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Danni Nichols

Women's Basketball Home Opener

Leathernecks host Culver-Stockton to kick off home stretch

WHO| Western Illinois vs. Culver-Stockton 
WHEN| Friday, Nov. 8 at 5:30 p.m.
WHERE| Macomb, Ill.
LIVE STATS| Here
WATCH| Here
SOCIAL MEDIA| Twitter #TRADITIONofTOUGH

TIP-OFF| Western Illinois women's basketball will host three consecutive home games over the span of a week. Hosting Culver-Stockton to kick off the three-game streak on Friday (Nov. 8) night.

GRAVINA'S TAKE| "I am excited to see Jeanette and what she has done with the program at Culver-Stockton," said head coach JD Gravina.

LAST TIME OUT| The Western Illinois women's basketball team took the SEC's Missouri to overtime Tuesday (Nov. 5), and the final resulted in a 97-89 decision for the Tigers. The Leathernecks held their largest lead at 59-50 on a three ball from Columbia, Mo. native Dani Nichols. The Tigers responded to tie the game and the score teetered until a stalemate at the end of regulation at 81-81. Mizzou pulled away on an 8-0 run to secure the game.

Olivia Kaufmann guided the Leathernecks with a double-double scoring 23 points with 11 rebounds. Evan Zars started her first regular-season game as a Leatherneck to post an impressive 20 rebounds.

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. In exhibition play, 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. Opening up regular season against Mizzou, Nov. 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| 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 WILDCATS| The Wildcats are led by head coach Janette Burgin in her seventh season. Competing in the Heart of America Athletic Conference, the NAIA school posted a 19-14 record last season. Their roster returns Ryan Dooley a 2018-19 standout that notched 417 points for the season. In the history of the two programs the two teams have only faced off once, resulting in a 113-38 victory for the Leathernecks.

FOOD FIGHT| Each Summit League school has been challenged to raise at least 9,000 pounds of food, and Western Illinois Athletics plans to do its part in serving Macomb and its surrounding communities. WIU Athletics will be accepting donations at all home events -- volleyball, men's and women's basketball, and football -- the week of November 11-17. Food collected will be donated to Loaves & Fishes Etc. and the WIU Food Pantry. This will include Tuesday's (Nov. 12) women's game against Indiana State.

LOOKING AHEAD| Following Friday night's home game the Leathernecks will continue the home stretch hosting Illinois-Springfield and Indiana State Tuesday (Nov. 12) and Thursday (Nov. 14).
 
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