By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University women's basketball, which has recorded its first 20-win season since 2019, will put its five-game winning streak on the line at 3 p.m. Saturday in its regular-season Senior Day finale against Missouri Southern.
Washburn seniors Gabi Giovannetti, Yibari Nwidadah, Payton Sterk and Aniah Wayne will be honored before Saturday's 3 p.m. game against Missouri Southern in Lee Arena. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]Prior to tipoff, Washburn will honor seniors Gabi Giovannetti, Yibari Nwidadah, Payton Sterk and Aniah Wayne.
Washburn improved to 20-7 overall and 13-5 in conference play Wednesday night with a 71-56 home win over Pittsburg State.
Washburn was ranked No. 6 in the latest NCAA Central Region rankings released on Wednesday.
Eight teams from the region will advance into the NCAA Tournament, with the Ichabods looking to make their first NCAA appearance since the 2012-13 season.
With Wednesday's win the Ichabods passed Emporia State to move into 10th place in all-time Division II victories with 1,033.
Missouri Southern fell to 19-8 overall and 13-5 in conference play, losing 73-64 to Central Missouri on the road on Wednesday.
Washburn's four seniors -- Giovannetti, Nwidadah, Sterk and Wayne -- have combined to play 13 seasons with Washburn, appearing in 356 games, 244 starts and scoring 3,675 total points.
Nwidadah has played four seasons with the Ichabods, logging 2,488 minutes and scoring 1,296 career points while shooting 58.0 percent from the field.
Giovannetti has spent four seasons with Washburn as well, playing 2,694 total minutes. She has scored 993 points while draining 153 career 3-pointers.
Wayne is a three-year member of the Ichabod program, where she has logged 1,749 total minutes. She has scored 575 points and made 104 3-pointers.
Sterk has spent the last two season with Washburn, playing 1,806 minutes and scoring 812 points while knocking down 109 career 3-pointers.
WU student assistant Karly Neufeld will also be recognized before Saturday's game. Neufeld has spent three seasons with the Ichabods, one as a player and the last two as a student assistant coach for the program.
Washburn will enter next week's MIAA Tournament in Kansas City, Mo. as either the second, third or fourth seed based on the KPI rankings compiled after games conclude on Saturday.
The No. 2 seed plays at 2:15 p.m. on Thursday, March 5. The No. 3 seed tips off at 12 p.m. on Friday, with the No. 4 seed at 2:15 on Friday.
Holding opponents to 57.4 points per game Washburn is 38th nationally and first in the MIAA in scoring defense.
The Ichabods also force a conference-leading 17.96 turnovers per game.
Four Washburn players finished in double figures in Wednesday's win over Pittsburg State. Wayne led the way with 11 points on 3-4 shooting from 3-point range while Giovannetti had 10 along with seven rebounds, junior Britany Kogbara had 10 with two blocks and sophomore Brooke Gomez added 10 points as well.
Washburn leads the all-time series with Missouri Southern, 54-37. The Ichabods are 30-14 against Missouri Southern in Topeka.
