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Matthew Brooks

Game 1 Preview: The Regular Season Begins

| By: WIU Athletic Communications

Western Illinois women's basketball's 2022-23 season opens at Minnesota on Monday, Nov. 7.

GAME INFO:
Who: Western Illinois (0-0) @ Minnesota (0-0)
When: Monday, Nov. 7 – 5:30 p.m.
Where: Williams Arena – Minneapolis, Minn.
Social Media: @WIUWBB (Twitter + Instagram + Facebook)
 
Quick hitters:
- Western Illinois went 2-0 during its preseason exhibition schedule, defeating Columbia College 70-57 on Oct. 24 and then wrapping up with a 63-48 victory over Quincy University on Nov. 1. Jada Thorpe led the team in scoring with an average of 13.5 points per game across the two contests while Elizabeth Lutz recorded double-digit rebounds in both games.
 
- Entering 2022-23 with no career starts, Kennedy Flanagan started both of the exhibition match ups, while Alissa Dins scored 17 in a start against Columbia College.
 
- No Leatherneck played more than 30 minutes this preseason while every single player made an appearance in both games. Freshmen Allie Meadows and Addi Brownfield both played double-digit minutes in both appearances while transfer Zareia Chevre averaged 22.5 minutes, which led all of the newcomers.
 
- Entering this season with a regular season career-high of 13 points, Mallory McDermott scored 19 on 7-13 shooting (4-8 from deep) against the Quincy Hawks. After averaging 12.7 minutes per game last season, McDermott is likely to see an increase in usage this season.
 
25 years in the making
Monday's game marks the first time since Dec. 13, 1997, that the Leathernecks and Golden Gophers have faced off. Western is 2-2 across all four matchups, winning once on the road (Dec. 17, 1995) and once at home (Nov. 22, 1996). Monday's game is also the only matchup this season that will see Western Illinois compete against a Power Five opponent after playing two last season (Nov. 11 at Notre Dame, Nov. 13 at Butler).
 
Scouting the Opponent
The Golden Gophers are coming off a 2021-22 season that saw the team finish 15-18 overall and 7-11 against Big Ten competition. 11 new players joined the program during the offseason; five transfers, four freshmen and two walk-ons, with Minnesota's freshman class ranking at No. 10 in the nation and being headlined by Mara Braun. Braun led the Golden Gophers' offense in the lone exhibition against UW-River Falls, scoring 23 points on 9-18 shooting.
 
New Faces
This past offseason was a busy one for the Leatherneck women's basketball coaching staff, as six new faces joined the program. Zareia Chevre (Monmouth University), Jayda Adams (CSUN / Duke) and Madison Allen (Kankakee CC) transferred in while Lily Randgaard (Oconomowoc, Wis.), Allie Meadows (DeWitt, Iowa) and Addi Brownfield (Boonville, Mo.) joined the program as true freshmen.
 
Overcoming Adversity
Senior guard Carla Flores is back for the Leathernecks this year after missing most of last season due to injury. She made two appearances in the 2021-22 campaign, playing a total of 25 minutes against Butler and Chicago State before going down late in her second appearance and missing the remainder of the season. She came off the bench in both of Western's preseason exhibitions, playing 17 total minutes.
 
Letting it Fly
WIU's identity as a team in recent years has centered around the three-point shot, and the 2022-23 season appears no different. During the team's preseason press conference, head coach JD Gravina talked about the importance of taking and making shots from deep this season, emphasizing the idea of "letting it fly." After averaging 26 attempts from range last season, the Leathernecks attempted 24 and 29 in two preseason exhibition victories.
 
Midwest Focus
The 2022-23 roster is loaded with talent from states near Illinois, as 11 different players called the Midwest home prior to joining the program. Five different Midwest states are represented on this roster, led by Missouri (three) and Iowa (three), Illinois (two) and Wisconsin (two) and finally Minnesota (one). One state (California) and another country (Spain) represent the final two roster spots.
 
Stealing the Show
Elizabeth Lutz had a strong showing on the defensive end in 2021-22, leading the Summit League in steals (64) and steals per game (2.2), earning a spot on the Summit League All-Defense team. Just behind Lutz was Jada Thorpe, who ranked second in the league in steals (59) and steals per game (2.0). Both Lutz and Thorpe are back for the 2022-23 campaign and will look to build off a successful 2021-22 season.
 
We Got Shooters
Western has returned its top three-point shooters from last season, as Mallory McDermott (32-79; 40.5%) and Anna Deets (51-132; 38.6%) are back and will look to play a key role in letting it fly this season. Kennedy Flanagan made 13 of her 31 three-point attempts, good for 41.9%, while the combination of Deets and McDermott shot a combined 79.1% at the charity stripe. In the second preseason exhibition, McDermott got hot and scored 19 points on 4-8 shooting from range.
 
Up Next:
After facing Minnesota on Monday, Leatherneck women's basketball will play its next game on the road at Southern Indiana. Tip-off in Evansville is scheduled for 6 p.m. next Friday (Nov. 11).
 
 
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