MACOMB, Ill. - North Dakota (14-11, 5-7) started the game on an 8-0 run, but Western Illinois (14-12, 8-5) found its offensive stride and defeated the Fighting Hawks 91-74 on Saturday (Feb. 15) evening.
Sam Pryor checked in midway through the first quarter and drained back-to-back threes at 1:11 that turned into a 22-4 overall run with a 12 point burst that started the second quarter for a 48-33 lead at the half.
UND chipped away in the third and narrowed the WIU advantage to single digits, 67-59 on a last-second floater.
A seven-point game (69-62) at 8:13 in the fourth, Danni Nichols got to the free-throw line and converted both to send the Purple and Gold into a 14-6 run. Western made 36 total trips to the line as Nichols finished a perfect 7-7 to total a 19 point performance.
WIU earned its largest lead of the game 42-22 at 4:13 in the second on the back of an Olivia Kaufmann layup. She poured in 17 to sit at 1,168 points and is 29 from tying Deirdre LaFrance (1994-97) for 13th all-time.
Flores returned to the starting lineup and finished with a career-high five steals as WIU forced 28 turnovers.
Western Illinois aims for its 11th win at home on Senior Day Thursday (Feb. 20). The victory would tie third all-time in program history, the last time Western won 11 games at home was in the 2017-18 and 2003-04 seasons.
