MACOMB, Ill. - The Western Illinois Fighting Leathernecks hit the road for a two-game road-trip this week, as the team gets set to take on Denver and Oral Roberts in league action. The Purple and Gold begin the trip with a game against the Pioneers on Thursday, January 15. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. (CT) inside Magness Arena. The Leathernecks enter the contest 2-1 in league play, 10-6 overall, while the hosts are 6-12 overall but are currently tied for first in The Summit League with a 3-1 league mark.

BROADCAST INFORMATION: 
Live Radio: Leatherneck Sports Network (94.3 FM WRMS or wrmsfm.com)
Live Stream: PioneerVision (accessible via denverpioneers.com)
Live Stats: denverpioneers.com

SCOUTING DENVER: Denver is riding a five game home winning streak and have vaulted into a tie for first place in the Summit League after defeating North Dakota State, 75-73. The Pioneers have hit 52 3-pointers during the five game win streak. The Pioneers had stellar performance from senior guard Jordan Johnston and team scoring leader junior guard Paige Bradley, as each turned in 20 point-plus numbers in the come-from-behind victory.  Denver is coached by Kerry Cremeans, who is in her third year at the helm of the Pioneer program.

SERIES HISTORY: The Leathernecks and Pioneers have only met twice in school history, with both match-ups taking place last season. In Denver's first season as member of The Summit League, each team won on its home court. Denver picked up a 87-83 decision on January 26, while Western picked up a 79-76 victory on February 20.

LAST TIME OUT:  Ashley Luke scored a season-high 34 points while adding 15 rebounds but Western Illinois dropped a 101-87 decision to South Dakota Saturday (Jan. 10) afternoon inside Western Hall. Winners of their first two league games, the Leathernecks fell to 2-1 in Summit League play, and 10-6 overall, with the decision while South Dakota improved to 12-4 (2-1). Luke fell one point shy of matching her career-high of 35 points, which she set against the Coyotes last season in the opening round of The Summit League Tournament. Saturday marked the third straight double-double, and eighth this season, for the Oak Creek, Wis. native while her 34 points pushed her streak of consecutive double-figure games up to 53 straight. The opening minutes of action saw a back and forth affair, as Luke collected Western's first six points. With Western holding a 14-13 lead, South Dakota would go on a 16-0 run to take control of the half, and eventually the game. South Dakota, picked to finish second in The Summit League, extended the lead to as many as 21 points in the first half, and led by 19 as the game hit intermission. The Coyotes were shot at a blistering 65.5% (19-29) clip from the field in the first half, including an impressive 7-of-11 effort from beyond the arc. The 101 points mark the first time Western Illinois has given up over 100 points at home since March 4, 1993 when Northern Illinois scored 102 points.

NONCONFERENCE SUCCESS: Western Illinois posted an 8-5 nonconference mark this season, one of the best nonconference records in recent history for the Leathernecks. The eight wins matches the most nonconference wins under JD Gravina, as his squad a year ago also recorded eight wins. The .615 winning percentage in nonconference games this season is the best winning percentage for a Leatherneck team since the 2005-06 team that went on to finish 23-7 and claim the Mid-Con regular season title.

THE STREAK CONTINUES: Dating back to the end of her freshman campaign, Ashley Luke has been one of the most consistent players in the country, as she has registered 53 straight games of 10 or more points. During the streak, Luke has scored exactly 10 points twice, 11-15 points 14 times, 16-20 points 17 times, 21-25 points 11 times, 25-30 points five times, and 31+ points four times. Her career-high is 35 points, which she scored against South Dakota in the first round of the 2014 Summit League Tournament. Luke's streak is one of the longest in the nation, with two known streaks lasting longer than Luke's. The longest known active double-figure streaks are:

Kelsey Minato (Army) - 63
Jewell Loyd (Notre Dame) - 60
Ashley Luke (Western Illinois) - 53
(through Jan. 13)

LONG BALL AMONG NATIONS BEST: Western Illinois has found success from beyond the arc this season, having made 142 field goals from three-point range. The Leathernecks' average of 8.9 made three-point field goals per game is among the best in Division I, as the team ranks sixth nationally.

DISHING THE ROCK: Coach JD Gravina said that he would like to see junior Michelle Maher lead the conference in assists this season, and she is well on her way to doing that. Maher currently leads the league in assists per game, and ranks 60th nationally, with 4.8 assists per game. Maher also does a great job of not turning the ball over, as her 2.11 assist to turnover ratio ranks second in the  league (52nd nationally).

