Defending its home floor amid an ongoing win streak, Western Illinois women’s basketball (9-2, 0-0) continued its successful play in a defeat over Greenville University (6-3, 0-0) on Saturday afternoon (Dec. 11). Gaining strong play from every roster member, WIU routed the Panthers, 105-56.
Five Leathernecks reached double-figures in scoring. Saturday’s performance was the third time that Western had crossed over the 100-point mark this season. Additionally, the team finished its non-league play with a perfect 6-0 record at home.
“I thought we did well, despite a small lull we had in the second quarter,” stated WIU head coach JD Gravina. “It was good to see great things out of our rotation — we’re counting on all nine active players each time we step on the floor. For the most, I thought we did a pretty good job defensively in staying focused. Rebounding-wise, we just have to do better getting our weight back.”
Starting off the contest in front, 10-0, the three-ball fell for WIU, as the team racked up 31 first-quarter points. Much of the same continued in the second, with Samantha Pryor cashing a triple off a turnover to extend the margin, 39-20. Hustle efforts helped Greenville find better success in gaining points, but Western seemed to have an answer each time during a stretch of traded possessions. Back-and-forth play made the clock tick down faster, and every WIU player had scored before halftime, with seven Leathernecks contributing six or more points. The Leathernecks led 58-31.
Western’s offensive onslaught continued into the second half, where Anna Deets caught fire with a trio of three-pointers in the third frame. Ahead 79-42 at the end of three, it was smooth sailing for the ‘Necks in the final ten minutes.
Deets notched new season-highs in points (20) and three-pointers made (6), completing an exceptional 67% from long range. The sophomore also added five rebounds.
“I just always have to give credit to my teammates for finding me for those open shots — it’s really important to have everyone feeling good and positive about what she can do on the court,” acknowledged Deets. “Knowing how the league is, we’ll definitely need it.”
Jada Thorpe stood out with a fantastic all-around, two-way performance of 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and a career-high of seven steals. Elizabeth Lutz also produced an impressive stat line: 15 points, three rebounds, eight assists, four steals, and two blocks.
Evan Zars chipped in 15 points (7-9 on field goals) and six rebounds. Mallory McDermott contributed 11 points (3-5 on three-point attempts) off the bench, while Pryor and Danni Nichols scored nine points apiece. Like Thorpe, Alissa Dins also reached a new career-high in steals (4), finishing with six points, three rebounds, and four assists in 20 minutes.
Summit League play opens up for Western next, as the Leathernecks host Denver on Dec. 20.
“We’ve had a pretty hectic schedule up until this point, so I think some rest will be important for us during these next nine days,” said Lutz. “We’ll have to focus on classes for finals week and, once we come back together, I feel we will have a strong focus for league play. Even though we have a positive record, everyone is 0-0 once those games begin.”
***Report Courtesy of Western Illinois University***
