In hopes of breaking a five-game losing streak, the Washburn women’s basketball team took the court against the Northwest Missouri State University Bearcats Feb. 10, in Lee Arena.
The game didn’t go according to the Ichabods’ plan starting from the tip, when Nia McKenzie, freshman guard, was unable to out-jump her opponent, which resulted in a wide open layup for Northwest’s junior guard, Emma Atwood on the first possession of the game.
Looking to respond to Northwest’s four-point lead, the Ichabods picked up momentum when an illegal screen by Atwood gave Washburn the ball and allowed McKenzie to toss a no-look pass into the hands of Mackenzie Gamble, senior guard, for a layup.
Now down 4-2, the Ichabods subbed in some fresh feet to get their offensive game flowing. However, the team came up empty on the next two possessions and let the Bearcats take a 6-2 lead halfway into the first quarter.
Washburn finally found their rhythm with two minutes left in the quarter when Aubree Dewey, senior guard, swiped the ball from the Bearcat’s point guard and softly laid it in the basket, closing the score differential to one.
Dewey’s layup in addition to two free throws and eight points from her fellow Ichabods put Washburn up 20-13 with seven minutes left in the second quarter.
The early rally from the Ichabods wouldn’t be enough to secure the lead for the rest of the half. The team struggled to make shots in the paint and on the perimeter late in the quarter, which gave the Bearcats a way back into the game.
As the final seconds of the half ticked off the clock, the Ichabods had found themselves in a close game with a 24-23 score. Head coach, Lora Westling, gave credit to her players’ defensive effort in the first half of the game.
“We’re on a cold streak right now, so we [need] to try and reboot our outside shooting,” Westling said. “We had a great half defensively and that helps counter [missed shots]… but we’ve got to score the ball as well.”
With the advice from their coach fresh in their minds, the players started the second half strong and continually traded the lead with Northwest throughout the third quarter.
Being down 41-36 heading into the final quarter of the game, Dewey stepped up for the Ichabods and took control of the court, scoring on back-to-back drives to the basket.
“We’re always talking about putting feet on the gas, [and being ready] for the next play,” Dewey said.
Dewey went on the score three more times, leading her team with 20 points on the night.
“We talked a lot about grabbing momentum and keeping it as long as we could, but we just fell a little short on the defensive end late in the game,” Dewey said.
In attempts to get the ball back later in the quarter, the Ichabods began fouling the Bearcats on multiple possessions but were unable to keep their opponents from scoring at the free throw line.
At the end of the back and forth game, Washburn fell to Northwest 62-50 adding a seventh loss to their losing streak.
Edited by Aja Carter and Jayme Thompson
