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Western Illinois University Athletics

Olivia Kaufmann
Sarah Twidwell
90
North Dakota UND 8-14, 3-6 Summit
111
Winner Western Illinois WIUWW 9-13, 5-4 Summit
North Dakota UND
8-14, 3-6 Summit
90
Final
111
Western Illinois WIUWW
9-13, 5-4 Summit
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
North Dakota UND 22 12 28 28 90
Western Illinois WIUWW 17 27 34 33 111

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Leathernecks Surpass Century Mark in First League Sweep

Western has now defeated North Dakota twice this season – 92-80 in Grand Forks and 111-90 inside Western Hall.

MACOMB, Ill. – The Western Illinois women's basketball team kicked off the second half of its Summit League schedule accomplishing two things – a conference sweep and its second 100-point performance of the season. The Leathernecks played host to North Dakota Friday evening (Feb. 1) and defeated the Fighting Hawks 111-90 inside Western Hal to follow a 92-80 decision in Grand Forks (Jan. 13). 

Four finished in double-figures, guided by Olivia Kaufmann matching her career-high with 28 points. She was followed by Taylor Higginbotham (23), Annabel Graettinger (18), and Danni Nichols (15). 

"Before the game, we talked about really focusing on our strengths and what we do well as opposed to worrying about our weaknesses, and that's exactly what we did," said head coach JD Gravina. "We were able to counteract them being unstoppable around the basket by really spacing them out. They had a really hard time guarding us without fouling, and when we shoot it well like that and spacing is good like it was, I think we're a really good offensive team. This was a fun up-and-down game." 

Western looked to its senior to charge its offense in the early goings of Friday's contest, and Higginbotham delivered as the lone Leatherneck to hit a field goal through the 6:58-mark. The Hawks held a slim 9-7 edge at that point, and things remained close - in favor of UND the entire way - until Graettinger sunk a 3-pointer with 4:47 to go before the break. 

The Leatherneck advantage crept into double-digits less than two minutes later, and it stuck through the remainder of the half as Western entered halftime on top, 44-34. 

Kauffman and Julia Fleecs each finished the first half with 16 points - Fleecs scored 14 by the end of the first quarter while Kauffman posted 13 in the second. 

Western's edge swelled to 20 points (84-64) with 8:19 left in the game and though the Hawks battled, they were unable to close the deficit. 

Higginbotham's 23 points moved her 12 shy of becoming Western's all-time leading scorer. She currently possesses 1,688 career points, and her former teammate and current assistant coach Emily Clemens set the mark to beat a season ago when she finished her Leatherneck career with 1,699 points. 

The Leathernecks will be back inside Western Hall Sunday at 1 p.m. in a pre-Super Bowl party against North Dakota State.
 
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