Games 5 & 6 Preview: Tipping Off the Doubleheaders
GAME 5 INFO:
Who: Western Illinois (1-4) vs Tarleton State (3-2)
When: Wednesday (Nov. 30) – 5 p.m.*
Where: Western Hall – Macomb, Ill.
GAME 6 INFO:
Who: Western Illinois (1-4) vs Eureka College (2-3)
When: Saturday (Dec. 3) – 12 p.m.*
Where: Western Hall – Macomb, Ill.
* Both games will be followed by Leatherneck men's basketball contests.
SOCIAL MEDIA: @WIUWBB (Twitter + Instagram + Facebook)
Quick Hitters:
- The Leathernecks are coming off their first victory of the 2022-23 season, defeating Chicago State 59-45 on the road. Zareia Chevre (12) , along with Anna Deets (12) and Alissa Dins (11) scored in double figures as Western held the Cougars to just 27.9% shooting from the field.
- Chevre is coming off a career game against CSU, setting personal-best marks in minutes played (30), points (12), field goals made (six) and steals (four). Chevre now holds averages of 6.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.
- Wednesday's game is just the second time in program history that Western Illinois and Tarleton State have matched up, with the Leathernecks earning a 58-54 road victory on Nov. 27 of last season. Elizabeth Lutz finished with 14 points and six rebounds while making 9-10 at the line, and Anna Deets scored nine on 3-5 shooting from deep.
- Saturday will mark just the third time that Western Illinois and Eureka have faced off, last matching up on Feb. 12, 2018.
Scouting the Texans
Tarleton State is 3-2 on the young season, with road losses to Vanderbilt and most recently Nebraska. Averaging 69.2 points per contest, the Texans have two players currently averaging double-figure scoring, led by Teresa Da Silva (15.4) and Tyler Jackson (11.8). The team rebounds as a collective unit, averaging 38.2 per game despite not having a single person average more than 4.8, while also averaging 10 steals per contest.
Scouting the Red Devils
Eureka College is 2-3 on the young season, most recently defeating Kalamazoo 80-34 in a home contest. The team is averaging 66.8 points per game while shooting 36% from the field and grabbing 40 rebounds, while opposing teams are shooting 44.4% from the field. Sydney Hannam (15.6) and Shakaya Rogers (11.4) lead the team in scoring while Josie ness (9.8) is the team's leading rebounder. Eureka faces Chicago State on Wednesday (Nov. 30) before coming to Western Hall on Saturday (Dec. 3).
Aggression on the Perimeter
Last season saw Western rank in the top-three among Summit League schools for steals, and this season has been no different. Through five games, the Leathernecks' average of 9.6 steals per game sits at third-best in the league, while Elizabeth Lutz' average of 2.2 per game ranks fifth-best for all qualified players.
From Way Downtown
After leading the team in three-point percentage last season (min. 75 attempts), Mallory McDermott has continued her strong shooting from deep this season. Among Leathernecks to attempt at least 10 shots from beyond the arc, McDermott is shooting a team-leading 45%, and also leads the team in makes.
At the Line
Western's starting backcourt duo of Elizabeth Lutz and Jada Thorpe have taken advantage of their early opportunities at the line thus far, with both players shooting what would be career-best marks at the line if the season were to end today. Thorpe, who shot 60.6% from the free throw line last season, has hit on 76% of her attempts this season while Lutz, who entered the season having made 71.3% of her career attempts, is shooting 92.3% on 13 attempts so far this season.
Early Production
Head Coach JD Gravina was not shy about his belief in this year's freshman class, and through five games this season the team's three true freshmen have had some quality performances. Both Addi Brownfield and Allie Meadows have played in every game this season while Lily Randgaard has appeared three times. Brownfield finished with nine points and four rebounds against NIU on Nov. 17 while Meadows finished 1-1 from deep and finished with two rebounds and a steal against Minnesota on Nov. 7. Randgaard played a season-high nine minutes against NIU as well, recording two points, three rebounds and a steal.
Sharing the Floor
With changes to the roster during the offseason and a strong freshman class, Western's rotation is more open than it has been in quite some time and that has shown so far this season. Through the team's first five games, 10 total players are averaging double-digit minutes played.
Alissa Dins leads the team in average playing time (27.4 minutes per contest) and is followed by Elizabeth Lutz (27.0), Jada Thorpe (25.8), Anna Deets (21.4) and Zareia Chevre (20.0). Mallory McDermott (19.6), Addi Brownfield (15.0), Carla Flores (13.2), Allie Meadows (13.2) and Kennedy Flanagan (12.6) round out the 10-player rotation.
Big Time Bench
The Leatherneck bench has been a consistent source of offense this season, averaging 21.6 points per game. Western's reserves have scored at least 23 points in every single game after outscoring the Minnesota bench 15-13 on opening night, including a season-high 24 against Southern Indiana on Nov. 11.
Let it Fly
WIU's identity as a team in recent years has centered around the three-point shot, and the 2022-23 season appears no different. During the team's preseason press conference, head coach JD Gravina talked about the importance of taking and making shots from deep this season, emphasizing the idea of "letting it fly." After averaging 26 attempts from range last season, the Leathernecks have averaged 25.4 this season, and currently rank second among Summit League schools with an average of 7.4 makes per game.
What is a Leatherneck?
Western Illinois holds the distinction of being the only non-military institution to officially have its nickname derived from a branch of the military. The school began the use of the Marine Corps' official nickname, "The Fighting Leathernecks," in 1927 when athletic director and head baseball, basketball and football coach Ray "Rock" Hanson was granted permission by the U.S. navy, based on his status as a Marine hero, to use the nickname.
Original source can be found here
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