MACOMB, Ill. – The Western Illinois Fighting Leatherneck women's basketball team tips off Summit League play with a road matchup at Fort Wayne Wednesday, Dec. 28 at 5 p.m. central.

A LOOK AT YOUR LEATHERNECKS:
The Leathernecks are still off to their best start since the 2005-06 season with a 10-3 overall record. Western Illinois is coming off an 80-50 win over in-state rival Illinois State behind the game-high 22 points from Emily Clemens. The win closed out the regular season non-league schedule and gave Western a perfect 7-0 mark against in-state programs.

The team is led by Clemens' 19.8 points and 7.2 assists per game. She ranks third nationally with 93 total assists and ninth in assists per game. Morgan Blumer and Taylor Higginbotham are the other two Leathernecks who average double-digit scoring, with 15.0 and 12.6 points per game, respectively. Blumer also averages a team-high 5.8 rebounds per game, while Higginbotham grabs 5.7 boards per contest. In the post, Olivia Braun has 27 total blocks this season, which puts her at 27th nationally.

CLEMENS ONE AWAY FROM 300 ASSISTS:
Junior point guard and three-time Summit League Player of the Week Emily Clemens is one assist shy of becoming the ninth Leatherneck in program history to surpass 300 assists in her career. Her 299 also ranks ninth all-time in program history for career assists.
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. 299 Emily Clemens.................................. 2015-Pr
10. 290 Vicki Adelman...................................1992-95

OTHERS APPROACHING MILESTONES:
JD Gravina's win over Illinois State marked his 197th career win as a head coach. Senior Mallory Boyle is one point shy of 300 in her career, while junior transfer Morgan Blumer is five points shy of 200 in her career a Leatherneck.

SCOUTING THE MASTODONS:
Fort Wayne sits at 3-10 overall this season, most recently coming off a 68-59 win over Eastern Kentucky at the Wright State Invitational Tournament in Dayton, Ohio. Both Western Illinois and Fort Wayne have no common opponents. The Mastodons also open Summit League play against Western Illinois. 
 
De'Jour Young leads the Mastodons with 12.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest. They are led by head coach Niecee Nelson, who is in her first year with the program.

SERIES HISTORY:
Western Illinois looks to even the all-time series against Fort Wayne, trailing 10-9. The Leathernecks swept the Mastodons in close contests last season, where they picked up a 78-74 win on the road (Jan. 7, 2016) and an 88-87 win at home (Feb. 4, 2016). Western Illinois has won the last four meetings, and six out of the last eight.
 
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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