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Washburn players collapse on an MSU Denver ball handler near the paint. The group forced multiple turnovers with similar pressure.
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The Ichabods warm up with shooting reps before the start of the game. Players rotated through spots as coaches observed from the sideline.
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Players from both teams fight for position under the rim as the ball bounces off the backboard. Washburn controlled these second-chance opportunities for most of the night.
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Senior guard Payton Sterk protects the ball along the wing while being guarded by MSU Denver defenders. Sterk created passing angles for the offense throughout the quarter.
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Junior guard Kellyn Hunter(right) pushes the ball up the floor as senior guard Gabi Giovannetti runs ahead to fill the lane during the first half against MSU Denver.
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Senior guard Gabi Giovannetti sets up the offense near midcourt. She handled primary ball-handling duties throughout the game.
On Nov. 22, the Washburn women’s basketball team earned a 66-44 win over MSU Denver at Lee Arena, pulling away with a dominant 25-7 third quarter. The Ichabods improved to 3-1 after owning the boards 52-28, scoring 38 points in the paint and getting a double-double from senior guard Gabi Giovannetti who led the game with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 3 steals.
Washburn settled into the game early, taking a 17-12 lead after the first quarter and extending it to 33-23 by halftime. The offense came slowly at times, but inside touches and defensive stops kept the Ichabods in front. The shift happened immediately out of the break. Washburn opened the third quarter with an 18-0 run, shot over 66% in the period and limited MSU Denver to two field goals. By the end of the quarter, the Ichabods had built a 58-30 lead and held control the rest of the way.
Giovannetti led the momentum swing, continuing to emphasize rebounding from the guard spot and doing so effectively for the second straight night.
“We made a big emphasis on wanting our guards to rebound more. So I just really wanted to do that tonight,” Giovannetti said. “Yesterday really motivated me. I think I had like 7 or 8 rebounds, so I wanted to do that for my team.”
Giovannetti felt the game shifted once Washburn adjusted defensively.
“After halftime, in the third quarter, I felt like we put our foot on the gas because we knew we should be up by more. So after halftime, we just put our foot on the gas,” Giovannetti said.
Junior forward Britany Kogbara, added 12 points off the bench and said the group’s connection helped them take control.
“We came out strong. We really instilled our will from the beginning,” Kogbara said. “Our strategy was just to focus on what we know best, stick together, talk together on the court and rotate together. Collectively, we all played really well. Rebounding was our strong suit today.”
Head coach Lora Westling credited the defensive consistency but said the team still wants to keep tightening its execution.
“We wanted to do a better job of taking care of the ball,” Westling said. “I thought we defended well in a lot of their actions and kept them to a low field-goal percentage. We had a couple players who had really great minutes… We just have to keep getting better, learn from our mistakes. I’m very excited for this team.”
Lora highlighted players like junior guard Nia McKenzie, junior guard Kellyn Hunter and Kogbara for giving the team strong minutes and helping maintain rhythm through different lineups.
Washburn finished the night showing improvement in rebounding, defensive rotations and bench involvement, all of which contributed to the decisive third-quarter run.The Ichabods will look to carry that momentum into the St. Mary’s Thanksgiving Classic in San Antonio on Nov. 28 before returning for MIAA play.
Edited by Anushma Dahal and Bidhya Sapkota
