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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Fresh off a win over No. 3-ranked Fort Hays State, Washburn University women's basketball remains at Lee Arena Saturday to host Central Missouri in a 1 p.m. MIAA contest.

Yibari Nwidadah, Washburn University 

Saturday's game will feature the Student Athlete Advisory Committee Teddy Bear Toss. Bears can be brought to the game or purchased at the entrance. 

Washburn is 6-2 overall and 2-0 in the MIAA after last Saturday's 67-64 win over Fort Hays State, which snapped a 10-game losing streak against the Tigers. Central Missouri moved to 5-3 overall and 1-1 in the MIAA after defeating Nebraska Kearney 72-69 at home last Saturday.

Senior Yibari Nwidadah is averaging 14.0 points and 7.1 rebounds to lead Washburn while also shooting 55.3 percent from the floor. Nwidadah leads the MIAA and ranks 32nd nationally in field goal percentage.

With 252 career offensive rebounds Nwidadah is fourth in program history and in overall rebounding she is 10th with 680 career boards. Her career field goal percentage of .578 is the second best in program history. In scoring Nwidadah ranks 15th among all Ichabods with 1,104 career points. 

Senior Payton Sterk averages 13.3 points for the Ichabods while registering 1.8 steals per game and hitting 16 3-pointers.

Senior Gabi Giovannetti is averaging 13.0 points and is shooting a team-high 47.4 percent from deep with a team-high 18 3-pointers. Giovannetti leads the MIAA and is 14th nationally in 3-point percentage and is third in the conference in triples per game.

Giovannetti is eighth in program history with 130 career 3-pointers made.

Nwidadah registered her first double-double of the season in the win over Fort Hays State with 24 points and 10 rebounds while Giovannetti had 22 points with three 3-pointers.

Taylor Weishaar leads Central Missouri with a 15.3 scoring average and 8.5 rebounds per game.

Reese Schaaf is averaging 13.9 points for the Jennies and is shooting a team-high 44.0 percent from deep with 11 triples. 

Washburn takes a break from MIAA play host Truman State at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

The Washburn University soccer team's 2025 season came to an end Thursday evening with a 2-1 NCAA Division II semifinal defeat to Franklin Pierce in Colorado Springs.

Washburn soccer dropped a heartbreaking 2-1 decision to Franklin Pierce in Thursday's NCAA Division II semifinal in Colorado Springs. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]

"Thought we played really well, thought we had a really good mentality, really proud of how our team played," Washburn coach Davy Phillips said. "The program is in such a healthy place because the girls invest so much on a daily basis."

"These girls are so special,'' Washburn senior Shaye Taylor said. "This team was built on love, so much love in everything we did. I couldn't be more grateful -- these girls made it the best experience I've ever had." 

Washburn came out of the gates strong, as in the opening minute, freshman Leah Henke had a header go over the bar.

Washburn had six shots in the half, while the Ravens took four.

The second half would start the same, as Washburn had four shots in the opening 10 minutes with two on target

In the 66th minute WU freshman Kate Hinck, a Washburn Rural product, would open the scoring after a ball over the top from Sam Searcey.

Franklin Pierce would then score two goals 62 seconds apart to take a 2-1 lead late in the match and held off the Ichabods the rest of the way.

Hinck scored her seventh goal of the season while Searcey picked up her sixth assist.

Freshman goalkeeper made five saves in the match for Washburn.

By CHARLES SPURLOCK

Special to TopSports.news

DESOTO -- Washburn Rural's faced tournament host De Soto in Wednesday's semifinal of the De Soto Hardwood Classic, taking a 41-28 win in a defensive struggle to advance to Saturday's the championship game.

 

The game began with both teams struggling to put the ball in the basket as Washburn Rural shot 2 of 10 from the field while De Soto was 2 of 9. At the end of the first quarter, the Junior Blues led, 8-6.

The struggles continued in the second quarter as both teams combined to make only three shots over the eight-minute period. The defense of De Soto forced nine turnovers in the half with a mixture of a three-quarter court trapping press and a stingy man-to-man defense in the halfcourt.

 

But Washburn Rural’s defense was just as stout, forcing a total of 15 turnovers, holding the Wildcats to 3-13 from the field and maintaining a two point lead at halftime, 13-11. A statistical anomaly occurred for the host school as De Soto’s only made baskets in the first half were from behind the 3-point line and they only attempted one shot from inside the line. 

