1, Smith 2-9 1-2 5. Totals 21-61 15-20 61.
Washburn (13-10, 7-6) – Amekporfor 3-5 0-0 7, Nwidadah 2-6 3-4 7, Gomez 1-2 2-2 4, Giovannetti 6-12 3-3 18, Sterk 10-20 5-5 28, McKenzie 1-3 0-0 2, Davison 1-2 0-0 2, Wayne 1-4 3-3 5, Gideon 1-2 0-0 2, Luebbert 0-0 0-0 0, McCallop 0-1 0-0 0, Jansky 0-0 0-0 0, Snyder 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-57 16-17 75.
3-point goals — Central Missouri 4-12 (Schaaf 2-5, Clevenger 2-4, Frost 0-3), Washburn 7-16 (Sterk 3-8, Giovannetti 3-5, Amekporfor 1-2, Wayne 0-1). Rebounds — Central Missouri 34 (Schaaf 12), Washburn 40 (McKenzie 9). Assists — Central Missouri 8 (Frost 3), Washburn 14 (Giovannetti 5). Turnovers — Central Missouri 13, Washburn 16. Fouled out — None. Attendance — 1,475.
