Skip To Main Content

Upcoming Events and Recent Results

Western Illinois University Athletics

Emily Clemens vs. William Jewell
WIU Visual Productions Center
94
Winner Western Illinois WIU 11-8, 4-2 Summit
82
North Dakota State NDSUWBB 5-15, 0-7 Summit
Winner
Western Illinois WIU
11-8, 4-2 Summit
94
Final
82
North Dakota State NDSUWBB
5-15, 0-7 Summit
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Western Illinois WIU 16 15 27 36 94
North Dakota State NDSUWBB 18 20 20 24 82

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

Defense Fuels Second Half Comeback at North Dakota State

Emily Clemens scores career-high 27 points as Western erases 13-point second half deficit


FARGO, N.D. – Emily Clemens registered her best game as a Leatherneck, and Western Illinois erased a 13-point second half deficit Thursday evening (Jan. 21) to claim a 94-82 comeback victory at North Dakota State. The victory, the fourth-straight for the Leathernecks over NDSU, move the Purple and Gold to 11-8 overall and 4-2 in Summit League play.
 
Clemens finished with a game-high 27 points while adding seven assists, four steals, four rebounds, one block and zero turnovers in 36 minutes of action. The 27 points are a career-high for the sophomore from Muscatine, Iowa, and the 36 minutes matches the most Clemens has played in her career.
 
Clemens was one of five Western players to tally 10 or more points, marking the first time since WIU's season opener in which five Leathernecks scored in double figures. Clemens was joined by Michelle Maher (16 points), Sophie Reichelt (14), Michelle Farrow (13), and Taylor Higginbotham (12) in double-figures. Reichelt brought in a team-high seven rebounds while Maher tied Clemens with seven assists. The backcourt duo combined for 14 assists to just one turnover against the Bison.
 
With 8:34 remaining in the third quarter, NDSU's (5-15, 0-7) Brianna Jones connected on a pair of free throws to push the Bison lead to 13. Looking to change the tempo of the game, head coach JD Gravina implemented full-court pressure. The Bison had no answer for Western's pressure, as over the next 15:05 of game action, the Purple and Gold outscored North Dakota State 49-22. The 17-point swing for the Leathernecks gave them a lead of 14 with 3:12 remaining in the contest. Western would lead by double figures the rest of the way to pick up its fourth Summit League victory.

"That was a fun second half. To put up 63 points in a half is unbelievable," said Gravina. "You know it's going to be a battle on the road. They [North Dakota State] are a good team at home and are fighting some things, but they are playing teams well and have some really good players. We went to that press, and we did get some steals and easy baskets, but more than anything I thought it changed our mentality. The way we played, we looked like a whole new team offensively when we went into that press."
 
After trailing by seven following the first half of play, Western was able to erase the NDSU lead over the course of the third quarter. With 3:02 remaining in the third, NDSU held a seven point advantage before Western used a 9-1 run to take its first lead of the game since the 1:08 mark of the first quarter. Maher tallied a triple to kick-start the run, Higginbotham followed with an old-fashioned 3-point play, and Clemens capped the run with three of her own.
 
The Leathernecks would take the lead for good with 8:19 remaining in the fourth quarter, as Clemens' layup following a Reichelt steal put WIU ahead 62-60. Western would never look back, as the Leathernecks would tally the next eight points to build a 10-point lead on the Bison.
 
The flurry of action in the second half followed a first half in which NDSU was able to build a seven-point lead thanks to 51.9 percent of shooting (14-of-27) from the field.
 
Western, one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country, connected on 13 triples in the game including nine in the second half alone. The full-court pressure applied by the Purple and Gold resulted in 10 steals for Western and 16 turnovers by NDSU. The Leathernecks only turned the ball over five times Thursday evening, tied for the fewest turnovers in program history.
 
The Leathernecks continue their tour of the Dakotas on Saturday, January 23, as the Leathernecks take on South Dakota State. Tip-off inside Frost Arena is set for 2 p.m.
 
Print Friendly Version