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Western Illinois University Athletics

McClintock FP
102
Winner South Dakota USD 16-5, 7-1
77
Western Illinois WIU 11-10, 4-4
Winner
South Dakota USD
16-5, 7-1
102
Final
77
Western Illinois WIU
11-10, 4-4
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
South Dakota USD 24 26 26 26 102
Western Illinois WIU 18 16 25 18 77

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

Leathernecks Drop Summit League Tilt Against South Dakota

Omaha on tap next for the Leathernecks as league play heads into second half

MACOMB, Ill. – Taylor McClintock scored a career-high 17 points and Michelle Maher added a team-high 18 points as the Western Illinois women's basketball team dropped a 102-77 decision inside Western Hall Wednesday (Jan.27) evening. The Leathernecks fall to 11-10 overall and 4-4 in Summit League play with the loss while the Coyotes, ranked No. 19 in the latest mid-major poll, improve to 16-5 (7-1).
 
"South Dakota is really good, and we've just got to figure something out," said head coach JD Gravina. "In the first half, we did an okay job rebounding, and in the second half, we really fell apart. We were always out of position on defense, we were never in the right position to box out and if we were we didn't and were standing straight up. When you can't get a rebound, they're getting easy baskets inside, they're that good of a shooting team, and they hit pull up jumpers, I could go on and on but right now they're just better than us."
 
After spotting the Coyotes the first six points of the game, the WIU attack heated up and the Leathernecks climbed within three. Taylor Higginbotham first connected on a 3-pointer to make it 8-5 in favor of the visitors before getting a layup to go in to keep it a three-point game at 10-7. Both buckets were assisted by Maher, who ended the game with a team-high seven assists, who moved into a tie for second place on the WIU career assists record list with 405 helpers.

An Emily Clemens triple with 1:32 remaining in the opening quarter sparked an eventual 14-3 Leatherneck run which spanned into the opening minutes of the second quarter. The run would pull Western Illinois within a single point at 24-23 as Western looked to take its first lead of the game. South Dakota answered, however, as an ensuing 26-8 run over eight minutes turned out to be the difference maker. The run shot the Coyotes ahead by 19 and would lead by 16 heading into halftime.

Western tried to mount a comeback in the opening minutes of a second half, as the Purple and Gold opened on a 8-2 run, but an 11-2 Coyote run ended any threat of a Leatherneck comeback.
 
McClintock had an effective night from the field, going 6-of-9, including 3-of-4 from deep, to record a career-high 17 points. Higginbotham netted 12 points off the bench while Sophie Reichelt scored in double figures for the seventh straight game as she ended with 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
 
Western Illinois returns to action this Saturday, January 30, for a Summit League contest against Omaha. The contest, the annual 'Think Pink' game, is set to tip-off at 4:30 p.m. A post-game social will follow the game, with proceeds from the event going to McDonough District Hospital.
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