MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Washburn Ichabods (11-8, 5-4 MIAA) led for 38 minutes of game time to seal a 71-60 victory over the Northwest Missouri State women's basketball team (9-10, 2-7 MIAA) inside Bearcat Arena Wednesday night. 
 
Caely Kesten brought her double-digit scoring streak to seven games with a 23-point effort, as Emree Zars tied her season-high 15 points. Kelsey Fields neared a double-double, putting up nine points and 10 boards. 
 
Northwest was outscored 52-to-30 in the paint, and out-rebounded 31-to-29. The Bearcats shot 38.6% (22-of-57) from the field, 29.4% (5-of-17) from deep and 84.6% (11-of-13) from the free-throw line. 
 
Kelsey Fields made her presence known early with an offensive board and putback on Northwest's first possession. Washburn would have an immediate answer, going on a 7-0 run just before the opening media timeout, leading 13-6. The Ichaboads would stretch their lead out to 21-6 after a called Bearcat timeout with 2:34 to play in the first. Washburn only missed two of its shots from the floor in the opening quarter, shooting 11-of-13, to lead 25-10. 
 
Emree Zars triggered Northwest's first triple of the night, igniting a swift 5-0 run in less than a minute to cut Washburn's lead to ten. The Bearcats trailed by nine at the media timeout, 30-21. Caely Kesten was money from the floor in the first half, recording 17 first-half points on 6-of-8 from the floor (1-of-3 3PT), and 3-of-3 from the charity stripe. Washburn's Nia McKenzie snagged an offensive board and putback at the buzzer to lead 41-33 at the break. The Ichabods shot an efficient 65.4% from the floor, as Northwest started to get things clicking, shooting 44.4%. All of Washburn's first-half buckets came inside the arc, outscoring Northwest 34-to-14 in the paint. 
 
The 'Cats shot 41.7% from the field in the third quarter yet found themselves trailing by ten entering the final quarter of play. 
 
Molly Hartnett got the 'Cats started out of the break, recording Northwest's first four points, followed by a Kesten three-ball to bring it to seven with just over seven minutes to play. Washburn's Yiibari Nwidadah was a force to be reckoned with the entire game, as she shot 10-of-14 from the floor, accumulating a game-high 25 points. Washburn would give Northwest its fourth-straight home loss this season with a 71-60 victory in Maryville. 

Up Next:
Northwest plays host to Central Missouri in the MIAA's Game of the Week on Saturday, Jan. 25 at 1:40 p.m. The game will be simulcast on Kansas City's 38 the Spot.