By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University women's basketball will enjoy the warmer temperatures of Puerto Rico this week as the Ichabods compete in the Puerto Rico Clasico.
Washburn women's basketball is in Puerto Rico for games Monday and Tuesday. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Washburn, 4-6 on the season, will play a 4 p.m. (CST) game Monday against the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras before taking on thee University of Ana G Mendez at 2 p.m. on Tuesday.
Washburn has been off since taking an 83-53 loss against No. 7 Fort Hays State on the road on Dec. 7.
The December session of the Puerto Rico College Sports Tour will feature Emory and Henry College, Haskell Indian Reservation, University of Missouri-St. Louis, Anderson University, Ursuline Colleg, Morningside University, Spring Arbor University and the University of Rio Grande on the women's side.
Monday's WU meeting with Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras will be the secnd in team history while the contest against Ana G Mendez on Tuesday will be the first.
Junior Yibari Nwidadah leads Washburn with 17.3 points and 7.8 rebounds a game while shooting 70.2 percent from the field, but has missed the Ichabods' last two games while going through concussion protocol.
The Olathe North product has the best field goal percentage in the nation while ranking third in the MIAA in scoring and fifth in rebounding.
Junior Payton Sterk is averaging 17 points per game and leads WU with 2.7 assists per game and 26 3-pointers.
Gabi Giovannetti is averaging 12.3 points and has hit 18 3-pointers.
Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras is 0-2 on the year after falling 65-45 to Emory & Henry last time out on Dec. 10.
Last season the Gallitos were 0-4 against opponents from the continential United States.
Dayra Albaladejo leads the team at 7.0 points per game in just 8.8 minutes per game off the bench. She is shooting 44.4% from the floor and 33.3% from deep.
The Ichabods and Gallitos last played on Nov. 16, 2014, with Washburn taking a 93-35 win.
Tuesday's Washburn opponent, Ana G. Mendez, will be playing its first official game of the season against D-II competition.
After its two games in Puerto Rico Washburn will play one final game before the winter break as the Ichabods take on Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Mo. on Saturday at 1 p.m.
