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Western Illinois University Athletics

Mal
Sarah Ritter
72
Winner Denver Denver 9-14,5-7 Summit League
61
Western Ill. WIU 8-15,3-9 Summit League
Winner
Denver Denver
9-14,5-7 Summit League
72
Final
61
Western Ill. WIU
8-15,3-9 Summit League
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Denver Denver 16 12 20 24 72
Western Ill. WIU 19 6 18 18 61

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

McDermott Scores 18 in Loss to DU

Three players scored in double figures, team hosts Omaha on Saturday.

MACOMB, Ill. – Western Illinois women's basketball played Thursday evening (Feb. 2), falling 61-72 to the Denver Pioneers at Western Hall. The result moves WIU to 8-15 on the season with just six games remaining in the regular season.
 
"When we shoot badly it's just hard to win. Our one option when we're struggling to shoot is to get to the free throw line and we got out-shot 26-7 so that didn't happen," head coach JD Gravina said. "We were a little timid around the basket and let Minett bother us… We've got to buckle down, have a little more toughness and take better shots. Sometimes we get ourselves out of rhythm by taking bad shots and so that's another thing we've got to focus on.
 
"Defensively we didn't play that badly, we just gave them too many free throws," he added.
 
The opening frame was a balanced affair, with both teams trading baskets early. Addi Brownfield opened the Leatherneck scoring account by converting an and-one opportunity 30 seconds into the game before the Pioneers responded, but an Alissa Dins layup late in the first would build the team's 19-16 lead that held after one quarter. Both offenses went cold in the second quarter, combining for 18 total points as DU held a three-point advantage at 28-25 after the first half.
 
Mallory McDermott and Carla Flores found a groove offensively in the third, combining for 14 of the team's 18 points, with McDermott hitting two triples and Flores capping an 8-1 run late in the third quarter to bring Western within five points. After three quarters it was Pioneers 48, Leathernecks 43. Denver was able to find its way to the free throw line in the fourth , using a 9-11 effort to out-score Western 24-18, taking a 72-61 victory.
 
McDermott led the Leathernecks with 18 points, shooting 7-11 from the field and 4-7 from deep in 24 minutes on the floor. Addi Brownfield finished with 14 points, six rebounds, three assists, one block and two steals, finishing a perfect 5-5 at the line and hitting one shot from deep. Carla Flores scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds in a season-high 33 minutes of action. Anna Deets and Alissa Dins both scored six with Dins adding seven rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal.
 
"I thought Mallory McDermott played really well, that was a positive… she stepped up and that's encouraging because we can really use her. She's a kid that can put the ball in the basket and obviously we need that," Gravina said. "I thought Carla really battled. There were a couple shots that took us out of rhythm but overall she battled and she got inside to the 12-foot range where she hit a couple of those pull-up jumpers."
 
As a team, Western Illinois assisted on 15 of its 23 made baskets, hitting eight from range and grabbing 15 offensive rebounds. The Leathernecks paired seven steals with two blocks and forced 18 Pioneer turnovers, converting those into 15 points on the fast break and 18 points off turnovers. WIU controlled the paint offensively, scoring 30 in the paint; Western shot a perfect 7-7 at the free throw line.

Western Illinois women's basketball is back in action this Saturday, hosting Omaha at Western Hall. Tip off is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the game will be streamed on ESPN+.
 
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