FARROW HOT FROM DEEP: Redshirt freshman Michelle Farrow has been the team leader from beyond the arc this year, with a team-best 31 made three pointers. Farrow was hot from deep during a six game stretch for the Leathernecks (Nov. 29 through Dec. 21), as Farrow shot 65% from three-point range (17-of-26). On the year Farrow is shooting 47.7% from long distance. At one point this season, Farrow was fourth nationally in three-point field goal percentage. 

KNOCKING EM DOWN FROM THE CHARITY STRIPE: The Leatherneck went 4-0 to open 2015 and much of the success can be attributed to the team's performance at the free throw line. In the four games, the team shot a combined 86% from the free throw line. Western Illinois was 9-of-10 against Eureka, went 19-of-20 to end nonconference against Milwaukee, was 35-40 in the conference opener against Fort Wayne, and shot 19-of-25 against Omaha. Combined, the team was 82-of-95 during the stretch. Tori Niemann is shooting a team-best 85.7% from the free throw line, while Emily Clemens and Michelle Maher are both on made FT streaks of over 10 in a row.

LUKE JOINS 1,000 POINT CLUB: Junior Ashley Luke entered Leatherneck history during Western Illinois' contest against Florida Atlantic on Nov. 24, as she became just the 14th player in program history to record 1,000 career points. Luke becomes the first Leatherneck to join the club since Zane Teilane, who was a member of Western Illinois from 2003-2006.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING: The Leathernecks are the top team in The Summit League in seven different statistical categories, leading the league in 3 point field goals per game (8.9), assists per game (16.6), assist to turnover ratio (1.19), steals per game (9.4), fewest fouls per game (16.1), fewest turnovers per game (13.9) and turnover margin (+1.88). Michelle Maher ranks first in assists per game (4.8), Ashley Luke leads the league in field goal percentage (50.2), and Tori Niemann collects a league-leading 1.94 steals per game.

RECORD WATCH: Junior Michelle Maher is nearing a milestone, as she is five three-point field goals away from breaking the program record of three-point field goals made in a career. In just over two seasons, Maher has tallied 142 triples. Amanda Walker currently holds the record of 146, which set set during the 2006-2009 seasons.

ACTIVE CAREER LEADERS: In just over two seasons at Western Illinois Ashley Luke has proven herself to be one of the top players in today's game. Her 34 career double-doubles are the 10th most among active Division 1 players, while her career average of 9.1 rebounds per game ranks 12th on the active career leaders list. Luke has also averaged 15.9 points per game, the 17th best scoring average among active players who have scored at least 1,000 career points.

ROSTER DEPTH: Head coach JD Gravina has showcased the deep roster that he has at his disposal this season. Seven games have seen 13 players record minutes, while five game have had 12 Leathernecks check in. 10 different players are averaging over 10 minutes a game for the Purple and Gold on the year. This Leathernecks started games in a variety of ways, having used five different starting lineups over the first 10 games of the season.

UMKC DRAWS RECORD CROWD: Western Illinois' first ever 'Elementary Day' was a success on and off the court, with over 1,000 students in attendance as the Leathernecks hosted UMKC on November 25. With the aid of the students, the game drew 1,443 fans inside Western Hall, a new women's basketball attendance record.

BY THE NUMBERS: In head coach JD Gravina's tenure, the Leathernecks are 39-16 when scoring at least 70 points. When scoring 69-or-fewer points, Western is 11-41 over the same timespan. The Leathernecks also know how to close out a late lead, as they are 42-5 under Gravina when leading with five minutes remaining.

LEATHERNECKS GARNER PRESEASON RECOGNITION: Junior forward Ashley Luke and junior guard Michelle Maher each collected preseason accolades in The Summit League annual preseason voting. Luke was named the league's 'Preseason Player of the Year' while also being named a Fourth Team All Mid-Major selection by collegesportsmadness.com. ESPNW also named Luke as one of the top-10 mid-major players to watch this upcoming season. Maher was tabbed Summit League Preseason Second Team. The Leathernecks were slated to finish fourth this season according to the poll. The fourth place projection is the highest mark for the Leatherneck program since the 2006-07 season when the Purple and Gold were picked to finish fourth as well.

