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Western Illinois University Athletics

Sophie Reichelt
60
Denver DEN 4-14 (2-3)
63
Winner Western Illinois WIU 10-8 (3-2)
Denver DEN
4-14 (2-3)
60
Final
63
Western Illinois WIU
10-8 (3-2)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Denver DEN 12 18 12 18 60
Western Illinois WIU 19 16 14 14 63

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

Leathernecks Hold Off Denver, 63-60

Sophie Reichelt (18 points, 8 rebounds) and Emily Clemens (12 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds) lead the way in Summit League victory

MACOMB, Ill. – Sophie Reichelt and Emily Clemens combined for 30 of Western Illinois' 62 points Friday evening (Jan. 15), as the Leathernecks held off Denver, 63-60, in a down to the wire finish. The pair sealed Western Illinois' (10-8 overall, 3-2 Summit League) victory over the Pioneers (4-14, 2-3), as a 4-for-4 effort from the free throw line in the final 35 seconds helped close out the victory.
 
Reichelt led Western with 18 points while matching the game-high with eight rebounds. Clemens tallied 12 points (her sixth straight game in double figures) while adding six assists, five rebounds (three offensive), and a pair of steals.
 
On a night where Denver shot 50 percent from the field and 63.6 percent from 3-point range, it was the free throw line that proved to be the difference maker for the Purple and Gold. Western Illinois went 12-of-16 from the free throw line while Denver was limited to just six total attempts from the charity stripe (3-of-6).
 
"It was quite a battle. It's tough to win games when you shoot 21 percent from three and the other team shoots 63 percent; I think they were shooting 28% or so coming into tonight," said head coach JD Gravina. "I have to give them [Denver] credit, I thought they played well."
 
Western closed out the game making its last five free throw attempts as they held off a late rally by the Pioneers. The Leathernecks exploded out of the gates in the second half, scoring the first 10 points of the third quarter to build a 15 point lead. Reichelt tallied eight of the 10 WIU points in the run while Michelle Maher tallied the final two. Denver responded, however, as a 21-6 Pioneer run spanning the third and fourth quarters gave the visitors their first lead of the game at 53-52 with just under seven minutes remaining in the contest.
 
Neither team would lead by more than three the rest of the way, as Western was able to pull back in front with 3:03 remaining, as Clemens' old-fashioned 3-point play gave WIU the 59-57 lead. With 33 seconds left, and the game knotted up at 59, Reichelt was fouled with one second left on the shot clock, sending the senior to the charity stripe. She would knock down both to put Western ahead by two.
 
Denver's Paige Bradley found herself at the free throw line with five seconds left, but the guard, who led all scorers with 20 points, hit the first but missed the second free throw. Mallory Boyle hauled in the game-deciding rebound and Clemens iced the game with two free throws in the closing seconds as Western collected its third Summit League victory this season.
 
"We got up in double digits there and they got aggressive, and we were the more passive team. You never want to be in that position. It was nice to grind it out down the stretch. I've said it before after losses a couple plays here or there and we're feeling like heroes and a couple plays here or there and we're feeling like goats and tonight we were the heroes," added Gravina.
 
The Purple and Gold did a phenomenal job distributing the ball Friday night, as the team assisted on 17 of the 22 made field goals. Clemens and Maher each tallied six assists, while the team only turned the ball over seven times in the game.
 
Senior Liz Skotowski made her first start of the season and contributed with nine points coming on a trio of 3-pointers. Maher moved into ninth place on the all-time scoring list, as her eight points gives her 1,227 in her career.
 
Western returns to action next Thursday, January 21, as the Leathernecks travel to Fargo, North Dakota, to face North Dakota State. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
 
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