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MACOMB, Ill. – The Leathernecks cap off the non-league season with a home contest against Illinois State Tuesday (Dec. 20) at 7 p.m. Western Illinois is riding a four-game win streak heading into the contest.
A LOOK AT YOUR LEATHERNECKS:
Western Illinois is 9-3 overall and still off to its best start since the 2005-06 season. The Leathernecks are coming off a 54-50 win at Chicago State behind the team-high 14 points and seven rebounds from Taylor Higginbotham. Emily Clemens followed with 13 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Clemens (19.7), Morgan Blumer (15.4) and Higginbotham (12.6) are all averaging double-digit scoring this season. Head coach JD Gravina is also at 196 career wins, which puts him only four away from his 200th.
As a team Western Illinois ranks within the top-10 nationally in seven different categories: total assists (231/Sixth), assists per game (19.3/10th), steals (160/first) steals per game (13.3/seventh), 3-Point field goals attempted (360/fourth), 3-point field goals made (118/fourth) and 3-point field goals made per game (9.8/sixth).
THE ROAD TO 300:
With 292 career assists, junior point guard Emily Clemens is looking to become the ninth Leatherneck in program history to record 300-plus career assists. In the most recent game, she moved into the Top-10 all-time for career-assists, passing Vicki Adelman's (1992-95) 290.
1. 542 Jolene Hanig ..................................... 1988-91
2. 437 Michelle Maher ................................. 2013-16
3. 405 Rebecca Henricson ........................... 2011-14
4. 374 Amy Houtzel...................................... 1989-92
5. 362 Kim Hurley......................................... 1978-81
6. 341 Deirdre LaFrance............................... 1994-97
7. 336 Carol Anderson................................. 1982-85
8. 314 Valerie Vincent................................... 1992-95
9. 292 Emily Clemens.................................. 2014-16
10. 290 Vicki Adelman...................................1992-95
SCOUTING THE REDBIRDS:
Illinois State sits at 3-6 overall with wins over UIC (59-52), Valparaiso (77-56) and Eastern Illinois (60-49). The Redbirds are trying to snap a three-game losing skid. Western and Illinois State have three common opponents in Northern Illinois, Eastern Illinois and Milwaukee.
The Redbirds were picked to finish eighth out of 10 teams in the Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Poll. They are led by Taylor Stewart, who averages 12.1 points. Brechelle Beachum is the other Redbird player who averages double-digit scoring, with 10.3 per contest. Hannah Green and Katrina Beck both average just under double-digit scoring, with 9.7 and 9.1 points per game respectively.
Barb Smith is in her fourth season with the Redbirds, totaling a 23-76 record at Illinois State and 72-162 overall in her ninth season as a head coach.
SERIES HISTORY:
Illinois State has dominated the series 42-3 all-time. In the last meeting, Western defeated the Redbirds 79-64 on Dec. 28 of last season, snapping a three-game losing skid. The Leathernecks aim for their second straight win on Tuesday. In the JD Gravina era, he is 1-0 against Illinois State.
PROMOTIONAL:
Fans can hear Danny Frey call all of the women's basketball regular season games throughout the area on the Leatherneck Sports Network.
All Western Illinois women's basketball regular season home games are scheduled to be video streamed on Fighting Leatherneck All-Access, and select games are slated to air on
WatchESPN/ESPN3.
Flagship: 94.3 FM WRMS (Beardstown) Affiliates: 102.7 FM WJEQ (Macomb) | 106.7 FM WPWQ (Quincy) | 107.5 FM KWBZ (Quincy).
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