By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University's women's basketball team got off to a slow start in Friday's season-opener but quickly got up to speed in the second and third quarters on the way to a 16-point victory.
On Saturday the Ichabods never did find that high gear, dropping a 43-41 decision to Oklahoma Bapist in the final of the Washburn Crossover Classic at Lee Arena.
Emma Chapman, a 6-3 senior, led Washburn with 10 points in the Ichabods' 43-41 loss to Oklahoma Baptist on Saturday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
"We could not find a rhythm tonight,'' Washburn coach Lora Westling said. "We were up at halftime because I thought we guarded well enough to save that and then we didn't guard enough in the second half so when you still don't have any rhythm in offense and things like that then you're going to pay for it.
"They did a good job of going to their go-tos and we just couldn't get the stops.''
Washurn managed just five points in the opening quarter and didn't get out of the 30s until Aubree Dewey hit a 3-pointer as time ran out.
The 1-1 Ichabods led 20-19 at the half but Oklahoma Baptist, also 1-1, scored the final six points of the third quarter to take a 31-28 advantage into the fourth.
Washburn tied the game at 35-35 on a Dewey free throw with 5:56 remaining but the Bison ran off the next seven points to take a 42-35 lead and held off the Ichabods the rest of the way.
Washburn shot just 30.4 percent from the field and from 3-point range, but perhaps the most telling stat of the game was the Ichabods' 25 turnovers.
"They were big bodies in a big zone and we all took turns giving it up,'' Westling said. "The turnovers are across the board. It's not like we had one player just coughing it up every time, we just didn't have the composure we needed.''
Senior Emma Chapman led Washburn with 10 points and also grabbed seven rebounds while junior Mackenzie Gamble added nine points on three 3-pointers and freshman Gabi Artis had eight points and a pair of 3s. Senior Macy Doebele pulled down a game-high nine rebounds for the Ichabods.
Jaedyn Getman had 13 points and Melissa Southard 12 points for Oklahoma Baptist.
The Ichabods will host the Washburn Classic next weekend, hosting Southern Nazarene at 6 p.m. next Friday.
"That's what we told them, 'Monday's the most important day of our season, so we'll get back to work,' '' Westling said.
OKLAHOMA BAPTIST 43, WASHBURN 41
Oklahoma Baptist 8 11 12 12 -- 43
Washburn 5 15 8 13 -- 41
OKLAHOMA BAPTIST (1-1)
Southard 5-11 0-0 12, Large 0-2 0-0 0, Copeland 0-0 0-0 0, Getman 6-6 1-2 13, Chambers 2-4 4-6 8, Savanna 0-2 0-0 0, Leslie 1-2 0-0 2, Duncan 1-3 0-0 2, Jackson 0-1 0-0 0, Wright 0-0 0-0 0, Highfill 2-4 1-1 6. Totals 17-45 6-9 43.
WASHBURN (1-1)
Chapman 4-6 2-3 10, Dewey 1-8 1-2 4, Artis 3-5 0-0 8, Figueroa 1-10 0-0 3, Doebele 1-1 2-2 4, Sanders 0-0 0-0 0, Cassaday 1-4 1-2 3, Gamble 3-9 0-0 9, Davison 0-3 0-0 0, Schieferecke 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 14-46 6-9 41.
3-point shots – Oklahoma Baptist 3-11 (Southard 2-4, Highfill 1-1, Getman 0-3, Savanna 0-2, Large 0-1). Washburn 7-23 (Gamble 3-7, Artis 2-4, Dewey 1-3, Figueroa 1-8, Davison 0-1). Rebounds – Oklahoma Baptist 27 (Southard 6), Washburn 37 (Cassaday 9, Chapman 7). Assists – Oklahoma Baptist 8 (Southard 4), Washburn 13 (Dewey 4). Turnovers – Oklahoma Baptist 20, Washburn 25. Total fouls – Oklahoma Baptist 16, Washburn 12. Fouled out – Doebele. Technical fouls – none.
