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SCOUTING ORAL ROBERTS: Oral Roberts sits at 2-3 in league play and 8-10 overall this season. The Golden Eagles are led by Misti Cussen who is in her third year as the head coach after being a long-time assistant for Oral Roberts. The squad is headlined by Vickey McIntyre, a 6'7" transfer from Florida. McIntyre averages 12.6 points per game and an impressive 15.2 rebounds per contest, tops in the nation. Atoe' Jackson is the second-best threat for Oral Roberts as she averages 9.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. Last time out, the Golden Eagles picked up their second league victory, a 84-72 decision over IUPUI. McIntyre led the way with 21 points and 22 rebounds.

SERIES HISTORY: Oral Roberts leads the all-time series, but the two teams have not met since the 2011-12 season, JD Gravina's first season at Western Illinois. March 3, 2012 was the last meeting between the two programs, with the Leathernecks picking up a 83-71 decision. Prior to that, Oral Roberts had claimed seven-straight meetings.

LAST TIME OUT:  Michelle Maher rewrote the record books Thursday night (Jan. 15) as the Leathernecks cruised past Denver, 93-66. The Leathernecks moved into a tie for first place in The Summit League with a 3-1 mark, while improving to 11-6 overall. Denver, who had won its last three league contests and five-straight games at home, dropped to 6-13 (3-2) with the defeat. With 9:19 remaining in the second half, Maher knocked down a triple to give Western a 71-49 lead over the Pioneers. The triple, the fifth in the game for the Park Ridge, Illinois, native moved her into first place on the all-time three point field goals list with 147 career three pointers. Maher, who trailed the previous record holder of Amanda Walker by four made triples heading into the game, went 5-of-7 from deep to secure the career record by one. The five made three pointers accounted for all of Maher's scoring, as she ended with 15 points on the night, while dishing out three assists. Western scorched the nets in the first 20 minutes of play, as the team shot 50% (18-of-36) from the field, including a blistering 55.6% from deep (10-of-18). Denver, who hit six triples in the first 6:23, cooled off considerably as they made just five three pointers the remaining 33:37. Western finished the game 14-of-26 from beyond the arc (53.8%), and the 14 made triples ranks tied for fifth in Leatherneck history for most thee pointers in a single game. The Leathernecks held advantages in every statistical category over the host Pioneers. Junior forward Ashley Luke finished with a team high 20 points, 16 rebounds, and five assists. Luke has collected a double-double in five straight games and eight out of the past nine. The 20-point scoring effort moves Luke's active double figures streak to 54 consecutive games.

MAHER BREAKS THE RECORD: In Western Illinois' victory over Denver on Jan. 15, Michelle Maher became the program leader in career three pointers, passing Amanda Walker for the top spot. A 5-of-7 shooting performance against the Pioneers gave Maher 147 career three pointers, surpassing Walker's career total of 146.

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 54 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 18 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 the second-longest known streak in the nation, with Kelsey Minato of Army's streak of 64-straight games (as of Jan. 15) being the only known streak longer than Luke's.

LONG BALL AMONG NATIONS BEST: Western Illinois has found success from beyond the arc this season, having made 156 field goals from three-point range. The Leathernecks' average of 9.2 made three-point field goals per game is among the best in Division I, as the team ranks sixth nationally. Western is shooting 36.7% from beyond the arc, first in The Summit League and 22nd nationally. The team hit 14 triples in its victory over Denver, tied for the fifth most in a game in Leatherneck history.

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.

DISHING THE ROCK: Coach JD Gravina said that he would like to see junior Michelle Maher lead the league in assists this season, and she is in contention for the top spot. Maher currently ranks third the league in assists per game, and ranks 63rd nationally, with 4.6 assists per game. Maher also does a great job of not turning the ball over, as her 2.14 assist to turnover ratio ranks second in the  league (50th nationally).

FARROW HOT FROM DEEP: Redshirt freshman Michelle Farrow has been the team leader from beyond the arc this year, with a team-best 33 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 47.1% 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 86% from the free throw line, while Michelle Maher has converted her last 11 trips to the charity stripe.

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 eight different statistical categories, leading the league in 3 point field goals per game (9.2), 3 point field goal percentage (36.7), assists per game (16.7), assist to turnover ratio (1.21), steals per game (9.0), fewest fouls per game (15.8), fewest turnovers per game (13.8) and turnover margin (+1.88). Individually, Ashley Luke leads the league in field goal percentage (50.2).

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 35 career double-doubles are the 10th most among active Division 1 players, while her career average of 9.2 rebounds per game ranks 12th on the active career leaders list. Luke has also averaged 16.2 points per game which ranks in the top 15 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 40-16 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 43-5 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.