WHO|  Western Illinois Women's basketball vs. Purdue
WHEN| Sunday (Nov. 17) at 2 p.m.
WHERE| Fort Wayne, Ind.
SOCIAL MEDIA| Twitter #TRADITIONofTOUGH

TIP-OFF| Western Illinois women's basketball head to West Lafayette, Ind. to take on the Purdue Boilermakers on Sunday (Nov. 17).

LAST TIME OUT| Western Illinois women's basketball finished its three-game home stretch Thursday night (Nov. 14) in Western Hall by defeating the Indiana State Sycamores, 83-72. The Leathernecks kept the Sycamores off the board until 7:46 as they advanced a 15-2 run, only allowing two points on separate free-throw situations.

The Sycamores made a strong push to come back and take a one-point lead in the first four minutes of the second half. WIU, moving the ball around on offense, was able to regain its lead and advance yet again with six free throw opportunities. The Leathernecks took their largest lead of the game at 61-44 with 23 seconds remaining in the third frame.

The team's five starters all notched double-digits as Kaufmann poured in a season-high 25, while Annabel Graettinger contributed 13, Gilmore 11, Evan Zars 11, and Danni Nichols 10. Zars also recorded her first regular-season double-double with a game-high ten rebounds

 SCOUTING THE BOILERMAKERS | The Boilermakers are led by head coach Sharon Versyp in her 15th season at Purdue and 20th season overall. The Boilermakers start their 2019-20 season 2-0 after taking on Milwaukee and Chattanooga. Last season they recorded a 19-15 record. Their roster returns leading scorer Karissa McLaughlin averaging 15 points in the 2018-19 season. The teams have met seven times in the two program history with Purdue leading the series 7-0.

KAUFMANN'S NOMINATION| The Summit League came out with their preseason basketball lists October 7 with Western Illinois's own Kaufmann landing on All-Summit League second team. The senior guard is entering her final season with the Leathernecks, after averaging 16 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists a year ago. She posted a season-high 28 points against North Dakota on February 1, 2019.

ZAR'S LEATHERNECK DEBUT| A transfer from Saint Louis University, the Shawnee, Kans. native made a significant impact in her debut as a Leatherneck. In exhibition play, the 6'2 sophomore started the game against Maryville, October 24, playing 28 minutes, notching a double-double with 17 rebounds and 10 points for an impressive first performance in Western Hall. Opening up the regular season against Mizzou, November 5, Zars posted an impressive 20 rebounds.

SENIOR SEASON| The Leatherneck roster holds four seniors this season, including Graettinger, Kaufmann, Avery Hamm, and Washington. Kaufmann, the only senior, playing all four years for the Leathernecks, has played 87 career games resulting in 743 points and 266 rebounds. Joining the squad in her junior season, Washington has notched 162 points, and 83 rebounds in her one season in a Western jersey. After two years at South Dakota State, Graettinger was able to play her first season for WIU last season with 50 total rebounds and 29 steals. Hamm entering her second year at Western has played 30 games averaging 2.7 points and 1.3 rebounds.

ROCKY'S ROOKIES| WIU women's basketball brought in three new players that stepped on the court for the first time as a Leatherneck this season along with Carla Flores in her redshirt freshman year. Transferring from Saint Loius University, Evan Zars hopes to make a significant impact for Western after coming off a freshman season where she was the second-leading rebounder for the Billikens. True freshman Kennedy Flanagan a Canton, Mo. native, received both MBCA All-State and Academic All-State in her senior season. Alissa Dins, also in her freshman year, is a native to Rosendale, Wisc. lettering in both basketball and volleyball. After redshirting her first year the Barcelona, Spain native, Flores, will make her Leatherneck debut this season after participating in the Thailand FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup representing her native country.

CHALLENGING START| Western Illinois continues in the tradition of stacking a highly competitive pre-league start to the season, including two teams with NCAA appearances in the 2018-19 season as well as Big Ten's Purdue. Both 2019-20 opponents, Drake and Mizzou, faced off for the first round of the NCAA tournament this past season with the Tigers coming out on top. The victory over the Bulldogs propelled the SEC's Mizzou to a second-round performance where they were defeated by Iowa 68-52. 

LOOKING AHEAD| The Leathernecks continue the hard stretch moving into the week as they take on Bradley Wednesday (Nov. 20). and Drake Sunday (Nov.24).