RECORD BREAKERS: The Leathernecks broke seven program records a season ago, with junior Ashley Luke single-handedly breaking five program records. Luke set the top mark in points scored (623), scoring average (20.8), field goals made (223), free throws made (177) and free throws attempted (255). As a team, the Fighting Leathernecks set program records in points scored (2,392) and field goals made (846).

IMPROVEMENT UNDER GRAVINA: In his three years at the helm of the Leatherneck basketball program, head coach JD Gravina has recorded more wins (26) in his first two years at Western Illinois than any other coach in program history, while his 40 wins in his first three years ranks second all-time for most wins over the first three years (Leslie Crane, 41, 1998-00). Gravina has also produced three All-Summit League selections as well as two 'Newcomers of the Year'. 

LUKE LANDS LINCOLN LAUREATE: It was announced on Oct. 29 that junior forward Ashley Luke (Oak Creek, Wisconsin) had been named the Western Illinois University recipient of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois' Student Laureate Award for 2014. The award, presented annually to an outstanding senior of each of Illinois' four-year degree-granting institutions, honors a student's overall academic excellence and extracurricular activities. Luke, a senior political science and journalism double major, will also be named the College Scholar for the WIU College of Arts and Sciences this semester and plans to pursue a master's degree in economics from Western.

ROSTER ADDITIONS: The team welcomes five new members to the program this season. Jenna Mueller has been added to the program as a graduate school transfer and will be immediately eligible for Western Illinois after appearing in 85 career games for Saint Louis University. Junior Krystal Corhn will also be immediately eligible to play this season after transferring from Highland Community College. Sophomore Taylor McClintock joins the Western family after spending her freshman year at Mercer and will redshirt this upcoming season to meet NCAA transfer requirements. The program added two freshmen to the roster in Emily Clemens and Tayler Miller. Clemens, a native of Muscatine, Iowa, was a two-time All-State honoree, earning First Team honors her senior year. As a senior, Clemens was also named the 'Conference Player of the Year'. Miller hails from St. Louis, Missouri where she concluded her high school career as the program's all-time leading scorer and rebounder.  

SUCCESS IN THE CLASSROOM: Western Illinois excelled in the classroom this past season, posting the fifth-highest GPA among Division I women's basketball programs. The Leathernecks recorded a cumulative team GPA of 3.607, highest among all programs in The Summit League. Five current members of the team were named to The Summit League Academic Honor in 2013-14, posting a minimum 3.0 grade point average. Of the five, three earned the Distinguished Scholar award: Ashley Luke, Tori Niemann and Liz Skotowski. During the Spring 2014 semester Michelle Farrow, Luke, and Niemann earned a 4.0 GPA.

BASKETBALL INKS ONE FOR 2015: Head coach JD Gravina announced that Taylor Higginbotham (Germantown, Wis., Germantown) has signed a National Letter of Intent to join the Western Illinois women's basketball program in 2015. Higginbotham, a 5-10 guard, averaged 13.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.7 steals per game last season for the Warhawks. Higginbotham is also a member of the Wisconsin Lakers AAU team which produced current Leathernecks Ashley Luke, Faith Lois, and Michelle Farrow.

SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN: The Leathernecks will compete in a total of 29 regular season games as well as one exhibition game in 2014-15. Western will play 14 regular season games at home in Western Hall and will hit the road for 15 contests. The Leathernecks have a schedule that includes marquee match-ups against teams from the SEC (Missouri), Big East (Marquette), Conference USA (Florida Atlantic), and Horizon League (UIC).  

LEROY A. UFKES COURT: Western Hall, home of the men's and women's basketball programs, received a new court this offseason thanks to a donation from the family of a Western Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame member. LeRoy A. Ufkes Court is named after the 1996 Hall of Fame inductee, a supporter of the WIU Athletic Department for over 25 years. The new look is thanks to a donation from Joan Ufkes and the late LeRoy Ufkes. 

WHAT IS A LEATHERNECK?: Western Illinois holds the distinction of being the only non-military institution to officially have its nickname derived from a branch of the military service. The school began use of the Marine Corps' official nickname, "The Fighting Leathernecks", in 1927 when then-athletic director and head baseball, basketball and football coach Ray "Rock" Hanson was granted permission by the U.S. Navy, based on his status as a Marine hero, to use the Marine's official seal, bulldog mascot and nickname.