Who | Western Illinois (11-7, 2-5) vs. St. Thomas (6-12, 3-5) and Kansas City (13-5, 3-4)
When | Saturday, Jan. 29, 1 p.m. CT and Monday, Jan 31, 6 p.m. CT
Where | St. Paul, Minn. (Schoenecker Arena) and Kansas City, Mo. (Swinney Center)
Radio | Q 98.1 / Leatherneck Sports Network (Mixlr)
Social Media | Twitter + Instagram + Facebook + #TRADITIONofTOUGH

Last Time Out | Western Illinois is coming off a pair of losses on their trip to South Dakota. WIU fell to South Dakota and South Dakota State, dropping them to 2-5 in Summit League play. The Leathernecks had a one-point lead at half vs. the top-seeded Coyotes, but a rough third quarter helped South Dakota pull away. 

Watch List | Senior guard Danni Nichols was named to the Mid-Season Watch List for the 2022 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year award, joining 14 other athletes on the list. Nichols is having a career year in her fifth season as a Leatherneck, currently the fourth-best scorer in the Summit League at a team-leading 17.1 points per game. She has shot 53.9 percent from the field and 72 percent from the line while grabbing 4.4 rebounds and dishing out over two assists per contest. A native of Columbia, Mo., Nichols was named Summit League Player of the Week on Dec. 6, her first time earning the award. 

Top Scoring Threat | Western Illinois has been known as a high-powered offense in coach JD Gravina's tenure, and that has continued this season. The Leathernecks are averaging a league-best 74.4 points per game and are top five in the league in field goal percentage and three-point percentage. Western also features four players averaging double figures, which makes WIU the only team with four or more double-digit scorers in the Summit League. 

Three-Point Barrage | Western Illinois is currently first in the Summit League and 16th in the nation in three-point makes per game with 8.9.

Matchup History | Western Illinois met Summit League newcomer, St. Thomas, for the first time back on Jan. 1 inside Western Hall. It was a defensive battle that took an additional 10 minutes to determine a winner, but St. Thomas held on for a double-overtime 66-64 win. Western Illinois is 29-20 all-time vs. the Roos and won two of the three matchups last season, including a 60-59 win in the first round of the Summit League tournament. 

Scouting the Opposition | St. Thomas sits at seventh in the Summit League standings with a 3-5 conference record. The Tommies are led by Jill Hade, who's averaging a team-leading 12.2 points per game. Kansas City sits just above St. Thomas in sixth place with a 3-4 conference record. The Roos have been one of the better offensive teams in the Summit League, currently second in scoring at 73.7 points per game, also ranking second in field goal percentage, three-point percentage, and free throw percentage. Naomie Alnatas will be a big focus to stop defensively, currently the second-best scorer in the Summit League at 18.1 points per game.