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William Woods FP
Nicholas Stewart
41
William Woods WWU 0-0
80
Winner Western Illinois WIU 0-0
William Woods WWU
0-0
41
Final
80
Western Illinois WIU
0-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
William Woods WWU 13 15 7 6 41
Western Illinois WIU 11 29 19 21 80

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

Women's Basketball Cruises Past William Woods, 80-41

Four players score in double figures as Leathernecks kickoff 2015-16 season with exhibition victory

MACOMB, Ill. – The Western Illinois women's basketball team took to the court Friday (Oct. 30) evening for the first of two exhibition contests. The Leathernecks outscored the William Woods Owls 40-13 in the second half en route to an 80-41 victory inside Western Hall.
 
"That's what you want out of an exhibition game. That's a good NAIA team, they're nationally ranked," said head coach JD Gravina.  "I thought we were getting good shots early. I was proud of the way the girls didn't seem to question themselves, a big point of emphasis has been to continue to play with confidence and push the ball. I think we're that type of team where if we have a good two and a half minutes, that can win us a game. We're always looking for the next play to be the start of that run."
 
Four Leathernecks scored in double figures Friday evening as Michelle Farrow (16 points), Emily Clemens (15), Sophie Reichelt (13) and Michelle Maher (11) led the way offensively. Reichelt kicked off the season with a double-double as she ended the night tied as the game's top rebounder with 12.
 
After a slow start which saw the Leathernecks trailing 13-11 after the first quarter of play, the WIU offense kicked into high gear as the team dropped 29 points in the second quarter alone. The outburst was aided by a 13-5 Western run which covered the final 3:17 of action in the opening half. Reichelt drilled a three to open the run before Clemens answered with a triple of her own. The duo combined on the next set of baskets, as the pair each connected on fast break baskets. Maher ended the half with a three pointer with six seconds left to send the Leathernecks into the break with a 40-28 advantage.
 
Western opened the game wide open as the Leathernecks outscored William Woods, 19-7 during the third quarter. Eleven of the 19 points came for the hot shooting of Farrow, who was a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. Farrow, the top three point target for the Purple and Gold a season ago, picked up where she left off last season, ending the night 4-of-7 from beyond the arc.
 
The fourth quarter saw Western build upon its lead, as the Leathernecks outscored the Owls, who have advanced to seven-straight NAIA National Tournaments, 21-6. A triple from Liz Skotowski, followed by baskets in the paint from Jasmine Patrick and Taylor McClintock, pushed the WIU advantage to 40 with just under a minute left to play. A late Owl free throw would cap the scoring on the night and give Western the 39-point victory.
 
WIU's offense benefitted from an aggressive Leatherneck defense which collected 29 steals off of 36 William Woods' turnovers. The defense limited the Owls to 11.1 percent shooting from beyond the arc (2-18).
 
Friday night also marked the WIU debut for three Leathernecks, as Patrick was joined on the court by freshman Taylor Higginbotham and sophomore Taylor McClintock, who was forced to sit out all of last year to meet NCAA transfer requirements. The trio combined for 16 points and 14 rebounds.
 
"I really liked the way we pushed the ball, you saw Sophie (Reichelt) and Jasmine (Patrick) rebound and attack the floor, and I looked at Coach Minter and I said, 'We may get a couple of turnovers like that but we're going to have to live with it because that makes us so tough to guard when we get the rebound and push like that when everyone is looking for the ball.' Overall, I'm really happy with our performance for our first game," added Gravina.
 
The Leathernecks return to action on Thursday, November 5, for their second and final exhibition. Western will play host to Truman State, with tipoff set for 7 p.m. inside Western Hall.
  
 
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