GAME INFO:
Who: Western Illinois (4-6) vs Saint Xavier (8-4)
When: Friday (Dec. 16) – 5:30 p.m.
Where: Vibrant Arena at The Mark – Moline, Ill.


SOCIAL MEDIA: @WIUWBB (Twitter + Instagram + Facebook)

 

Quick Hitters:

- The Mid-Con Tournament was previously hosted at what is now called the Vibrant Arena at The Mark, and the team's March 6, 1997 Mid-Con Tournament appearance was the last time Leatherneck women's basketball played a game in Moline.

- Now in year five at Western Illinois, Elizabeth Lutz is nearing a monumental milestone: the 1,000-point club. Lutz is now 42 away from becoming just the 21^st player in the program's 52-year history to reach the milestone.

- Friday's contest marks the final non-league matchup in the 2022-23 season for the Leathernecks, who hit the road to face North Dakota State (Dec. 19) and North Dakota (Dec. 21) early next week.

 

Scouting the Cougars

The Saint Xavier Cougars (NAIA) are 8-4 on the season and coming off a 77-58 home victory over Cardinal Stritch University. Boasting three players who average double-figure scoring per game, the Cougars have been the strongest this season coming out of the halftime break - outscoring opponents 263-207 in the third quarter. Alyssa Crenshaw caught fire in that victory over Cardinal Stritch with 22 points and seven rebounds on 7-9 shooting, bringing her season average to 14.3 per game; this ranks second on the team behind Claire Austin's 16.1 per contest.

Quad Cities Connections

As the Leathernecks prepare for Friday's contest in Moline, it's hard to deny the proximity of the venue to several parts of the WIU program. From Western Hall to the Vibrant Arena at The Mark is just 77.6 miles, and the team also boasts two players who are from close by: Allie Meadows' hometown of DeWitt, Iowa, is just over 26 miles away, whereas Mallory McDermott's hometown of Fairfax, Iowa is approximately 89 miles away.

Protecting Home Court

WIU women's basketball is coming off arguably the most important weekend of the season so far, hosting and defeating both Valparaiso (83-67) and SIUE (83-77). The two victories bring Western up to four on the season and three at home, also marking the team's third win in its last four games.

Deets for Three

Anna Deets has had a string of quality performances in recent games, having finished with double-figure scoring in three-straight contests. It started with a season-high 19 points and seven rebounds against SEMO on Dec. 7, and was followed by a 15-point, six-rebound performance in Western's victory over Valparaiso. Deets concluded the stretch with 13 points and three steals against SIUE, bringing her season average up to 10.2 points per game – good for second on the team – while shooting 41% from the field, 39% from three and 71% at the free throw line.

Stepping Up

Addi Brownfield had a career game against the Cougars of SIUE this past weekend, pouring in 21 points on 5-6 shooting and 10-12 at the line while also grabbing four rebounds and three steals. A freshman from Boonville, Mo., Brownfield also scored 12 and grabbed four boards in Friday's victory over Valpo, shooting an efficient 5-8 from the field. She now holds averages of 7.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.8 steals while shooting 76.5% from the free throw line this season.

Offensive Production

Five different players scored at least 10 points against SIUE on Sunday, marking the first time since Dec. 11, 2021, that happened. Led by Brownfield's 21 points, Jada Thorpe scored 16 and was followed by Anna Deets (13), Mallory McDermott (13) and Elizabeth Lutz (10). Thorpe (12.0) and Deets (10.2) are the only Leathernecks averaging double-figure scoring but there are four players all averaging over seven points per game: Lutz (7.9), McDermott (7.6), Brownfield (7.4) and Zareia Chevre (7.2)

Make Your Free Throws

One of the biggest strengths of the Leatherneck team this season has been its ability to get to the free throw line, as Western currently leads all Summit League schools in free total throws made (173) and attempted (239). WIU has made at least 20 shots at the line in five games this season and went a combined 55-71 (77.4%) in both victories this past weekend.

Finding a Rotation

Western Illinois' bench players have played a huge role through 10 games, as 10 players are currently averaging at least 10 minutes of action. Though searching for a rotation is something that head coach JD Gravina acknowledged hurt the team early in the year, after Sunday's game against SIUE Gravina said that the team's depth "is starting to become a positive."

Leading the League

Western ranks among the top Summit League teams in several statistical categories. The team currently ranks third in three pointers made (73) and attempted (257), first in free throws made (173) and free throws attempted (239), fourth in defensive rebounding (258/25.8 per game), second in opponent turnovers (200) and third in turnover margin (2.8).

Tough Opponents

After Friday's game against St. Xavier it's all Summit League action for the remainder of the season, as Western commences league play with four tough contests. It starts with a Monday (Dec. 19) game at North Dakota State and is followed by a Wednesday (Dec. 21) contest in Grand Forks against North Dakota; after a week off for the holiday, the Leathernecks will host South Dakota State on Dec. 29 and South Dakota on Dec. 31 at Western Hall.