Who | Western Illinois (8-2, 0-0) vs. Greenville (6-2, 0-0)

When | Saturday, Dec. 11 -- 2 p.m. CT

Where | Macomb, Ill. (Western Hall)

Radio | Q98.1 (Will Thomas)

Social Media | Twitter + Instagram + Facebook + #TRADITIONofTOUGH

Quick Hits

• Coming off a challenging road win, Western Illinois women's basketball is back in Western Hall on Saturday (Dec. 11) to host Greenville University.

• On Tuesday (Dec. 7), the Leathernecks held on for a 96-93 finish at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville. 

• WIU is undefeated at home this season (5-0).

• Saturday's matchup will be the last non-league showing of the winter.

• Western leads The Summit League in points per game (79.8) and three-pointers made (89).

• Evan Zars has climbed to the league's top in rebounds per game (8.8).

• Greenville has done well in its non-conference slate, standing at 6-2 overall. The team most recently defeated Knox College, 72-55, last Saturday (Dec. 4).

• WIU's 8-2 overall clip is second-best within Summit teams.

• The Leathernecks were picked seventh in this year's league preseason poll.

Most Recently … | Another dogfight involved WIU on Tuesday night (Dec. 7), taking place on the road this time. Matched up with an SIUE team that utilized a hard-nosed defensive press, WIU held on for a 96-93 win.

Jada Thorpe exceeded a recently-set career-high during the evening, totaling a game-best 27 points, along with five rebounds and three assists. The redshirt sophomore guard plugged in 17 free throw attempts, which is tied for fourth-highest in the program's single-game records.

Danni Nichols played the most minutes of any Leatherneck (37), scoring 25 points. Evan Zars pieced a line of 14 points (6-7 shooting), eight rebounds, and four assists. Elizabeth Lutz came alive in the second half to end with 16 points, six rebounds, six assists, and three steals.

A Dangerous Duo | Western's two most lethal scorers, Danni Nichols and Jada Thorpe, lead the squad with 19.2 PPG and 12.7 PPG, respectively. Both guards have reached new career-highs in the past two games. Nichols' exceptional way of getting to the basket has resulted in a neck-turning .592 field goal percentage. Thorpe also excels as a slasher while also showcasing other ways of scoring the ball. Earning free throws is one of the best facets of her game, shown by the 5'9" guard's team-leading 63 attempts at the line. Defensively, Nichols and Thorpe can cause destruction in causing turnovers -- Nichols averages 2.1 SPG, and Thorpe is not far behind at 1.7.

Spotlight Shoutout | On Monday (Dec. 6), Danni Nichols was named The Summit League Player of the Week, announced by the league office. It was the first such honor of her career.

"Danni has just been phenomenal this year," noted WIU head coach JD Gravina. "Having such a consistent and calm player leading us has helped our team win some close games. I love the way she plays in open space and in transition. I still think back to how underrated she was in recruiting, and feel really lucky she came here to Western."

Playing three games this past week, Western went 2-1. The stretch started with a 63-59 setback at Incarnate Word on Monday (Nov. 29). However, despite the loss, Nichols achieved a noteworthy feat in becoming the 20th player in program history to enter the 1,000-point club. She finished with an impressive stat line of 14 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and three steals on 5-7 shooting from the field.

The weekend (Dec. 3-4) became a memorable one for WIU, as the team won the annual Compass Challenge tournament on its home floor. Nichols first exploded for 26 points, six rebounds, six assists, and two steals in a 92-83 overtime win against Northern Illinois on Friday. Southern Illinois had no answer for her straight-line drives to the rim during Saturday evening's championship, resulting in a new career-high of 27 points, five rebounds, and two steals on a .786 field goal percentage. For her efforts in helping Western win its first-ever Compass Challenge title, the senior was named MVP of the tournament.

Nichols' weekly averages were 22.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.0 APG, and 2.3 SPG while shooting nearly 66% from the floor. She led the Leathernecks in scoring for all three games.

A Brief History | It has been decades since these two foes faced off, dating back to the 1974-75 season when WIU defeated the Panthers, 72-51. Twice during the 1971-72 campaign, Western also collected two wins over Greenville, holding a 3-0 all-time series edge. 

Scouting the Opposition | The Panthers hit the glass hard as a unit, pulling down 40.3 RPG. Ashley Anderson is the primary enforcer in that category (6.4/game). Emily Reinneck leads the way in points (12.9/game), assists (4.1/game), and steals (2.0/game) while standing second in rebounds (6.3/game). Madelyn Stephen is another standout (12.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 2.3 APG).

What's Next? | Western has a nine-day break from games until it hosts the league opener versus Denver on Dec. 20.