Who | Western Illinois (1-1, 0-0) vs. Chicago State (0-2, 0-0)
When | Wednesday (Nov. 17) – 6 p.m. CT
Where | Macomb, Ill. (Western Hall)
Social Media | Twitter + Instagram + Facebook + #TRADITIONofTOUGH
Quick Hits
- Wednesday evening (Nov. 17) will serve as the official 2021-22 home opener for Western Illinois women’s basketball. The team brings Chicago State to town for a 6 p.m. CT tilt.
- This past week, WIU went 1-1 in its first week of regular-season road tests — first falling to Notre Dame on Thursday (Nov. 11) before defeating Butler less than 48 hours later (Nov. 13).
- Western’s victory at Butler was its first over the program since Dec. 19, 2001, which was also the last time the program defeated a Big East school.
- Chicago State is searching for its first win of the season after starting at an 0-2 clip.
- In the last five seasons, WIU is 3-2 in its home openers.
Most Recently … | Last Thursday (Nov. 11) marked the first-ever meeting between Western and Notre Dame. Protecting its home floor on Veterans Day, the Fighting Irish capitalized on a big third quarter to run away in a 76-50 decision. Danni Nichols put on an exceptional offensive showing from start to finish — ending as the game’s leading scorer with 22 points on 8-17 shooting. Evan Zars contributed seven points and seven rebounds, while Thorpe chipped in five points and five boards. Mallory McDermott notched a pair of three-pointers off the bench for six points. WIU struggled from outside (4-24) while being outrebounded 62-31.
Turning its attention to Butler on Saturday (Nov. 13), sharp shooting and stellar defense by WIU led to a big 73-46 win over the Bulldogs, giving the team its first victory of the winter season. Four players reached double-figures in scoring for the Leathernecks, and Zars fell just short of a double-double with eight points and a game-high 11 rebounds, including two blocks. Nichols and Jada Thorpe impressed defensively with four steals apiece.
Making it Rain in Hinkle | Splashing in a total of 16 three-pointers during the Butler win, Western tallied a noteworthy 42% team field goal percentage while holding the Bulldogs to just over 27%. The 16 made three-pointers stand as the fifth-most in a game by Western. Sophomores Anna Deets and Mallory McDermott both went 4-7 from distance for 12 points off the bench, which was a new career-high for the latter. The duo accounted for 24 of WIU’s 27 bench points. Nine of the Leathernecks’ triples happened during the first half.
Hot First Week | Following two exceptional performances, Danni Nichols stands as WIU’s top scorer with a 19.0 points per game average. Her game-high 22 points against Notre Dame was the senior’s second-highest single-game total. Facing Butler, she again led all scorers with 16 points, including six rebounds and two assists. Using her quick instincts, Nichols also stood out defensively in the opening week — collecting four steals over the Bulldogs. She added two steals and one block at Notre Dame.
A Brief History | This will be the 39th all-time meeting between Western and Chicago State. The Leathernecks have had the upper hand in the series, holding a 36-2 advantage and currently on a six-game winning streak. In postseason play, the two programs have split in two matchups.
Scouting the Opposition | After going 0-14 overall a season ago, Chicago State has dropped its first two games (at Wichita State and versus the University of Alabama at Birmingham) to start 2021-22. Aaliyah Collins is the Cougars’ top performer in several categories: 10.0 ppg, 2.5 apg, 1.5 bpg, 2.5 spg, and 34.5 mpg. Christina Britter and Kyjai Miles are the leading rebounders (5.5 rpg), while Allysah Boothe has attempted the most three-pointers (7.5/game).
What’s Next? | The homestand continues for WIU later this week when head coach JD Gravina‘s group welcomes Bellarmine to Western Hall on Saturday (Nov. 20).
***Report Courtesy of Western Illinois University***
