MACOMB, Ill. – Western Illinois women's basketball standout Mia Nicastro has been named the conference's Player of the Week, the OVC announced, following her dominant performance in WIU's 75-51 victory over SIUE on Dec. 22 at Western Hall.

Nicastro led the Leathernecks with a team-high 19 points and 11 rebounds, recording her double-double while playing a game-high 33 minutes. She was efficient from the free-throw line, going 6-for-6, and added six assists to help fuel WIU's balanced offensive attack.

The senior was a force on both ends of the floor, pulling down 10 defensive rebounds and helping WIU control the paint and tempo throughout the contest. Nicastro scored in every quarter and was instrumental during the second-quarter surge that saw the Leathernecks outscore SIUE 22-5 to take a commanding halftime lead.

Her performance helped propel Western Illinois to its 10th win of the season and a 2-0 start in conference play, as the Leathernecks led for more than 33 minutes and held SIUE to just 36.5 percent shooting from the field. Nicastro's Player of the Week honor marks another milestone for the Leathernecks as they continue to build momentum early in the conference schedule.

Western Illinois returns to action next week as conference play continues on the road against UT Martin and SEMO.

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