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Western Illinois University Athletics

WZ
Rachael Keating
61
Winner Western Ill. WIU 13-10,4-8 Summit League
59
North Dakota St. NDSU 9-15,5-9 Summit League
Winner
Western Ill. WIU
13-10,4-8 Summit League
61
Final
59
North Dakota St. NDSU
9-15,5-9 Summit League
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Western Ill. WIU 21 21 7 12 61
North Dakota St. NDSU 16 9 23 11 59

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | WIU Athletic Communications

Western Women Win Wild One at NDSU

Evan Zars scored 13 as the Leathernecks opened their three-game road trip with a victory.

FARGO, N.D. — The Western Illinois University Fighting Leatherneck women's basketball team played on Thursday (Feb. 10), defeating the North Dakota State Bison 61-59 in Fargo, N.D. Western moves to 13-10 on the season with six games to go.

The Leathernecks led 42-25 at the halftime break but the Bison rallied, briefly taking a lead near the end of the third quarter before a Western basket gave WIU a 49-48 advantage to start the fourth. In the final quarter, it was back and forth with neither team able to gain control. However, Western Illinois was able to find a way at the defensive end, holding the Bison scoreless the final three minutes, 19 seconds of the game. With 15 seconds left and a two-point deficit, Danni Nichols scored a second-chance basket to tie the game at 59-59. The Leatherneck defense would then force a turnover, and Elizabeth Lutz then drew a foul and sunk a pair of free throws with just two seconds remaining to put Western ahead for good, leaving Fargo with a 61-59 victory.

The triumph snaps a three-game losing streak for the Western women, improving to 13-10 overall and 4-8 in the Summit League, one game back of North Dakota State for sixth place in the conference. Jada Thorpe got Western going early, scoring eight of her 10 points in the opening quarter as the Leathernecks took a 21-16 lead after one. In the second quarter, it would be Evan Zars' turn as she poured in seven of her team-high 13 points in the period to pace WIU to its big lead. Nichols and Lutz would each add 12 points apiece for Western and Zars had a team-high seven rebounds while Lutz had four assists. The Leathernecks shot 23-59 (39%) from the floor while eight shots from deep and seven from the line. WIU held the Bison to 23-60 (38.3%) from the field, including an impressive 3-23 (13%) from three. 

The Leathernecks return to action on Saturday, heading north on Interstate 29 to take on North Dakota in Grand Forks at 1 p.m.
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