By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University women's basketball will put its undefeated home record and two-game MIAA win streak on the line Saturday when the Ichabods host Northwest Missouri State for a 1 p.m. contest in Lee Arena.
Washburn's women will host Northwest Missouri at 1 p.m. Saturday, with the Ichabods looking for their third straight MIAA win. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn is 8-7 on the year overall and 2-3 in the MIAA after an 88-73 takedown of Missouri Western on Wednesday. Northwest Missouri ended a six-game losing streak and picked up its first MIAA win to move to 8-7 on the year and 1-4 in conference after defeating Central Missouri 66-58 on Thursday in Warrensburg.
Saturday's meeting with Northwest Missouri will be the 79th all-time meeting between the two teams. Washburn leads the all-time series between the two teams, 62-14. The Ichabods have gone 35-4 against the Bearcats inside of Lee Arena.
Yibari Nwidadah is averaging 17 points to lead Washburn while also shooting a team-high 70.1 percent from the field and grabbing a team-best 7.5 rebounds per game.The junior has started all 13 games she has played in, logging 26.1 minutes per game.
Nwidadah has shot at or above 50.0 percent in every game this season and has three double-doubles. The Olathe native has the best field goal percentage in the nation while ranking third in the MIAA in points per game and sixth in rebounding average.
Junior Payton Sterk is averaging 15.9 points while starting all 15 contests and playing a team-high 30.6 minutes per gamee. She is shooting 43.2 percent from the floor and a team-high 37.3 percent from deep and drilling a team-high 31 3-pointers.
Gabi Giovannetti averages 11.0 points while shooting 40.4 percent from the field with 24 made treys.
Caely Kesten leads Northwest Missouri in scoring with a 13.1 average on 43.2 percent shooting from the field and a team-high 48.8 percent from deep while hitting a team-best 40 3-pointers.
Kelsey Fields averages 10.7 points for the Bearcats on a team-high 53.0 percent shooting from the field. The post player leads the team with 7.7 rebounds per game.
Washburn will wrap up the season series at home against Emporia State on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
