Leathernecks Face Off Against Austin Peay In Road Challenge

Western Illinois takes on the Governors Dec. 9 on the road.

Sam Pryor

GAME ELEVEN
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: WESTERN ILLINOIS LEATHERNECKS at AUSTIN PEAY GOVERNORS
Dec. 9, 2017 • 2 p.m. (CT) • Clarksville, Tenn. • Winfield Dunn Center
LIVE STATS: HERE
OVC DIGITAL NETWORK: HERE
LISTEN: HERE

ROSTER | SCHEDULE | TICKETS | RECORD BOOK | @WIUWBB | GAME NOTES

MACOMB, Ill.— Following the conclusion of their final home game of 2017, the Leathernecks now hit the road for their first of five straight, beginning with a Dec. 9 matchup at Austin Peay.

LAST TIME OUT:
Another outstanding scoring performance by Taylor Higginbotham helped the Western Illinois Leathernecks cruise past Southeast Missouri State 87-59 Tuesday night (Dec. 5) inside Western Hall. Behind the 25 points and seven rebounds from Higginbotham, the Leathernecks (8-2) were able to pick up their third consecutive win by beating the Redhawks (4-5).

-The Leathernecks wrapped up the 2017 calendar year with a 12-2 record inside Western Hall.
-Taylor Higginbotham became the 17th Leatherneck to surpass 1,000 career points…. She now has 1,022 on her career and is 16th all-time in scoring for program history… She also joins Emily Clemens as the other active Leatherneck with over 1,000 points… Higginbotham's 25 points represent her 14th career 20-plus point game and her second consecutive…. She has recorded 20-plus points three times this season… Her 14 made free throws is new career-high.
-Emily Clemens recorded her 54th career double-digit scoring performance… Her nine assists mark her 49th career game of five or more assists.
-Michelle Farrow's 15 points mark her 16th career double-digit scoring effort… She tied her career-high of one block for the 11th time.
-Olivia Braun recorded a career-high of four steals.

SCOUTING THE GOVERNORS:
Austin Peay is currently off to a seven-game win streak thus far since dropping its first contest of the season at Butler, 75-54 (Nov. 11). With a 7-1 record, the Governors have wins over Christian Brothers (73-50), Trevecca (80-72), Alabama A&M (55-52), Lipscomb (71-63), Arkansas Pine-Bluff (97-61) and Evansville (82-73).

The team is led by the trio of Keisha Gregory (11.8 points per game), Brianah Ferby (11.6) and Brianne Alexander (10.0) who average in double figures. They are led by head coach David Midlick, who is in his third season with the program with an overall record of 69-52.

A LOOK AT YOUR LEATHERNECKS:
The Leathernecks are currently 8-2, which is the best start in program history since the 2005-06 season and one game better than last season's 7-3 start. Thus far, current Summit League Player of the Week Taylor Higginbotham leads the league with 17.3 points per game, and ranks fifth with 7.3 rebounds per game. She is currently shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc, which is the second-best in the league, while fellow teammate Michelle Farrow ranks fourth with 45.2 percent.

QUICK HITS:
-Higginbotham leads the team with 17.3 points, 7.3 rebounds per game.
-Three other Leathernecks average double-digit scoring in Clemens (15.3), Blumer (14.6) and Hanneman (10.6).
-For steals per game, Clemens (3.9), Higginbotham (2.5) and Farrow (2.0) rank first, third and fourth in the league.
- So far, the Leathernecks are 1-0 against opponents from the OVC (87-59 win over Southeast Missouri State).
-This is the first-ever meeting between the Leathernecks and Governors.
-Head coach JD Gravina is 10-7 against opponents from the Ohio Valley Conference.
-With a league-leading 8.5 assists per game, point guard Emily Clemens ranks third in the nation for the category, and her 85 total assists this season rank second.
-Clemens is also 11 assists shy (532) of setting a new program record for career assists, as she is looking to pass Jolene Hanig's (1988-91) 542.

NEXT UP:
Western Illinois follows with a week off before hitting the road for a Dec. 18 matchup at Stanford, followed by a Dec. 21 game at Gonzaga. Times for tipoff are to be announced.

LEATHERNECK SPORTS NETWORK:
Fans can hear Danny Frey call all of the women's basketball games throughout the area on the Leatherneck Sports Network.

Flagship: 94.3 FM WRMS (Beardstown) Affiliates: 104.1 FM WMQZ (Macomb) | 106.7 FM WPWQ (Quincy).

Tweet #W1U

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#3 Olivia Braun: F; 6' 1"; Senior; St. Catherine's / Toledo

#2 Emily Clemens: G; 5' 4"; Senior; Muscatine

#22 Michelle Farrow: G; 5' 10"; Senior; Waukesha West

#24 Taylor Higginbotham: G; 5' 10"; Junior; Germantown

Players Mentioned

#3 Olivia Braun
: 6' 1"; Senior; St. Catherine's / Toledo
: F

#2 Emily Clemens
: 5' 4"; Senior; Muscatine
: G

#22 Michelle Farrow
: 5' 10"; Senior; Waukesha West
: G

#24 Taylor Higginbotham
: 5' 10"; Junior; Germantown
: G