George Hartmann

Homestand Continues with Purdue Fort Wayne

Thursday, January 17, 2019

The Leathernecks will play host to Purdue Fort Wayne Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

Western Illinois (7-12, 3-3) vs. Purdue Fort Wayne (4-13, 0-5)
Date / Tipoff:	Saturday, Jan. 19 \| 4:30 p.m.
Locations:	Macomb, Ill.
Site:	Western Hall
Radio:	Ryan Kent Jr. (WRMS)

Family Day: Members of the Rocky's Kids Club are invited to bring one guest to the game for free admittance. (Limit one free ticket per member)

Series History: The Leathernecks seek their ninth consecutive win over Purdue Fort Wayne this Saturday, where a positive decision would even the all-time series at 12-12.

Western's Last Outing: Western limited Omaha to eight points in the third quarter while shooting 61.5 percent from the floor (8-for-13) en route to their first home win of the new year. The final decision fell 78-70 for the Leathernecks and three finished in double-figures.

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 67 assists while also guiding the offense with 15.5 points per game. She ranks second and fifth in the Summit League, respectively.

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 584 minutes played.

Kaufmann has been on the edge of her first career double-double three times this season, scoring in double-figures against Oral Roberts and North Dakota State with nine rebounds in both contests. In Western's 78-70 win over Omaha, she finished the evening with 17 points, nine assists, six rebounds, and five steals.

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 1,649 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 | 1,649 (2nd)
Field Goals | 575 (4th)
3-Point Field Goals Made | 226 (1st)
Free Throws Made | 273 (7th)
Steals | 222 (5th)
Rebounds | 730 (4th)
Minutes | 3,296 (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 44.3 percent from beyond the arc with 6.2 points per game. Twenty-seven of Washington's 35 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 16 starts this season, Graettinger has scored in double-figures 10 times, and her minutes have drastically increased since mid-December, with 30-plus in each of the last seven games.

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

Free-Throw Attempts – 390 (1st SL / 6th in the NCAA)
Free-Throws Made – 291 (1st / 3rd)
Steals – 215 (1st / 3rd)
Three-Point Attempts – 558 (1st / 3rd)
Three-Points Field Goals Made – 173 (2nd /5th)
Turnovers Forced – 22.63 PG (1st / 9th)

*national marks as of Jan. 17

The Long Ball: Western sits fifth in the nation with 173 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 40 treys while Elizabeth Lutz adds 28 and Kyra Washington 27.

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 (670), Rebounds (88), Assists (30), 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 'Dons: Purdue Fort Wayne (4-13, 0-5) is still in search of its first Summit League win and overall success since an 86-45 decision over Goshen on Dec. 16. De'Jour Young is the team's scoring and rebounding leader with 12.4 PPG and 6.2 RPG. The 'Dons next two scoring leaders are both averaging 9.5 PPG (Kierstyn Repp, Jaelencia Williams).

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