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Western Illinois University Athletics

Morgan Blumer
76
Winner IUPUI IUPUI 15-6, 5-3
72
Western Illinois WIU 15-6, 5-3
Winner
IUPUI IUPUI
15-6, 5-3
76
Final
72
Western Illinois WIU
15-6, 5-3
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
IUPUI IUPUI 16 14 22 24 76
Western Illinois WIU 22 18 13 19 72

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

Western Illinois Edged By IUPUI, 76-72 In Summit League Action

Morgan Blumer's halftime buzzer-beater gains national attention from ESPN.

PHOTO GALLERY      JOHN MOON NATIONAL ANTHEM 

MACOMB, Ill. – In a down-to-the-wire game, the Western Illinois women's basketball team fell 76-72 to IUPUI Wednesday (Jan. 25) at home.

"That was a really hard-fought and emotional game," said head coach JD Gravina. "I thought we played well enough offensively to win, but really struggled to rebound. We gave ourselves a chance to beat a really good team with a high RPI, but just came up a play or two short. This conference is very tough, so we can expect every game to be a battle like it was tonight."

The Leathernecks (15-6 overall, 5-3 Summit League) and IUPUI (15-6, 5-3) traded baskets in the early going, as the Jaguars led 12-10 at the first quarter media timeout. Western was able to retake the lead after an 11-2 run, capped off by an assist from Morgan Blumer to Michelle Farrow as time expired in first quarter. That play gave Western a 22-16 lead entering the second quarter.

Western Illinois jumped out to a 28-21 lead with 5:10 to go in the second after Taylor Higginbotham stole the ball and found Emily Clemens in transition for the fast-break score.

With time winding down before halftime, Morgan Blumer made the shot of the game. The junior guard from Milton, Wis. rebounded a long IUPUI shot, and heaved the ball with one hand from the opposite free-throw line. The ball swished through the net as time expired. Blumer's play gained the national attention of ESPN, and it was featured on its premiere show, "SportsCenter."

At the half, Western held on to a 40-30 lead over the visiting Jaguars.

In the third quarter, Blumer drained her third 3-pointer of the game to give WIU a 51-47 lead with 2:44 to go in the period. The Jaguars eventually went up by a point, but an Olivia Braun mid-range jumper along the baseline made it a 53-52 game in favor of Western Illinois entering the fourth quarter.

As both teams exchanged buckets in the fourth quarter, the Leathernecks eventually fell behind with 2:26 to go. IUPUI hit a long 3-pointer to lead by four. Western cut the score to within one after Clemens got a steal and found Higginbotham for a layup with 1:49 left.

Down by one with 26.6 seconds to go, the Leathernecks were able to get a steal, but after Clemens laid it up, the ball circled and rimmed out of the basket. In the final seconds, a pair of IUPUI free throws made it a two-possession game, which sealed game for the 76-72 final.

Braun led the way with a career-high 18 points, followed by Higginbotham's 15 points and six assists. Clemens had 14 points and five assists, Blumer was the other Leatherneck in double-figures, 14 points with five boards.

IUPUI's Mikale Rogers had a double-double of 27 points and 15 rebounds, while Jenna Gunn (16 points, nine rebounds) and Danielle Lawerence (16 points, seven rebounds, five assists) both finished in double figures.

The Leathernecks hit the road this weekend for a Jan. 28 matchup at South Dakota. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Vermillion, S.D. 

PLAYER  NOTES:
-Emily Clemens' five assists passes Deirde LaFrance for sixth all-time in program history for career-assists with 342…also marks her 14th five-plus assist game this season (29th of her career)… 14 points marks her 20th double-digit scoring game of the season (career 35th)… fourth 40-plus minute game of her career…
-Olivia Braun recorded a career-high 18 points… also marks her third-career double-digit scoring game… also set career-highs in field goals made (seven) and free throws made (four)… first career-game as the team scoring leader…
-Morgan Blumer's 14 points marks her 19th career double-digit scoring game… 12th career game as the rebounds leader…
-Taylor Higginbotham's six assists ties her season-high for the third time… fourth five-plus assist game this season (career fifth)… 15 points marks her 14th double-digit scoring game of the season (career 35th)…

PROGRAM NOTES:
-WIU moves to 9-1 overall at home this season… first loss at home…
-First loss this season when leading at halftime, and in games decided by three to five points (4-1)…

 
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