By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After four games at home Washburn University women's basketball is back on the road for a 5:30 p.m. Wednesday MIAA battle at Northwest Missouri State.
Washburn junior Yibari Nwidadah was named the MIAA player of the week on Monday. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn is 10-8 on the year overall and 4-4 in the MIAA after defeating Newman 77-66 to wrap up a 3-1 homestand last Saturday.
Northwest Missouri is 9-9 overall and 2-6 inside the MIAA after falling 84-60 to No. 7 Fort Hays State on the road on Saturday.
The Ichabods dropped a 66-61 overtime decision to Northwest on Jan. 11 in Lee Arena.
Wednesday's contest against Northwest Missouri will be the 80th all-time meeting between the two teams. Washburn leads the all-time series, 62-15.
Junior Yibari Nwidadah leads the Ichabod with 17.3 points and 7.8 rebounds while also shooting a team-high 66.7 percent from the field. The junior has started all 16 games she has played in, logging 27.1 minutes per game. She has shot at or above 50.0% in all but one game and has four double-doubles.
The Olathe North product has the best field goal percentage in the nation while ranking third in the MIAA in scoring average and fifth in rebounds. She has scored 15-plus points in 11 games this year and was named the MIAA Women's Basketball Athlete of the Week on Monday for the first time in her career.
With 193 career offensive rebounds Nwidadah is seventh in program history. She needs 24 offensive boards to move up to sixth. In overall rebounds she is 15th in Washburn history with 516. Her career field goal percentage of .582 is the second best in program history. In scoring she ranks 38th with 782 career points.
Junior Payton Sterk averages 15.5 points while starting all 18 contests and playing a team-high 30.2 minutes per gam. She is shooting 44.0 percent from the floor and a team-high 40.0 percent from deep while averages 2.4 assists and grabbing 3.7 rebounds.
The Colorado Springs native has drilled a team-high 40 3-pointers and has scored 15-plus points in nine games this year. Sterk is fourth in the MIAA in total points, third in 3-point percentage and ranks fifth in total 3-pointers.
Junior Gabi Giovannetti is averaging 11.3 ppg while shooting 41.2 percent from the floor. The junior has started all 18 games and is second on the team with 29 made triples and has made a 3-pointer in all but two games. Among MIAA players she is 11th in total 3-pointers.
Giovannetti is 16th in program history with 94 career 3-pointers made. She needs 15 triples to move into the top-15.
Caely Kesten leads Northwest in scoring with a 13.6 scoring average on 42.8 percent from the field and a team-high 49.0 percent from 3-point range while draining a team-best 50 3-pointers.
Among conference players she is tops in both total 3s made and 3-point percentage. She is top-10 nationally in both departments.
Kelsey Fields averages 10.1 points on a team-high 51.9 percent shooting from the field. The post player leads the team with 7.4 rebounds per game as well while playing and starting all 18 games.
Washburn will continue its road trip on Saurday, facing Missouri Western at 1:30 p.m.
