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Western Illinois University Athletics

Annabel Graettinger
Sarah Twidwell
79
Winner Western Illinois WIUWW 12-13 (8-4)
67
Omaha OMAHA 7-17 (1-10)
Winner
Western Illinois WIUWW
12-13 (8-4)
79
Final
67
Omaha OMAHA
7-17 (1-10)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Western Illinois WIUWW 16 18 23 22 79
Omaha OMAHA 20 17 13 17 67

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Leathernecks Battle From Behind En Route to Fourth Straight Win

Three scored 20-plus points for the first time in Summit League play this season.

OMAHA, Neb. – Western Illinois' women's basketball team battled from behind to take its fourth consecutive win in Summit League action as the Leathernecks defeated Omaha 79-67 on the road Saturday (Feb. 7). 

For the first time in league play, Western also saw three score 20-plus points: Olivia Kaufmann had 24, Danni Nichols posted a career-high 22, and Annabel Graettinger added 20. 

"Good teams, championship teams win when they're not at their best, and I think it's fair to say we didn't play at our best," said head coach JD Gravina. "We were 0-for-10 from [3-point territory] in the first half and came back a little bit in the second to make it 5-for-11, so it was nice to see us bounce back. If we're not shooting the ball well everything is going to be a battle for us.

"Omaha really came and played like they had nothing to lose. They made some defensive changes, some personnel changes and it really took us out of our rhythm in the first half. In the second half, I don't think we really found our rhythm, but we made some good runs and played good enough to win." 

Analyzing first half stats, Western and Omaha were pretty evenly matched in nearly every statistical category except 3-point shooting. The long ball wasn't falling for the typically hot-handed Leathernecks, but on the other end of the court, UNO sunk four to take a slight 37-34 advantage at halftime. 

Omaha swallowed its largest of the game at 37-29 after Nichols' old fashioned 3-point play, and another by Taylor Higginbotham provided the Leathernecks their first lead of the game. 

The senior and freshman catalyzed Western's offense, as Higginbotham lifted her team up 46-43 with 5:58 to go in the third quarter and Nichols closed the frame with seven points in a 9-0 run. 

Western never trailed again from that point on.  

Two regular season contests remain on the Leathernecks' home schedule as it play hosts to South Dakota on Feb. 16 and Oral Roberts on Feb. 23. Both are scheduled for 4:30 p.m. 
 
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