Western Hall | Western Illinois University Leathernecks
Western Hall | Western Illinois University Leathernecks
Western Illinois University's women's basketball team started their season with a victory against Culver-Stockton, securing an 89-42 win at Western Hall. The Leathernecks showcased a balanced offense with five players scoring in double digits. Raegan McCowan led the team with 19 points, followed by Mallory McDermott's 15, Mia Nicastro's 13, Allie Meadows' 11, and Madison Davis contributing 10 points from the bench.
The Leathernecks maintained control throughout the game, never falling behind and achieving a lead of up to 48 points. A decisive 18-0 run in the third quarter solidified their win. Western Illinois is set to face Omaha next on Sunday at 2 p.m.
In terms of gameplay statistics, Western Illinois dominated across various aspects. They outrebounded Culver-Stockton College (CSC) 47-31 and outscored them significantly in several categories: 38-6 in the paint, 31-8 off turnovers, 19-5 on second-chance points, and 15-4 on fast-break points.
Initially, both teams were closely matched with WIU leading by just two points at one stage in the first quarter. However, a late surge allowed WIU to end the first period ahead by eight points. By halftime, they had extended their lead to fifteen points and further widened it during the third quarter by outscoring CSC by twenty-two points.
Raegan McCowan achieved her first double-double of the season with ten rebounds accompanying her nineteen points. She also contributed defensively with a steal, an assist, and a block. Mia Nicastro added eight rebounds along with four assists and steals each for WIU's effort while Allie Meadows recorded four assists and two steals.
Western Illinois displayed efficiency in shooting as well, completing over half of their field goals at a rate of 52.2 percent (35 out of 67) and hitting forty-four percent from beyond the arc (11 out of 25). Their defense was equally effective as they restricted CSC to only twenty-six percent shooting accuracy overall while forcing twenty-five turnovers compared to committing thirteen themselves.
Alerts Sign-up