Western Illinois Plays Host To Omaha In Mid-Week Tilt

Leathernecks aim for their eighth league win this season

GAME 25
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: WESTERN ILLINOIS LEATHERNECKS vs. OMAHA MAVERICKS
Feb. 7, 2018 • 7:00 p.m. • Macomb, Ill. • Western Hall

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MACOMB, Ill. — Western Illinois begins its first of three straight home games this Wednesday (Feb. 7), with a 7 p.m. matchup against Omaha inside Western Hall.

NATIONAL GIRLS & WOMEN IN SPORTS DAY: Wednesday (Feb. 7) marks the 32nd anniversary of National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Western Illinois women's basketball is in its 114th overall season dating back to 1903. The program has five overall postseason appearances, two NCAA Tournament appearances (1995, 2017), two Summit League Tournament titles (1995, 2017) and six Summit League championships.

The women's basketball program has 10 total members of the Western Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame, including Carol Anderson (1981-85), Diane Ellefritz (1987-90), Robin Hasemann (1987-91), Wendy Hedberg, Robing (Lindley) McConnell (1975-79), Kelle (Lindbeck) Oest (1982-85), Pat Stoffel (1977-81), Zane Teilane (2003-06) and Becky Tyo (2000-03).

MUSCATINE'S FINEST: Prior to Wednesday's tip, senior point guard Emily Clemens will be honored for breaking multiple records last Saturday in the win over Oral Roberts. She became the program's all-time leading scorer with 1,558 points, passing former Western Illinois great and 2017 Athletics Hall of Famer Zane Teilane (2003-06), who accumulated 1,547 points.

Clemens also became the all-time Summit League leader in career assists (633) and free throws made (516).

NO. 9 FOR NO. 2 : Senior point guard Emily Clemens earned her ninth career player of the week honor for her record-breaking performances against South Dakota (Feb. 1) and Oral Roberts (Feb. 3).

The weekly award also marks her fourth this season, including the second straight time she has won the honor. Western Illinois went 1-1 over the week on the road, as Clemens tallied 21 points in the loss at South Dakota. She followed up with her 13th career double-double of 31 points and 10 assists, along with going 14-for-14 from the charity stripe in the win over Oral Roberts. For the week, she averaged 26.0 points, 7.0 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game, while shooting 53.6 percent (15-of-28) from the field and 50 percent (7-of-14) from beyond the arc.

Clemens was also named to her first career HERO Sports HERO of the Week honor (Feb. 3).

THREE OF A KIND: The trio of Emily Clemens, Taylor Higginbotham and Morgan Blumer rank in the top-5 for scoring in The Summit League. Clemens ranks second with 18.1 points per game, followed by Higginbotham in third (17.2) and Blumerin fourth (14.3). Both Clemens and Higginbotham are also 1,000-point scorers, while Blumer, who in only her second season with the Leathernecks, has 896 career points. The trio make up for 49.3 of the team's 82.8 points per game, which also leads the league.

SCOUTING THE MAVERICKS: Omaha sits at 10-11 overall with a 1-7 mark in league play thus far. The Mavericks recently fell to South Dakota State (103-54) at home on Feb. 3. Their lone league win was an 80-67 result over North Dakota State at home (Jan. 24).

In the last meeting between the two programs, Western Illinois surged past Omaha 90-51 Saturday afternoon (Jan. 13) inside Baxter Arena for its third Summit League win of the season. Led by the game-high 29 points and five 3-pointers from Emily Clemens, the Leathernecks improve to 13-5 overall and 3-1 in league play, while the Mavericks fall to 8-8 and 0-4 in Summit League action.

Taylor Higginbotham followed with her seventh double-double of the season, registering 16 points and 10 rebounds. Morgan Blumer contributed with 14 points and nine rebounds, while Michelle Farrow rounded out the double-digit scoring with 10 points. Farrow also compiled a career-high eight rebounds and six assists.

THE SERIES: Western Illinois leads the all-time series 10-4, having won five straight over the Mavericks.

LOOKING AHEAD: The Leathernecks have a pair of games next week, as they take on Eureka College (Feb. 12) followed by the final home game of the season, which also marks Senior Day, against South Dakota State (Feb. 17).

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Players Mentioned

#12 Morgan Blumer: G; 5' 11"; Senior; Milton / Florida Gulf Coast

#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

#12 Morgan Blumer
: 5' 11"; Senior; Milton / Florida Gulf Coast
: G

#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