Who | Western Illinois (3-1, 0-0) vs. Missouri Baptist (3-5, 0-0)

When | Tuesday, Nov. 23 - 6 p.m. CT

Where | Macomb, Ill. (Western Hall)

Social Media | Twitter + Instagram + Facebook + #TRADITIONofTOUGH

Quick Hits

• Tuesday (Nov. 23) marks the final outing of a three-game home stretch for Western Illinois women's basketball. The team hosts Missouri Baptist University at 6 p.m. CT.

• Western is off to a 3-1 overall start -- its best since the 2019-20 season.

• This past Saturday (Nov. 20), the Leathernecks dominated in a 105-82 home win over Bellarmine University.

• Saturday also featured five WIU players ending in double-digit scoring figures. The last time this feat happened was during the 2020-21 season (versus Denver on Feb. 13, 2021).

• Additionally, Western finished with 50 team rebounds in the Bellarmine win. Coincidentally, it was the highest rebounding tally since the program played at Bellarmine for the first-ever meeting on Dec. 19, 2020.

• Through two weeks, Danni Nichols continues to lead The Summit League in scoring (19.8 ppg).

Most Recently … | Fans in Western Hall witnessed a scoring display by Western Illinois women's basketball (3-1, 0-0) on Saturday evening (Nov. 20), as the team defeated Bellarmine (0-3, 0-0) in a dominant 105-82 home victory.

The last time Western scored over 100 points was this past winter at Omaha (Feb. 6, 2021).

A layup scored by Danni Nichols off a fast break turnover saw Western leading 14-7 in the first period. Alissa Dins checked to provide an immediate impact, and Jada Thorpe kept the defense on its heels with her playmaking skills, stretching the lead to 23-11 at the quarter's 3:09 mark. Some missed shots and turnovers hurt WIU, as Bellarmine cut into the lead, down 23-17. Still, additional points from Nichols and Thorpe had their squad in front, 30-17, by the time the first ten minutes had wound down.

Finishes around the rim continued to be WIU's bread and butter during the second quarter. Free throws by Mallory McDermott put the score at 40-25 around the clock's midway point. A mix of starters and reserves gave WIU a spark, as the team went up big at halftime, 54-34 after Elizabeth Lutz pounded her way to the basket for an under-handed finish before time expired. Shooting 50% from the floor as a whole, Western already had three scorers plug in 10 or more points before halftime.

Bellarmine woke up a bit early in the third -- piling a 10-2 start. Following a timeout, McDermott helped WIU get back into a flow by scoring four quick points. Still leading by over 20, Kennedy Flanagan got into the open floor for an easy basket, and Lutz scored a triple to have her Leathernecks ahead 73-53 at the end of three.

On both ends, Evan Zars went to work right away in the fourth quarter. A high layup by the forward increased the advantage to 81-55, and it was smooth sailing for Western for the final 7.5 minutes. Dins, McDermott, and Anna Deets especially stood out down the stretch.

As a team, WIU totaled a 52% field goal percentage -- its best mark this year so far. Thorpe led the way with a career-high 21 points, while Nichols (18), Lutz (16), Zars (16), and McDermott (10) rounded out the high scoring. Lutz and Thorpe both contributed six rebounds and four assists. 

Along with Thorpe, it was also a career night for Dins, who finished with nine points and ten rebounds -- both single-game bests. She and Zars added two blocks apiece. Deets finished with eight points and three rebounds.

Closing In | Being a dependable scorer since she first put on a jersey with the Purple and Gold, Danni Nichols is now only 34 points away from entering Western's 1,000-point club. She would be the 20th player in program history to land in a select company. Nichols has been a top-two team scorer for each of the last two seasons and leads the Leathernecks this year thus far with 19.8 points per night.

No Place Like Home | Tracing back to near the end of last winter, WIU has won four straight games on its floor. Tuesday night will be the team's final home appearance until the annual 'Compass Challenge' takes place on Dec. 3-4.

A (Very) Brief History | Around two years ago, Western and Missouri Baptist matched up for the first time. Taking place in Macomb, WIU victoriously took a 90-69 decision on Nov. 26, 2019.

Scouting the Opposition | Sitting at 3-5 overall, MBU has posted a .356 team three-point percentage through eight games. This past weekend (Nov. 20), the Spartans held on for a 66-63 win over Baker University. Turnovers have hurt the group (21.4 per game). Tionne Taylor has been a lethal scorer with 20.4 PPG and is shooting 37% from deep. Defensively, Taylor leads with 2.1 SPG. Joelle Atkins is pulling down over five and a half rebounds each night, while Rose Wassef has dished out 36 assists.

Tuesday will be an exhibition game for MBU but a countable game for Western.

What's Next ? | Following Thanksgiving Day, the Leathernecks will fly out to the state of Texas for a two-game trip. First, WIU plays at Tarleton State in Stephensville (Nov. 27) before heading to San Antonio for a Monday (Nov. 29) outing at Incarnate Word.