By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Lora Westling's Washburn women's basketball team returns home Thursday after a four-game road trip. [File photo/TSN]Washburn, 12-5 overall, 5-3 in the MIAA after a 69-55 win at Newman on Saturday, will be looking to avenge a 65-61 double-overtime loss to the Bearcats 11 days ago.
Northwest Missouri State is 10-8 overall and 3-5 in the conference after a 60-46 loss to No. 6-ranked Fort Hays State last time out at home.
Senior Yibari Nwidadah is averaging a team-high 13.2 points and 7.6 rebounds for the Ichabods while also shooting a team-high 57.9 percent from the floor.
With 274 career offensive rebounds Nwidadah is third in program history and she ranks sixth in overall rebounding with 745 career boards. Her career field goal percentage of .580 is the second best in program history and Nwidadah ranks 13th among all Ichabods with 1,203 career points.
Senior Payton Sterk is averaging 11.4 points and has hit a team-high 28 3-pointers for Washburn while senior Gabi Giovannetti averages 11.1 points with 26 3-pointers. She also averages a team-high 1.8 steals.
Giovannetti led Washburn with 19 points in the earlier loss to Northwest.
Senior Aniah Wayne has come off the bench in every game this season, playing 19.6 minutes per game and averaging 6.3 points. Wayne is coming off a big week last week, scoring 17 points in the Ichabods' Thursday night win at Emporia State and 13 points with four 3-pointers in Saturday's win over Newman.
Ichabod junior Kellyn Hunter also scored 13 points off the bench against the Jets, her Washburn career high. Hays State last time out.
Andrea Lopreato leads Northwest in scoring at 12.7 points per game on 36.5% shooting while also leading the Bearcats with 1.6 steals per game and averaging 4.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
Bailey Birmingham is averaging 10.8 points while hitting a team-high 42 3-pointers.
Washburn has a 63-16 advantage in the all-time series with Northwest.
The Ichabods are 35-5 against the Bearcats in Topeka.
Washburn will host Missouri Western at 1 p.m. on Saturday. The Ichabods dropped a 75-67 loss at Western in the first game of the Ichabods' recent road trip.
