Leathernecks Match Up with Mavericks on Wednesday
Who | Western Illinois (10-2, 1-0) vs. Omaha (5-5, 1-0)
When | Wednesday, Dec. 22 — 6 p.m. CT
Where | Macomb, Ill. (Western Hall)
Radio | Q98.1 (Will Thomas)
Social Media | Twitter + Instagram + Facebook + #TRADITIONofTOUGH
Quick Hits
- A second Summit League test takes place right before holiday break for Western Illinois women’s basketball on Wednesday (Dec. 22). The Leathernecks welcome Omaha to Macomb.
- Wednesday will be WIU’s final game until the new year.
- Western won its league opener yesterday (Dec. 20) in Western Hall, defeating Denver, 72-66.
- During the Denver win, Danni Nichols secured her first double-double of the season, posting 19 points and ten rebounds against the Pioneers. This year, she and Evan Zars are the only two WIU players to record double-doubles.
- Last season’s Summit League tournament saw these two teams most recently match up, as Omaha defeated WIU 69-55 in the semifinals. Zars ended with 16 points and nine rebounds in the final showing, while Carla Flores added 10 points.
- The Mavericks are off to a 5-5 overall start, having also won their league opener — a 61-55 win at Summit newcomer St. Thomas on Monday (Dec. 20).
- As a team, WIU leads four league stat categories and has five players representing on the side of individuals.
- The Leathernecks were picked seventh in this year’s league preseason poll.
Most Recently … | As WIU guard Elizabeth Lutz acknowledged last week, “everyone is 0-0” once league play begins. Finishing a competitive Monday night (Dec. 20) on its home floor, the Leathernecks (10-2, 1-1) took another step in the right direction by grabbing its first Summit League test: a 72-66 win over Denver (5-7, 0-1). Western’s 10-2 overall start is the best since 2017-18, when the program started at the same clip through 12 games.
Nichols notched her first season double-double and the third of her career – 19 points and ten rebounds. Zars produced 13 points and eight rebounds, while Thorpe chipped in 15 points, three assists, and three steals. McDermott went a perfect 3-3 from three-point distance off the bench to contribute 11 points. Lutz dished out five assists.
Protecting the Rock | In its last three games, the Leathernecks have done well in limiting its turnover total, only ending with eight in the wins over Greenville (Dec. 11) and Denver (Dec. 20). On the offensive end, sharing the ball has increased assists. In the Southern Illinois-Edwardsville (Dec. 7) and Greenville victories, Western collected 22 and 30 assists, respectively. Not so coincidentally, both of those contests ended in high-scoring performances of 96 and 105 team points.
Remaining in Rankings | One can dive into the Summit League rankings to see Western’s name constantly appearing across the board after entering its sixth week of competition:
Team
- 1st in points per game (81.3)
- 1st in three-point field goals made (9.5/game)
- 1st in defensive rebounds (30.8/game)
- 1st in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.30)
- 1st in steals per game (9.6)
- 2nd in points per game (18.3)
- 1st in field goal percentage (.585)
- 5th in steals per game (2.0)
- 2nd in rebounds per game (8.5)
- 2nd in field goal percentage (.570)
- 3rd in assists per game (4.8)
- 4th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.7)
- 4th in steals per game (2.2)
- 2nd in steals per game (2.3)
- 2nd in three-point percentage (.453)
A Brief History | WIU has been successful in the all-time series versus Omaha, holding a 17-6 edge. During the 2020-21 regular season, in a two-day series from Feb. 6-7, the two foes split wins inside the Mavericks’ gym. In three postseason meetings, WIU has gone 2-1.
Scouting the Opposition | Mariah Murdie, a 6’3″ forward, has been a ‘do-everything’ player for Omaha thus far, ranking first in all but one of every significant statistical column on the team: PPG (11.4), RPG (7.7), APG (2.1), SPG (1.4), BPG (1.4). Elena Pilakouta is first in scoring (11.5 PPG) and third in rebounds (3.1 RPG). Another defensive standout is Natalie Bartle, who is averaging 1.5 SPG. Turnovers have hurt the Mavericks thus far, averaging over 19 a night.
What’s Next? | After the holidays wrap up, fans can open 2022 by watching the Leathernecks compete on New Year’s Day – a Jan. 1 hosting of St. Thomas.
***Preview and photo courtesy of WIU Athletics***
