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Western Illinois University Athletics

Sophie Reichelt
63
Western Illinois WIU 11-9, 4-3
85
Winner South Dakota State SDSU 16-4, 6-1
Western Illinois WIU
11-9, 4-3
63
Final
85
South Dakota State SDSU
16-4, 6-1
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Western Illinois WIU 8 15 16 24 63
South Dakota State SDSU 17 27 17 24 85

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

Western Illinois Falls at South Dakota State in Summit League Action

Sophie Reichelt's 21 points not enough as WIU falls to the Jackrabbits

BROOKINGS, S.D. – The Western Illinois women's basketball team couldn't overcome a cold first half of shooting inside Frost Arena Saturday afternoon (Jan. 23), dropping an 85-63 decision to South Dakota State. Sophie Reichelt tallied a team-high 21 points for the Leathernecks, who fall to 11-9 overall and 4-3 in Summit League play. The Jackrabbits, the preseason favorite to win the Summit League and ranked No. 8 in the latest mid-major poll, improved to 16-4 (6-1).
 
Reichelt's 21-point day marked the sixth-straight game in which the Mill Creek, Washington, native tallied double figures. The senior also added nine rebounds to lead the WIU rebounding effort. Michelle Maher also reached the double-figure mark, as she finished the day with 13 points.
 
After the Leathernecks' 63-point second-half showing against North Dakota State last time out, Western Illinois struggled to get shots to fall in the first half, shooting 33.3 percent (10-of-30) from the field while only connecting on 1-of-13 (7.7%) shots from beyond the arc.
 
Maher got the Western attack going, as she tallied the first four Leatherneck points of the game. The senior drove into the lane for a layup which pulled WIU within five at 9-4 midway through the first quarter. As South Dakota State built the lead to nine in the closing moments of the opening quarter, the Leathernecks got a trio of good looks from deep, but attempts by Maher, Michelle Farrow, and Taylor Higginbotham went unanswered.
 
WIU came out aggressive in the opening minutes of the second quarter, as Maher and Emily Clemens opened the second quarter scoring with back-to-back layups as WIU cut the deficit to five. But South Dakota State began to pull away, as an eventual 16-5 Jackrabbit run extended the lead to 19 late in the first half. SDSU would eventually build the lead to 21 after the first 20 minutes of play.
 
Western Illinois battled the entire second half, however, as the Purple and Gold were only outscored by one point over the course of the second half. Western's offense began to click, as WIU shot 45.2 percent (14-of-31) from the field in the second half. The high-powered SDSU offense didn't let up, however, as the Jackrabbits ended the game shooting 47.9 percent from the field and hitting 13-of-30 3-point attempts (43.3%).

"We didn't give up which I liked in such a tough place to play," said head coach JD Gravina. "South Dakota State is so good defensively. We had faced zone a couple of games in a row and I think it really hurt our offensive ball movement today, especially in the first half. We began to move a little bit better, get some better shots, and get some shots in rhythm."

The Leathernecks return home to begin a three-game home stand on Wednesday, January 27, as WIU welcomes South Dakota to town. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. inside Western Hall.
 
 
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