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Anabelle Graettinger
Sarah Twidwell

Golden Eagles vs. Leathernecks in Summit League Quarterfinals

Western's appearance in the Summit League Tournament begins Sunday at 12 p.m.

Western Illinois (12-17, 8-8) vs. Oral Roberts (17-12, 10-6)         
Date / Tipoff: Sunday, March 10 at 12 p.m. 
Site: Denny Sanford PREMIER Center (Sioux Falls, S.D.)
Radio: Ryan Kent Jr. (WRMS)

SUMMIT LEAGUE TOURNAMENT: The Summit League Championships will tip-off Sunday, March 9, at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls, S.D. Quarterfinal and semifinal games will air on MidcoSN/ESPN+ with the championship game airing on ESPNU. 

The winner of the Summit League Championship will earn an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. 

Quarterfinal Games 

March 9
No. 1 South Dakota State vs. No. 8 Purdue Fort Wayne at 12 p.m.
No. 2 South Dakota vs. No. 7 North Dakota State at 2:30 p.m.

March 10
No. 4 Oral Roberts vs. No. 5 Western Illinois at 12 p.m.
No. 3 Denver vs. No. 6 North Dakota at 2:30 p.m. 

NEXT UP: The winner of Sunday's first-round matchup between Western and ORU will advance to the semifinal round to take on the winner of SDSU/PFW Monday at noon. 

TOURNAMENT SUCCESS: Western entered the 2016-17 Summit League Tournament as the regular season champions and left with the tournament title as well. The victory marked the second in program history – the first occurring during the 1994-95 campaign – and the Leathernecks are 15-21 overall in the league event. 

ALL-SUMMIT: Only three others have received the prestigious award, and Danni Nichols became the first from the Western Illinois women's basketball program as The Summit League tabbed her its Freshman of the Year. The postseason accolades were announced Thursday (March 7), as Nichols also garnered a spot on the All-Newcomer Team while Taylor Higginbotham and Olivia Kaufmann were voted second team. 

For Higginbotham, the nod marked her second in as many seasons while Nichols and Kaufmann received their firsts.

SERIES HISTORY: The Golden Eagles hold an edge in the all-time series, 24-23, after winning both regular-season matchups. 

Game 1 (Tulsa, Okla; Jan. 5) | ORU 68, WIU 64
It was a wild finish down the stretch, as the teams entered the fourth quarter tied at 50-all. Jinda Guidinger was the first player to convert a field goal when she hit a jump shot at the 8:28 mark and the basket ignited Western on a 6-0 run. There were three lead changes before the final buzzer, with Taylor Higginbotham embarking on a 6-0 run of her own to pad her team to a 64-63 edge with 29 seconds left. 

Higginbotham's corner 3-ball marked Western's final field goal of the game as ORU responded with a trey of its own on the following possession before a WIU turnover spiraled into a fastbreak layup to conclude the game. 

Game 2 (Macomb, Ill.; Feb. 23)| ORU 92, WIU 85
There were four ties and six lead changes in the contest as Annabel Graettinger netted a trifecta from the right side to knot the game at 85-85 with 1:10 left in regulation, but Oral Roberts ended the game on a 7-0 run.

WESTERN'S LAST OUTING: The Leathernecks concluded their regular season slate in a 100-62 decision to South Dakota State. Olivia Kaufmann finished the evening with a team-high 17 points and six rebounds and was followed in scoring by Annabel Graettinger (15), Danni Nichols (10) and Taylor Higginbotham (10).
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