By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University women's basketball will go south for the first time in conference play this season beginning with the first ever meeting between the Ichabods and new MIAA foe Arkansas-Fort Smith at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday evening.
Junior Yibari Nwidadah leads Washburn with 16.5 points and 7.1 rebounds a game entering Thursday's MIAA contest at Arkansas-Fort Smith. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn is 13-10 on the year, equaling its win total for the 2023-2024 season, and 7-6 in the MIAA after defeating Central Missouri 75-61 last Saturday. Last time out Arkansas-Fort Smith (13-9, 7-6) lost its fourth straight game, 82-62 to No. 8 Fort Hays State in Hays.
Yibari Nwidadah is averaging 16.5 points and 7.1 rebounds while ranking second in the nation with a 65.7 percent field goal percentage. The junior Olathe North product has started all 21 games she has played in, logging 26.9 minutes per game. She has shot at or above 50.0 percent in all but three games and has four double-doubles.
With 203 career offensive rebounds Nwidadah is seventh in program history. She needs 14 offensive boards to move up to sixth. In overall rebounds she is 15th in Washburn history with 541. Her career field goal percentage of .585 is the second best in program history. In scoring she ranks 35th with 852 career points.
Junior Payton Sterk, a Colorado Springs native, is averaging 16.2 points while starting all 23 contests and playing a team-high 30.7 minutes per game. She is shooting a team-high 39.5 percent from 3-point range while drilling a team-high 49 3-pointers.
Gabi Giovannetti is scoring 11.9 points a game while starting all 23 games. The junior Bishop Miege is second on the team with 39 made triples. The junior has scored in double figures in seven straight games, a career-long streak.
Giovannetti is 16th in program history with 104 career 3-pointers made. She needs five triples to move into the top 15.
Anna Trusty leads Arkansas-Fort Smith in scoring at 13.8 points per game on 42.9 percent shooting and 36.6 percent from deep. She also grabs a team-high 6.2 rebounds.
Morgan Browning averages 13.4 points for the Lions.
Washburn finishes out the week on the road against Northeastern State on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
