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Washburn women takes aim on 20th win against Pittsburg State Wednesday night

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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

   Washburn University women's basketball begins its final homestand of the 2025-26 season at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday against Pittsburg State in Lee Arena.
PaytonSterk2026FS 3Washburn senior Payton Sterk is coming off a season-high 31-point performance with seven 3-pointers in last Saturday's win at Rogers State. [File photo/TSN]
   Washburn improved to 19-7 overall and 12-5 in the MIAA with an 87-60 win over Rogers State on the road last Saturday.
   Washburn, 10-1 on the year at home, was included in the first NCAA Regional rankings released in alphabetical order on Wednesday, Feb. 18.
   Pittsburg State lost its third game in a row last Saturday, falling 74-71 in overtime to No. 6 Fort Hays State last Saturday, dropping to 18-8 overall and 11-6 in the MIAA.
   Senior Payton Sterk leads Washburn in scoring with a 12.2 average and has hit a team-high 46 3-pointers. Sterk ranks ninth in the MIAA in 3-pointers made per game.
   Sterk's career free throw percentage of 86.6 percent is the best for any Ichabod. 
   Sterk led the way with 31 points on 10-15 shooting and 7-10 from 3-point range in Saturday's win at Rogers State, the most points by any Ichabod this season. She also added four steals. 
   Senior Yibari Nwidadah averages 11.9 points for the Ichabods and leads the team with a 7.5 rebounding average while also shooting a team-high 57.6 percent from the floor. Nwidadah has scored in double figures in 16 games with six double-doubles.
   Nwidadah registered a double-double with 11 points and 15 rebounds against Rogert State.
   Senior Gabi Giovannetti averages 10.9 points and is second on the team with 38 3-pointers. She also is swiping a team-high 1.7 steals per game, ranking seventh in the MIAA in steals.
   Holding opponents to 57.4 points per game, Washburn is 38th nationally and first in the MIAA in scoring defense.

   Last season Pittsburg State went 33-4 overall and 18-1 in the MIAA. The Gorilla won the MIAA regular season and tournament championships while advancing to the NCAA Final Four.

   Ja'Miya Brown leads Pittsburg State with a 13.0 scoring average with 41 3-pointers, also a team-high.

   Marin Adams scores 12.3 points per game and Harper Schriner averages 11.6 points while grabbing 7.0 rebounds per game from the guard spot and is swiping a team-best 1.4 steals per game.

   Washburn leads the all-time series between the two teams, 56-40.

   The Ichabods are 31-15 against Pittsburg State playing at home in Topeka. 

   The series began on Jan. 18, 1975 with a 101-36 win for Washburn at home.

   The last meeting came in the season finale for the Ichabods last season with a 71-57 win for the Gorillas in the MIAA Tournament semifinals.

   Senior Day for the Ichabods will be in the regular season finale on Saturday 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. 

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