MACOMB, Ill. - The Western Illinois women's basketball team plays host to Omaha in its annual 'Think Pink' game this Saturday, January 30. Western Illinois, who dropped a Summit League contest to South Dakota  last time out, sits at 11-10 overall and 4-4 in league play. The Mavs, who defeated Fort Wayne on a buzzer-beater Thursday evening, are tied with Western at 4-4 in The Summit League and  are 11-9 overall on the season. Tip-off is set for 4:30 p.m. inside Western Hall.

THINK PINK GAME: Saturday's contest against the Mavs is WIU's annual "Think Pink" game. Following the game a post-game social will be held, with refreshments, prizes, and the chance to meet WIU female student-athletes. A $5 donation will include a wristband and admission to the social while a $10 donation will include admission to Saturday's game, wristband, and social admission. All proceeds from "Think Pink" will benefit McDonough District Hospital.
 

NATIONAL GIRLS AND WOMEN IN SPORS DAY: National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) is held annually on the first Wednesday in February to celebrate female athletes and empower girls to be active and participate in sports and lifelong fitness activities. This year, the women's basketball team will recognize NGWSD on Saturday against Omaha. 

BROADCAST INFORMATION:
vs. Omaha
Radio: 94.3 WRMS FM and 104.1 WMQZ FM
(also available online at wrmsfm.com)
Video: ESPN3
Live Stats: GoLeathernecks.com

SERIES HISTORY: Western Illinois and Omaha meet for the second time this season, with the Mavs taking the first decision between the two. The defeat ended a three-game winning streak for the Purple and Gold over Omaha. The two teams met on January 3 in Omaha, with the Leathernecks falling 79-66. Michelle Maher tallied a team-high 18 points while Remy Davenport led all scorers with 27.

PROTECT THE ROCK, DISH THE ROCK: The Purple and Gold are one of the top teams nationally when it comes to handling the basketball. Western Illinois turns the ball over only 11.6 times per game, the fourth fewest in the country. The Leathernecks tally 15.1 assists per game, 2nd best in The Summit League, to record a 1.30 assist to turnover ratio, ninth-best in DI. Michelle Maher's 2.30 assist to turnover ratio is tops in The Summit League by NCAA standards and 31st nationally. Maher's backcourt teammate Emily Clemens is right behind Maher, as the sophomore's 2.03 assist to turnover ratio is second-best in the league according to the NCAA's statistics.

THREES FOR DAYS: The Leathernecks are one of the most prolific 3-point shooting teams in the country, as the team ranks third nationally in 3-point field goals attempted (639), second in 3-point field goals made (202), and ninth in threes per game (9.6). Five Leathernecks (Sophie Reichelt, Taylor Higginbotham, Michelle Maher, Taylor McClintock, and Michelle Farrow) have tallied at least 20 triples on the year, led by Maher's 34.

SENIOR LEADERS: The Leathernecks are led by a pair of veteran seniors in Michelle Maher and Sophie Reichelt. Reichelt currently leads the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 14.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game while Maher, who has started 108-of-110 career games (out of 111 possible games) at Western, averages 13.8 points per game this season to rank second on the team. Maher also runs the offense, as her 92 assists are tops for the Leathernecks. 

THE RISE OF CLEMENS: Emily Clemens averaged 5 points and 2.4 assists off the bench as a freshman. This year, Clemens has started every game, seeing her minutes per game rise by over 10 a game. On the court, Clemens has upped her scoring average to 10.6, assist average to 3.6, and has surpassed her steal total from a season ago (31) with 50 this year. Clemens had a stretch this season where she scored 10 or more points in seven straight contests, including a career-high 27 points against North Dakota State.

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 9th place on the all-time scoring list with 1,274 career points.

TAYLOR TIMES TWO: Freshman Taylor Higginbotham and sophomore Taylor McClintock, both newcomers to the WIU program this season, have felt right at home in the Leatherneck offense. In her first collegiate game, Higginbotham came off the bench and led all scorers with 25 points on 5-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc and 9-of-12 shooting from the field in a victory over Central Methodist. The freshman ranks third on the team in scoring (12.2 ppg) and has tallied 10 or more points in 14 games this year. After sitting out last year due to NCAA transfer rules, McClintock has been a key bench presence for the Purple and Gold, as she is fifth on the team, averaging 7.0 points per game. McClintock has hit the 10-point mark on eight occasions this year, including a career-high 18 against South Dakota

MILITARY TIES: Junior Jasmine Patrick truly embodies Western Illinois' military lineage. Prior to enrolling in college, Patrick spent five years serving active duty in the U.S. Navy.

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, who is the all-time leader in made 3-point field goals, is also climbing the career assists list. The Park Ridge, Illinois, native currently ranks tied for second all-time with 405 helpers.

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 68. 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.

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.