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Western Illinois University Athletics

deets
Matthew Brooks
91
Winner Western Ill. WIU 10-16,5-10 Summit League
85
Oral Roberts ORU 11-14,8-6 Summit League
Winner
Western Ill. WIU
10-16,5-10 Summit League
91
Final
85
Oral Roberts ORU
11-14,8-6 Summit League
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Western Ill. WIU 23 15 31 22 91
Oral Roberts ORU 24 19 23 19 85

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

WIU Completes Weekend Sweep, Defeats ORU

Anna Deets scored 20 and Alissa Dins set a new career-best mark in points and rebounds as Western defeated ORU on the road for the first time since Feb. 3, 2018.

TULSA, Okla. – Western Illinois women's basketball played Saturday afternoon (Feb. 11), defeating the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles 91-85 at the Mabee Center. Saturday's result marks just the second time since the 2018-19 season that Western has won back-to-back games on the road, joining last season's road sweep of the North Dakota schools, while also serving as the team's tenth win of the season.
 
"It's so hard to get an away sweep in this league, especially when you're playing the second-placed team so I'm just really proud," head coach JD Gravina said. "ORU was up by five at halftime but I think they felt they were going to win the game easily and, for a second I think we felt that way too, but we got ourselves fired back up and showed some real toughness especially down the stretch… overall just pretty happy with the team."
 
There were some familiar faces in the starting five as the Leathernecks trotted out with the same five that have started each of the last 12 games. After a made three pointer by Anna Deets just 30 seconds in, Addi Brownfield drove to the lane and converted a layup at the 8:30 mark to ignite a 10-2 Western Illinois run; Brownfield, along with Alissa Dins, combined for every point as Western built an early eight-point lead. The Golden Eagles responded by out-scoring Western 19-10 down the stretch of the first as Western trailed by one after one.
 
After both teams traded buckets early in the second, Western Illinois went on a 9-0 run that turned a 34-28 deficit into a 36-34 lead. Dins, Deets and Brownfield scored along with Elizabeth Lutz, who put the exclamation point on the quality stretch of play with a three pointer that came off a feed from Carla Flores; the 9-0 run would be the biggest by either team in the entire game. ORU once again responded and used last-second free throws to put the Golden Eagles ahead, 43-38, at halftime.
 
Western's offense exploded for 31 points in the third quarter, shooting 8-16 from the field and converting 11 free throws. Elizabeth Lutz scored 10 of her points during the 10-minute period, draining two from deep. Alissa Dins also made several key plays in the third, grabbing her 10th rebound of the game mid-way through the quarter to secure her second-consecutive double-double. Kennedy Flanagan grabbed an offensive rebound and converted the ensuing layup with less than one second remaining in the quarter put Western ahead, 69-66, after three.
 
The game swung back-and-forth during the final quarter, with the lead changing on six different occasions. The Golden Eagles tok a three-point advantage with just over three minutes to go, but a Jada Thorpe free throw and Anna Deets triple quickly erased the deficit, as Western held a one-point advantage with 2:54 to go.
 
Deets would make one of the biggest plays of the game with just 53 seconds remaining, standing tall and drawing a charge with the game level at 83. The Mason City, Iowa, native then connected with a deep triple on the ensuing possession to put Western ahead, 86-83, with 45 seconds in the game. Flores, Deets, Brownfield and Lutz would then combine to shoot a perfect 5-5 at the free throw line down the stretch as the Leathernecks rode out of the Mabee Center with their first victory since 2018.
 
"A lot of people wouldn't notice that because it doesn't' show up in the stat sheet but that charge was a huge play. Then having a play drawn up for (Addi Brownfield) where she's able to make a pass for Deets' three which, other than some free throws, ended up being the game-winner, it was big," Gravina said. "Then, up three, we defended really well. Elizabeth even got a hand on that Nix three and then Carla went after the rebound hard. Carla doesn't get to the line a lot for her to step up and make two key free throws was really big.
 
"There were a lot of plays during that stretch that I thought were important," Gravina added. "A lot of times you look at one play but there were probably five or six that made a difference in this game."
 
Anna Deets' 20 points would lead the team, as she shot 5-10 from the floor, 3-8 from deep and 7-8 at the line, also grabbing four rebounds. Addi Brownfield scored 19, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out a team-high five assists, also recording one block and two steals. Alissa Dins was able to carry the momentum of her last game into this one, setting a new career-best mark in both points and rebounds; Dins would finish with 17 points, 17 rebounds, one block and three steals. Elizabeth Lutz scored 16, grabbed three rebounds and added four assists, one block and one steal, while Carla Flores paired seven points with four rebounds. Jada Thorpe scored seven and Kennedy Flanagan grabbed four rebounds off the Western Illinois bench.
 
"It's such a tough challenge to be going against not only Tirzah Moore but their other players who run in and get after the boards, so for Alissa to have 17 rebounds is just phenomenal. I've been really happy with her rebounding this year," Gravina said. "It was nice to see her get going a little bit offensively too. She's slowly starting to build her confidence and continuing to work on being decisive which was big.
 
"I've also been happy with the play of (Elizabeth Lutz). We had a good talk last Saturday and she wants to end her career in a real positive way. I think this year she recognized the importance of setting the tone for the future and was willing to take a back seat," Gravina added. "At the same time, even from that back seat, she's stepped up and is being the player we need to have some success. I'm really proud of her and excited to see her finishing her career in this way."
 
As a team the Leathernecks shot 26-63 (41.3%) from the field and found a way to the free throw line early and often, connecting on 31 of 39 free throw attempts – good for a 79.5% conversion rate. WIU won the battle on the glass, 48-42, using 10 steals and three blocks to generate 21 Golden Eagle turnovers that would be converted into 17 points off turnovers and 24 on the fast break. Both teams scored 32 in the paint and had 12 bench points while the game featured 11 ties and 16 lead changes.
 
Western Illinois women's basketball will round out the 2023 regular season with a three-game homestand, hosting St. Thomas next weekend and both North Dakota Schools at Western Hall the following week. Tip-off against the Tommies is scheduled for 2 p.m. next Saturday (Feb. 18).
 
 
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