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Western Illinois University Athletics

Emily Clemens
Emily Clemens led the way with 21 points and nine assists.
81
Winner Western Illinois WIU 9-2
68
Austin Peay APSU 7-2
Winner
Western Illinois WIU
9-2
81
Final
68
Austin Peay APSU
7-2
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Western Illinois WIU 26 21 19 15 81
Austin Peay APSU 15 12 21 20 68

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

Western Illinois Secures Road Win At Austin Peay

The Leathernecks snapped the Governors’ 7-game winning streak.

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn.— With five Leatherneck players reaching double figures, Western Illinois was able to secure an 81-68 win over Austin Peay Saturday afternoon (Dec. 9).

"Road wins are hard to come by, especially against a 7-1 team," said head coach JD Gravina. "We came out and played great out of the gate. I felt like we coasted a little in the second half, and that's something we need to improve on. Overall, I'm proud of the way we played."

Western Illinois (9-2) jumped out to a 12-5 lead after forcing four quick turnovers in the first. The lead eventually carried over through the first 10 minutes, as the Leathernecks led 26-15 after one.

Three-straight baskets by senior Michelle Farrow forced the Governors to take a timeout, as the Purple and Gold jumped out to a 35-17 lead with 6:48 to go in the half. Western eventually led 42-25 with 2:28 to go after Taylor Higginbotham converted the and-1. At the half, Western held a 20-point lead (47-27).

The lead continued to be double-digits, as Farrow hit another three, followed by Olivia Braun finding Higginbotham on the backdoor play to give the team a 54-32 lead at the 6:52 mark in the third. The Govs refused to waiver, however, and cut Western's lead to 18 at the end of the third. Late in the game, Austin Peay went on an 8-0 run and cut WIU's lead to 13 with 6:58 to go, which forced Gravina to call a timeout.

Right out of the break, Emily Clemens was able to pick the dribbler's pocket and go coast-to-coast for a layup, which put the Leathernecks back up by 15. With 3:51 to go, Higginbotham made another layup, which was answered by another Austin Peay 3-pointer, but the Leathernecks were able to close out the final minutes for their ninth win of the season.

Emily Clemens led the way going 7-for-10 from the field with 21 points, nine assists and four steals. She now only needs two more assists to pass Jolene Hanig (1988-91) for the most in program history for a single career, as she is currently at 541.

Higginbotham followed up with her third-straight 20-plus point performance, totaling 20 points and five boards, followed by Braun's 11 points and nine rebounds and Farrow's 11 points and four rebounds. Morgan Blumer was the fifth Leatherneck in double figures, finishing with 10 points.

Keisha Gregory and Falon Baker paced the Governors with 17 and 16 points apiece.

The Leathernecks are off from in-game action next week and will prep for a pair of west coast matchups at No. 18 Stanford (Dec. 18) and Gonzaga (Dec. 21). Start times are to be announced.

GAME NOTES:
-Leathernecks are now 2-0 this season against OVC opponents
-Western defeated Austin Peay in the first-ever meeting between the two programs
-Western Illinois had five in double figures for the first time since March 4, 2017 against Denver
-Emily Clemens is only two assists shy for the most in program history… This also marked her 25th career game of 20 more points, and her 50th game of five or more assists…
-Taylor Higginbotham's 20 points is her third straight 20-plus point performance… It is also her 15th career 20-plus point game…
-Michelle Farrow's 11 points is her 17th career double-digit scoring game…
-Morgan Blumer's 11 points is her 37th career double-digit scoring game…
-Olivia Braun's 10 points is her 12th career double-digit scoring game… 
 
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