By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University women's basketball coach Lora Westling knows that her Ichabods face a tough challenge this weekend and beyond in the always tough MIAA.
But Westling also feels like a four-game winning streak, all by 22 or more points, has her team ready for the task ahead, beginning with Thursday's 5:30 p.m. game at Nebraska-Kearney followed by a 2 p.m. Saturday contest at Fort Hays State.
"This is a tough trip, I would argue one of the toughtest trips in the league, but I think this team is ready for it,'' Westling said. "We've got to see where we're at, so I'm excited to get them out there and get them back on the road with their heads up and see if we can do a little damage.''
Junior Gabi Giovannetti led three double-figure scorers for Washburn with 19 points last Saturday as the Ichabods posted their fourth straight victory, 98-65 over Sterling. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Veterans Yibari Nwidadah, Payton Sterk and Gabi Giovannetti have been solid over the first eight games of the season for the 4-4 Ichabods.
But Westling also feels like some of her younger players and newcomers have made big strides, particularly in last Saturday's 98-65 home win over Sterling, for a Washburn team that does not have a senior on its roster.
"I was proud of some of those freshmen that came in,'' Westling said. "Lauren Luebbert's doing a really good job of just doing what we're asking her to do. Willow (Gideon) has just got to find her confidence because she's a really good player and I thought when our point guards were going a little wild (junior transfer) Emajin (McCallop) did a good job of coming down and kind of calming us down.
"That's what a good team has, role players who are going to do their job, and I thought ours did a good job (Saturday).''
Nwidadah leads the Ichabods a with 17.3 scoring average while also shooting a team-high 70.2 percent from the field and grabbing a team-best 7.8 rebounds per game. The junior has shot over 50.0 percent in every game this season and has two double-doubles. She is third in the nation and first in the MIAA in field goal percentage.
Sterk, a junior transfer from Cal State East Bay is averaging 16.4 points and is shooting 43.0 percent from the floor and a team-high 40.8 percent from 3-point range while dishing out a team-high 2.9 assists per game and hitting a team-high 20 3-pointers, 15 in the last four games.
Giovannetti is averaging 13.1 points while shooting 45.3 percent from the floor and 100.0 percent at the free throw line. The junior is second on the team with 16 made triples and has scored at least nine points in four straight games.
Giovannetti led the way with 19 points against Sterling on 8-12 shooting while adding three steals and a block on the defensive end while Sterk scored 18 points, shooting 4-9 from deep, and Nwidadah had 15 points on 6-8 shooting with eight rebounds. Madelyn Amekporfor and freshman Brooke Gomez each chipped in nine points.
Nebraska-Kearney has won its last two games and enters MIAA play with a 6-2 record after defeating Chadron State 86-59 on the road last Saturday.
Meg Burns leads the Lopers with a 12.4 scoring average while hitting 22 3-pointers.
Samantha Moor is averaging 6.9 rebounds while also scoring 11.4 points.
Washburn will continue MIAA play on the road on Saturday against Fort Hays State.
