WHO | Western Illinois at Missouri

WHEN | Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m.

WHERE | Columbia, Mo.

LIVE STATS | Here

WATCH |  SEC Network / ESPN+

SOCIAL MEDIA | Twitter #TRADITIONofTOUGH

TIP-OFF | Western Illinois women's basketball team will take on the SEC's Missouri Tigers Tuesday (Nov. 5) to tip-off their 2019-20 season.

EXHIBITION PLAY | The Leathernecks hosted their first event of the 2019-20 season taking on the Maryville Saints for an exhibition game Thursday (Oct. 24) with a 78-61 victory. Evan Zars had a standout performance in her debut as a Leatherneck with a double-double notching 17 rebounds and 10 points. Leading the team's scoring efforts was Danni Nichols with 22 points closely and Olivia Kaufmann followed closely with 20.

In their second exhibition game, the Leathernecks took on Quincy resulting in an 85-54 victory. With the opportunity for the majority of the roster to gain some minutes, three players were able to pull away with double-digit scoring games including led by Kaufmann with 14. Kyra Washington was another spark off the bench as she went 4-for-4 from beyond the arc for 12 points and Annabel Graettinger added 11.

KAUFMANN'S NOMINATION | The Summit League came out with their preseason basketball lists Oct. 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 major impact in her debut as a Leatherneck. The 6'2 sophomore started the game against Maryville Oct. 24 playing 28 minutes notching a double-double with 17 rebounds and 10 points for an impressive first performance in Western Hall. Last season for the Billikens she played in a total of 30 games, starting in 19 as a freshman, averaging 5 rebounds per game.

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 | Coach JD Gravina brings in three new players to the WIU roster that will step on the court for the first time as a Leatherneck along with Carla Flores in her redshirt freshman year. Transferring from Saint Loius University Zars hopes to make a major 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. 

SCOUTING THE TIGERS | The Tigers are led by head coach Robin Pingeton in her tenth season. Competing in the Southeastern Conference, the Power Five school boasts a 24-11 overall record and 10-6 conference record highlighted by a second-round NCAA tournament appearance. Their roster returns team-leading rebounder with 243 rebounds, Amber Smith, for her senior season. In the history of the two programs, the teams have faced 13 times resulting in a Missouri advantage, 12-1. The last season, the Leathernecks kept up with the 16th-ranked Mizzou at home.

LEATHERNECK CLUB SOCIAL | Join WIU Athletics for a Leatherneck Club Social this Tuesday (Nov. 5) at 5:30 p.m. at Sports Corner @ 124. Enjoy free food, giveaways, cash bar, and two WIU basketball season-openers! Men's basketball will take on Indiana starting at 6 p.m., followed by women's basketball against Missouri at 7 p.m. Bring your friends and come cheer the Leathernecks to victory.

LOOKING AHEAD | After tipping off their competitive start to the 2019-20 season against the SEC's Missouri the Leathernecks will head home to take on Culver-Stockton on Friday (Nov. 8) followed by Illinois Springfield on Tuesday (Nov. 12).