WHAT'S UP? The Western Illinois Fighting Leathernecks continue its four-game homestand Saturday afternoon, as the Leathernecks play host to North Dakota State inside Western Hall. Tip-off is slated for 4:30 p.m. on LeRoy A. Ufkes Court. The Bison enter the contest in second place in the league standings with a 5-2 mark, and an 9-10 record overall. The Leathernecks are 11-8 on the season and 3-3 in Summit League play. Prior to the game Saturday, Michelle Maher will be recognized for breaking Western Illinois' career three point record.

BROADCAST INFORMATION: 
Live Radio: Leatherneck Sports Network (94.3 FM WRMS or wrmsfm.com)
Live Stream: Leatherneck All-Access (accessible via goleathernecks.com/watch)
Live Stats: Goleathernecks.com

SCOUTING NORTH DAKOTA STATE: The Bison, who were slated to finish last in the league standings this year, are off to an impressive 5-2 Summit League record. NDSU is coached by Maren Walseth who is in her first season at the helm of the Bison program. Brooke LeMar is one of the top players in The Summit League, as she averages 19.3 points per contest. Holly Johnson is the other NDSU player in double figures, as she averages 12.8 points per game. Marena Whittle leads the defensive effort with 7.6 rebounds per game. North Dakota State is on a two-game winning streak, picking up a 21-point victory at home over Fort Wayne and a 17-point decision on the road at Omaha. 

SERIES HISTORY: North Dakota State leads the all-time series, 9-6. In the last six meetings, the Leathernecks hold a 4-2 decision. The two teams split a pair of meetings last season, with each team picking up a victory on the road. 

LAST TIME OUT: The Western Illinois women's basketball team returned home to start a four-game homestand Wednesday evening, as the Leathernecks played host to South Dakota State in Summit League action. After 11 ties and six lead changes, it was the Jackrabbits who emerged with a 74-61 victory. Ashley Luke paced the Leathernecks Wednesday as she finished with 20 points and seven rebounds. Luke, the reigning Summit League 'Player of the Week', extended her streak of scoring in double figures to 56 consecutive games. Michelle Maher had 11 points, four assists, and no turnovers at the point guard position while Liz Skotowski added 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting. After trailing by seven points at halftime, the Leathernecks stormed out of the gates in the opening minutes of the second half. The Purple and Gold used a 10-2 run over the opening 3:49 to take a 40-39 lead. The lead was the first for the Leathernecks since holding a 13-12 advantage midway through the first half. Veteran leadership paced the Western run, as Tori Niemann, Michelle Maher, and Ashley Luke combined for all 10 points. In a game of runs, it was a second half run by the Jackrabbits that proved to be the difference. With the game tied at 48-all, the Jackrabbits used a 9-0 run to pull away from the Purple and Gold.

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 56 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 19 times, 21-25 points 11 times, 25-30 points six 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 66-straight games (as of Jan. 22) 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 163 field goals from three-point range. The Leathernecks' average of 8.6 made three-point field goals per game is among the best in Division I, as the team ranks ninth 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 second the league in assists per game, and ranks 70th nationally, with 4.6 assists per game. Maher also does a great job of not turning the ball over, as her 2.26 assist to turnover ratio ranks first in the  league (31st nationally).

FARROW HOT FROM DEEP: Redshirt freshman Michelle Farrow has been the team leader from beyond the arc this year, with a team-best 34 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 84.5% from the free throw line.

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 six different statistical categories, leading the league in 3 point field goals per game (8.6), assist to turnover ratio (1.21), steals per game (8.9), fewest fouls per game (15.8), fewest turnovers per game (13.2), and turnover margin (+2.47). Individually, Ashley Luke leads the league in field goal percentage among qualified candidates (50.0).

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 36 career double-doubles are the 9th 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. The 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 40-17 when scoring at least 70 points. When scoring 69-or-fewer points, Western is 11-42 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.