MACOMB, Ill. - The Western Illinois women's basketball team hits the hardwood on Saturday, December 5, for a nonconference matchup against the Saints of Ashford University. Western, fresh off its victory over Eastern Illinois, sits at 5-3 on the season while Ashford, a NAIA school out of Clinton, Iowa, owns a 1-7 mark on the season. Tip-off is slated for 4:30 p.m. inside Western Hall. The game will be played as an exhibition for Ashford.

BE BOLD, WEAR GOLD: Fans in attendance at Saturday's contest against Ashford are encouraged to wear gold as part of the "Be Bold, Wear Gold" day inside Western Hall. 
 

BROADCAST INFORMATION: 
Radio: 92.5 WKXQ FM (online at wkxqfm.com)
Video: Leatherneck All-Access
Live Stats: sidearmstats.com/wiu/wbball/

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: Ashford University, a NAIA affiliate out of Clinton, Iowa, enters Saturday's competition with a 1-7. Winners their last time out, the Saints defeated William Penn University by a final score of 61-50. Ashford is led by third year head coach Kelly Kruger. Last year Kruger led the Saints to a 25-8 record, a program record for victories

SERIES HISTORY: This is the first meeting between Western Illinois and Ashford University.

LAST TIME OUT: Behind a dominating rebounding effort, the Western Illinois women's basketball team picked up their fifth victory of the year with a 92-69 decision over in-state rival Eastern Illinois Tuesday (Dec. 2) evening. The Leathernecks (5-3), who never trailed, tallied their second-straight 50-rebound game and owned a plus-17 rebounding margin over Eastern Illinois (1-6). The Purple and Gold dominated the boards, outrebounding Eastern Illinois by a 50-33 margin. WIU especially owned the offensive glass, collecting 20 offensive boards compared to the seven of EIU. It marks the first time since Western's season opener two seasons ago (Nov. 8, 2013 at Texas A&M Corpus Cristi) in which the Purple and Gold tallied 20 or more offensive boards. The Leathernecks' rebounding effort is also the team's first time since their trip to Denver last season (Jan. 15) in which the team owned a plus-17 rebounding margin or better. 

THREES FOR DAYS: The Leathernecks are one of the most prolific 3-point shooting teams in the country, as the team ranks first nationally in 3-point field goals attempted (278), made (96), and ranks second nationally in 3-point field goals per game (12.0)

1,000-POINT CLUB: In Western Illinois' 78-74 victory over SIU-Edwardsville, senior Michelle Maher became the 15th 1,000-point scorer in program history when she connected on a 3-pointer with 5:08 remaining in the first quarter. Maher currently sits in 14th place on the all-time scoring list with 1,088 career points.

NEWCOMERS SHINE IN DEBUT: In Western Illinois' season opener against Central Methodist, three Leathernecks made their Purple and Gold debut. Freshman Taylor Higginbotham came off the bench to shine, as she led all scorers with 25 points on 5-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc and 9-of-12 shooting from the field. After sitting out last year due to NCAA transfer rules, sophomore Taylor McClintock stepped onto the court for the first time against Central Methodist, finishing with 10 points in 20 minutes of action. Junior Jasmine Patrick transferred to Western following two seasons at Grossmont College, and she made an impact with 10 points and matching the game-high in rebounds with nine. Higginbotham leads all Leathernecks this season, averaging 19.3 points per game and has scored in double figures in all four contests.

MAHER EARNS PRESEASON RECOGNITION: Senior guard Michelle Maher earned preseason accolades leading up to the start of the season, as she was named Preseason Second Team All-Summit League. Maher enters her final season in the Purple and Gold as Western's all-time leader in three-point field goals. As a junior, Maher led the team in assists (122) and minutes per game (30.5). A three-year starter for Western, Maher currently ranks fifth in program history in career assists with 348.

IMPROVEMENT UNDER GRAVINA: In his first four years at the helm of the women's basketball program, head coach JD Gravina has been one of the most successful coaches in program history, as his 57 career wins in four seasons at Western are tied for the most of any coach over their first three seasons in charge. Now in his fifth season, Gravina sits in in third place for career wins with 60. Gravina's 2014-15 squad ended the season with a 10-4 mark inside Western Hall which ranked as tied for the second-most home victories since the 2004-05 team posted a perfect 12-0 mark at home.

LEATHERNECKS INK TWO: Head coach JD Gravina announced the signing of guards Sam Pryor and Andi Pierce on Thursday, November 12. Pryor and Pierce, who will both wrap up their prep careers this spring, will join the Leatherneck family in the fall of 2016. Pryor, a 6'0" guard, is a native of Elgin, Illinois. A member of Burlington Central High School, Pryor was an All-Conference selection as a junior and an All-Area honoree the past three seasons. As a sophomore, Pryor was named Second Team AP All-State, and Third Team IBCA All-State. As a junior, she repeated as a Second Team AP All-State selection, while also being named to the IBCA Second Team All-State team. Pierce, a 5'11" guard, is a native of Garber, Oklahoma. As a junior for Garber High School, Pierce averaged 23.4 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per contest for the Wolverines. Pierce shot 48 percent from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc. Pierce also made a team-high 50 3-pointers, while also leading the team in steals and assists.

ROSTER ADDITIONS: The Leathernecks welcome four new members to the roster for the 2014-15 season. Junior Jasmine Patrick joins the team following two seasons at Grossmont College (Calif). A five-year active member of the U.S. Navy, Patrick will be immediately eligible. Juniors Olivia Braun (Toledo) and Morgan Blumer (Florida Gulf Coast) transfer into the program with two years of eligibility remaining, and will sit out the entire 2015-16 season to fulfill NCAA transfer requirements. Western signed one player to a National Letter of Intent in freshman Taylor Higginbotham. Higginbotham, a native of Germantown, Wisconsin, went 51-8 last year with the Wisconsin Lakers AAU 'White' Team. She led the team in three-point field goals her last two seasons with the Lakers and was a four-time USJN All-Pool selection.

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.