 

The proverbial lid came off the basket in the third quarter as both teams exploded for double-digits in points. With just under three minutes left in the third quarter, De Soto took its first lead of the game, 20-18, on a 3-point play by junior Katie Bush.

 

After Rural tied the game at 20, De Soto’s freshman point guard, Maddie Leis, hit a 3-pointer, giving the Wildcats a 23-20 lead. Not to be outdone, Rural freshman forward Brynn Anderson knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner, sending the contest to the fourth quarter tied at 23.

 

The final quarter was dominated by the Junior Blues as they built an eight-point lead thanks to five straight points by senior Ella Hirschi. The Junior Blues made 8 of 13 shots from the field over the last eight minutes and advanced to the championship game on Saturday.

 

Washburn Rural was led by Anderson’s 11 points and five steals. Senior Hallie Walker had 8 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Hirschi scored seven points along with 2 rebounds, 3 assists and two steals.

 

De Soto was led by Leis, who scored 14 points with four 3-pointers.

 

Washburn Rural advanced to the championship game to face the Liberty, Mo. Blue Jays at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

 

Liberty advanced with a 60-50 win over Shawnee Mission Northwest.

WASHBURN RURAL 41, DE SOTO 28

Washburn Rural      8   5  10   18  — 41

DeSoto                     6   5  12    5   — 28

Washburn Rural 41 (2-0) -- Rutherford 2-5 0-0 5, Hirschi 3-8 0-0 7, Walker 3-4 2-4 8, Anderson 4-15 2-2 11, Carlgren 2-4 1-2 5, Hinck 0-0, 0-0 0, Petersen 2-4 0-0 5. Totals 16-40 5-8 41.

DeSoto 28 (2-1) -- C. Leis 0-1 2-2 2, O’Brien 1-4 0-0 3, Cinotto 1-4 0-0 3, M. Leis 5-15 0-0 14, Chappel 0-3 0-0 0, Green 1-2 0-0 3, Stepp 0-0 0-0 0, Carpenter 0-0 0-0 0, Major 0-1 0-0 0, Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Bush 1-3 1-1 3, Gulley 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 9-34 3-3 28.

3-point field goals -- Washburn Rural 4 (Rutherford, Hirschi, Anderson, Petersen), DeSoto 7 (M. Leis 4, O’Brien, Cinotto, Green). Total fouls -- Washburn Rural 14, DeSoto 15. Fouled out -- none. Technical Fouls -- none.

 

Trojan girls fall to Huskies, 56-35

 

Topeka High played its second game in the De Soto Hardwood Classic Wednesday against Blue Valley Northwest Huskies, with the Trojans dropping a 56-35 decision.

 

For the second consecutive game, the Trojans struggled in the first quarter and trailed 13-4. The deficit remained at nine, 22-13, going to the halftime break.

 

The Huskies pulled away in the second half for the 21-point win.

 

Topeka High will play in the seventh-place game on Friday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. against Shawnee Mission East, which lost to Olathe Northwest, 44-37.

 

BV NORTHWEST 56, TOPEKA HIGH 35

Topeka High    4   9    8   14   — 35

BV Northwest 13  9  16  18   — 56

 

Topeka High 35 (0-3) -- Short 0-1 2-2 2, Triplett 0-1 0-0 0, Marshall 0-12 2-2 2, Rayton 9-17 0-0 19, Gotru 4-7 1-2 9, Conley 0-0 0-0 0, Whayne 0-1 0-0 0, Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Martin 1-3 0-0 3. Totals 14-42 5-6 35.

Blue Valley Northwest 56 (1-2) -- K. Becker 4-11 0-0 11, Edwards 6-11 2-2 16, R. Becker 5-11 0-0 12, Numrich 2-2 0-0 5, Cozart 4-9 1-3 9, Eils 0-0 0-0 0, Dahl 0-1 0-0 0, Domazet 0-3 1-2 1, Norton 0-2 2-2 2. Totals 21-50 6-9 56.

 

3-point field goals -- Topeka High 2 (Rayton, Martin), BV Northwest 8 (K. Becker 3, Edwards 2, R. Becker 2, Numrich). Total Fouls -- Topeka High 10, BV Northwest 12. Fouled out -- none. Technical fouls -- none.