MACOMB, Ill. - The Western Illinois women's basketball closes out the regular season this weekend with a pair of home games. The Leathernecks open their final homestand on Thursday, February 25, as North Dakota State comes to town. Tipoff between the Leathernecks and Bison is set for 5:30 p.m. Saturday, February 27, is senior night as Western plays host to South Dakota State. A ceremony honoring the four Leatherneck seniors will take place prior to tipoff which is slated for 4:30 p.m. Both games are part of basketball doubleheaders, with the WIU men set to play its final two regular season games on Thursday and Saturday immediately following the women.

AGRICILTURE DAY: Join Western Illinois Athletics, the Western Illinois University School of Agriculture and the McDonough County Farm Bureau to celebrate the traditions of exciting winter hoops and the impact of agriculture in western Illinois and beyond! At Western Hall, Thursday, Feb. 25 "Agriculture Day" will include a double-header basketball event — WIU Women's Basketball tips off at 5:30 p.m. and Men's Basketball at 8 p.m. — and a number of agriculture-related educational activities and giveaways, as well as a pizza dinner at each game's half time and between the games, too. 

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

vs. South Dakota State
Radio: 94.3 WRMS FM and 104.1 WMQZ FM
(also available online at wrmsfm.com)
Video: ESPN3
Live Stats: GoLeathernecks.com

FINAL FAREWELL: This weekend marks the final home games for four Leatherneck student-athletes. Paige Harmon, Michelle Maher, Sophie Reichelt, and Liz Skotowski will all be making their final appearance inside Western Hall after being on the team the past four seasons.

SERIES HISTORY: Western and North Dakota State have met 18 times previously, with the all-time series split, 9-9. Western has dominated the series of late, having won four in a row and six of the last seven meetings. The two teams met in Fargo back on January 21, with the Leathernecks picking up a 94-82 victory. Trailing by as many as 13 points in the second half, the Purple and Gold used a 49-22 run to storm past the Bison. Emily Clemens scored a career-high 27 points in the victory. South Dakota State leads the all-time series between the two programs, 17-1, having won the last 17 meetings. The two teams met on January 23 in Brookings as the Jackrabbits claimed an 85-63 victory. Sophie Reichelt scored 21 points in the loss.

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 11.4 times per game, the sixth fewest in the country. The Leathernecks tally 14.3 assists per game, 3rd best in The Summit League, to record a 1.25 assist to turnover ratio, 15th-best in DI. Emily Clemens and Michelle Maher lead the charge, as Clemens (2.06) and Maher (1.95) rank second and third, respectively, in the league in assist to turnover ratio. The duo also rank in the top three in total assists with Maher ranking second (109) and Clemens in third (99).

THREES FOR DAYS: The Leathernecks are one of the most prolific 3-point shooting teams in the country, as the team ranks fifth nationally in 3-point field goals attempted (795), eighth in threes per game (9.2), and 10th in 3-point field goals made (249). Three Leathernecks (Sophie Reichelt, Taylor Higginbotham, Michelle Maher) have tallied at least 40 triples on the year, led by Reichelt's 49.

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 15.1 points and 8.0 rebounds per game while Maher, who has started 114-of-116 career games played (out of 117 possible games) at Western, ranks second in scoring (13.9 ppg). Maher's 4 

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 10.8, assist average to 3.6, and has surpassed her steal total from a season ago (31) with 61 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. Clemens also ranks second in The Summit League and 29th nationally in free throw percentage (85.6%)

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 8th place on the all-time scoring list with 1,360 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 18 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 in scoring, averaging 7.5 points per game. McClintock has hit the 10-point mark on 11 occasions this year, including a career-high 17 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 second all-time with 422 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 71. 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.