MACOMB, Ill. ? Senior
Gina Hugelier recorded a season-high 18 points, but it was not enough for the Western Illinois women's basketball team to overcome Drake, as the team fell, 77-58, on Waste Management Court at Western Hall.
The Westerwinds (1-6, 0-0 The Summit League) started the game with a 4-0 run before allowing the Bulldogs (5-3, 0-0 Missouri Valley) to get on the board for the first time with 17:15 remaining in the first half. Drake took the momentum from there as it started a 16-0 run over an eight-minute span to take the final lead of the game.
Over the next six minutes Western held even with the Bulldogs, until their full-court defense forced six turnovers in the final three minutes. Drake ended the half with a 12-0 run to head into the locker room with a 36-15 advantage.
“If we would have played the first half like we did the second half it would have been a different game,” said head coach Leslie Crane. “You can't spot a team 21 points and 19 turnovers and be able to win the game.”
In the first five minutes of the second half senior
Stephanie Lovingood stepped up and recorded six fast-break points and added a steal to close the gap to 15 points. The 15-point disadvantage was as close as the Westerwinds could get throughout the rest of the game.
In the first 20 minutes Western turned the ball over 19 times, but dropped that number to five during the next 20 minutes. The Westerwinds also improved their shooting from the first half to the second, recording a shooting percentage of 25 percent in the first half compared to 44.1 percent in the second. Much of that scoring came from the post players, as 25 of Western's 43 points in the second half came from Lovingood, and juniors
Nicole Myers and
Katy Davenport.
“The second half we took our time and got the ball inside to our post players,” Crane said. “They did a much better job scoring.”
The Westerwinds remains home for the next two games. Western's next opponent is Summit League rival IUPUI, Saturday, December 8 at 4:30 p.m on Waste Management Court at Western Hall.
Notes: Lovingood scored all of her 14 points in the second half of play...the Westerwinds out-rebounded the Bulldogs 33-30, including a 17-11 mark on the offensive boards...Western had more offensive rebounds (17) than defensive (16) for the first time this season.
