MACOMB, Ill. - Western Illinois women's basketball delivered a dominant performance inside Western Hall on Tuesday night, cruising past Eastern Illinois, 93-49, to improve to 20-4 overall and 12-3 in OVC play.
The Leathernecks set the tone early and never let up, jumping out to a 21-7 lead after the first quarter and stretching the margin to 43-19 by halftime. A 26-point third quarter put the game well out of reach as WIU shot an efficient 55.1 percent from the floor and knocked down nine three-pointers in the win.
Mia Nicastro led the charge with a game-high 22 points while pulling down 10 rebounds for a double-double. She was a force in the paint all night, helping Western Illinois outscore the Panthers 56-16 inside.
Allie Meadows added 12 points, including four shots from beyond the arc, while Madison Davis came off the bench to score 12 of her own on an efficient 6-of-9 shooting. Addi Brownfield filled the stat sheet with 11 points and a team-high six assists, helping WIU pile up 16 assists as a team.
The Leathernecks' depth made a major impact, with the bench contributing 30 points. Kaylen Reed added 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting, and Shelby Bowman chipped in six points, including a pair of three-pointers.
Defensively, Western Illinois was just as sharp. WIU forced 15 Eastern Illinois turnovers and turned them into 18 points, while also dominating the glass with a 41-29 rebounding advantage. The Leathernecks pushed the tempo throughout the night, finishing with 21 fast-break points.
Eastern Illinois was held to just 28.3 percent shooting and trailed for the entirety of the contest, never finding an answer for Western Illinois' pressure on both ends of the floor.
With the win, WIU continues to build momentum in conference play as the regular season heads toward the final stretch.
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