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Western Illinois University Athletics

WBB_WillyWoods_FP
WIU Visual Productions Center
42
William Woods WILLIAMW 4-1
89
Winner Western Illinois WIU 1-1
William Woods WILLIAMW
4-1
42
Final
89
Western Illinois WIU
1-1
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
William Woods WILLIAMW 29 13 42
Western Illinois WIU 46 43 89

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | WIU Athletic Communications

Leathernecks Shoot Past Owls, 89-42

Thirteen different players score Monday night as Western Illinois picks up first win of season

MACOMB, Ill. - The Western Illinois women's basketball team was back in action Monday evening, hosting William Woods in a nonconference game inside Western Hall. Three players scored in double figures, and 13 different Leathernecks tallied points, as Western Illinois cruised past William Woods, 89-42. Western Illinois improves to 1-1 on the season while William Woods, an NAIA affiliate, chose to play this contest as an exhibition, and remains at 4-1 on the season.

"I was encouraged that we bounced back on a short break from the Missouri game where we really played bad. We had a three hour film session on Sunday and worked on a lot of things," said head coach JD Gravina. "The thing is with the motion offense is when it's not clicking and we don't have the chemistry it looks bad and it looks stagnant and that's what we did at Missouri. We really worked on our offensive movement on Sunday and I thought it showed today. We took care of business against a pretty good NAIA team. Obviously when you play a non-Division I team that's what you'd like to do but teams don't always do that. So I was happy with the way we dominated the boards. I still think we will get better shooting the basketball. We finished better inside in the second half which was something I was frustrated with in the first half. Overall it's good to get our confidence back."

A three-point play by the Owls cut the Leatherneck lead to 10-9 early in the first half, but Western Illinois responded with a 17-2 run to jump out to a 27-11 lead. Junior Ashley Luke was fouled while making a layup, and converted the old-fashioned three-point play, to get the run started. Layups by Tori Niemann and Mallory Boyle ensued, and Luke followed with another layup. 

Following an Owl basket, Western Illinois was back scoring, as Michelle Farrow knocked down a three-pointer. Layups by Jenna Mueller and Liz Skotowski, and a Krystal Corhn free throw completed the scoring outburst by the Purple and Gold. For Corhn, it was her first start as a Leatherneck after transferring from Highland Community College after her sophomore season.

Heading into the locker room, Western led by a comfortable 46-29 advantage. Western hit 17 field goals in the half, falling two field goals shy of matching their total number of field goals made against Missouri. Western's pressure defense held the Owls to only eight field goals in the opening 20 minutes.

Western Illinois put the game away in the opening 10 minutes of the second half, as the Leathernecks opened on a 20-5 run. The comfortable margin allowed the Purple and Gold to use their entire bench, as all 13 players who dressed Monday night saw game action, while only one player played less than 10 minutes. The Leatherneck defense topped its first half performance, limiting William Woods to four made field goals in the second half, and 0-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc. Overall, WIU forced 24 turnovers on the night.

Three Leathernecks scored in double figures, as Luke (18), Niemann (11), and Sophie Reichelt (10) paced Western in the contest. Michelle Maher dished out a team-best eight assists, while Luke and Mueller each recorded eight rebounds.

Western held statistical advantages in ever category, and as a team made 10-plus three-point field goals for the first time since Feb. 27, 2014, at Fort Wayne. The Leathernecks also recorded 25 assists for the first time since reaching the same total in a game against Denver on Feb. 20, 2014. The seven blocked shots was the most Western Illinois has tallied since blocking seven against Saint Louis on Nov. 30, 2013.

Western hits the road and heads north to face Chicago State on Thursday, Nov. 20. Tipoff between the Leathernecks and Cougars is set for 7 p.m.
 
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