Sarah Twidwell

Leathernecks Welcome Omaha in Midweek Tilt

Monday, January 14, 2019

The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Western Illinois (6-12, 2-3) vs. Omaha (6-10, 1-3)
Date / Tipoff:	Wednesday, Jan. 13 \| 7 p.m.
Locations:	Macomb, Ill.
Site:	Western Hall
Radio:	Ryan Kent Jr. (WRMS)

Series History: Western is currently working a seven-game winning streak against Omaha, in a series where it also possesses a 12-4 edge.

McTeacher Night: The Leathernecks invite all educators to the game Wednesday to thank them for all the hard work they do each day to help students succeed.

Western's Last Outing: The Leathernecks left the state of North Dakota with a pair of firsts; their first true road win of the season in their first-ever Summit League matchup against the North Dakota Fighting Hawks.

Western defeated UND, 92-80, inside the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center Sunday afternoon, where Taylor Higginbotham also set the program's career record in 3-pointers made.

• Olivia Kaufmann led the team with a career-high 28 points, tying the team's 2018-19 single-game highs in points and field goals made (10)
• Higginbotham set Western's career 3-point record at 222, surpassing Michelle Maher (2013-16) who previously set the mark at 221
• Five finished in double-figures: Danni Nichols (17), Higginbotham (12), Annabel Graettinger (11), and Kyra Washington (11)

Running Point: Western Illinois has a new floor chief, and her name is Olivia Kaufmann. She is the Leathernecks' primary ball handler with a team-high 58 assists while also guiding the offense with 15.4 points per game. Both categories rank fifth in the Summit League.

In the team's first road win of the season – a 92-80 victory at North Dakota – Kaufmann tallied a career-high 28 points on 10 made field goals, tying the team's 2018-19 single-game highs. The junior became the Leathernecks' starting point guard this season and has seen the most action on the floor with 553 minutes played.

Kaufmann has been on the edge of her first career double-double twice this season, scoring in double-figures against Oral Roberts and North Dakota State with nine rebounds in both contests.

The Lone Ranger: Taylor Higginbotham is the lone senior on the Leathernecks' 2018-19 roster, and she sits second all-time on Westerns' career scoring list with 1, 629 points. She set the program's career 3-point record at North Dakota on Jan. 13 and is on the brink of several other top-five marks.

Higginbotham's former teammate and current assistant coach Emily Clemens became the program's all-time leading scorer a season ago where she finished her career with 1,699 points.

Western Career Rankings
Points | 1, 629 (2nd)
Field Goals | 567 (4th)
3-Point Field Goals Made | 222 (1st)
Free Throws Made | 273 (7th)
Steals | 222 (5th)
Rebounds | 723 (5th)
Minutes | 3,205 (3rd)

New Kyra on the Block: Kyra Washington joined the Leathernecks at the start of the 2018-19 season after transferring in from Parkland College. She's been an absolute spark off the bench for Western, shooting 43.1 percent from beyond the arc with 6.2 points per game. Twenty-five of Washington's 33 field goals have come from 3-point territory, and she's currently third on the team in the category.

Washington has made three or more 3-pointers in six games, highlighted by a perfect 4-for-4 performance at South Dakota State.

Ring the Bel: On a roster that includes six freshmen, South Dakota State transfer Annabel Graettinger helped bolster the Leathernecks veteran leadership ahead of the 2018-19 season. The redshirt-junior is one of four on the team with Summit League Championship experience as she won the title with SDSU in 2016. (Olivia Kaufmann, Sam Pryor, and Taylor Higginbotham are the only three remaining from Western's 2017 championship run.)

In 15 starts this season, Graettinger has scored in double-figures nine times, and her minutes have drastically increased in the last month, with 30-plus in each of the last six games.

Top 3: The Leathernecks sit 'Top 3' in The Summit League in several categories:

Free-Throw Attempts – 335 (2nd SL / 10th in the NCAA)
Free-Throws Made – 247 (1st / 3rd)
Steals – 202 (1st / 7th)
Three-Point Attempts – 531 (1st / 3rd)
Three-Points Field Goals Made – 164 (3rd /7th)
Turnovers Forced – 22.67 PG (1st / 10th)

*national marks as of Jan. 14

The Long Ball: Western sits seventh in the nation with 164 made 3-pointers. As a team, WIU has made 10 or more treys in six games this season including a program-record 28 against MacMurray College (Nov. 12) which also set an NCAA Division I record.

Taylor Higginbotham leads the charge with 36 treys while Elizabeth Lutz adds 26 and Kyra Washington 25.

Saving Grace: Grace Gilmore has started off her sophomore campaign on the highest of notes. She was inserted into the starting lineup this season, appearing in every game so far, and has already surpassed several of her 2017-18 stats.

2017-18: Minutes (169), Rebounds (36), Assists (15), Steals (7), Points (77)
2018-19: Minutes (486), Rebounds (87), Assists (29), Steals (25), Points (145)

Boards & More: Averaging 7.6 rebounds per game, Taylor Higginbotham is the most active Leatherneck on the boards. She currently ranks fourth in the Summit League in the category and has pulled down 10 or more in four games this season, finishing with a double-double in each of the contests.

Austin Peay: 12 rebounds, 14 points
Furman: 12 rebounds, 16 points
Denver: 17 rebounds (career-high), 23 points
Oral Roberts: 10 rebounds, 16 points
North Dakota State: 10 rebounds, 21 points

The Leathernecks are also 3-2 in games where Higginbotham posts a double-double.

~~Lights~~ Lutz Out: Freshman Elizabeth Lutz recorded a game-high, career-high 28 points in the team's Summit League opener against South Dakota State, which at the time, was the most by a Leatherneck this season. She finished the game with six made 3-pointers and 10 total field goals, which also sit atop Western's 2018-19 single-game highs.

Lutz has appeared in every game this season, with six starts, and has scored in double-figures eight times.

Scouting the Mavs: Omaha (6-10, 1-3 Summit League) visits Western Hall off of a 68-57 loss at North Dakota. The team snapped a five-game winless skid in a 78-61 win over North Dakota State a game prior, where Rayanna Carter and Claire Killian each scored 16 points.

Three Mavericks are averaging 9.0 points per game or more this season: Killian (10.4 PPG), Carter (10.1 PPG) and Elena Pilakouta (9.4 PPG).

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