West Central Reporter

Western Illinois Women's Basketball team secured a decisive victory over Bradley with a score of 62-41 at the Renaissance Coliseum. This win marks Western Illinois' fifth triumph in six games, reinforcing their strong start to the season.

The Leathernecks took control early, leading Bradley 17-8 by the end of the first quarter. Their defensive strategy proved effective as they held Bradley to just 11 points per quarter for the remainder of the game. Notably, Western Illinois recorded 11 steals and gathered 30 rebounds compared to Bradley's total of 32 rebounds.

Raegan McCowan played a pivotal role with a double-double performance, scoring 18 points and securing 13 rebounds. Mallory McDermott contributed 13 points, including three successful three-point shots. Mia Nicastro also added value with her contribution of 10 points, seven rebounds, and four steals.

The Leathernecks capitalized on turnovers by scoring 23 points off Bradley's errors while also dominating in the paint with an additional 34 points. Their bench support was crucial, contributing ten points, with Kaylen Reed scoring six of those.

Bradley faced challenges offensively throughout the game, managing only a 27.7% shooting accuracy from the field. In contrast, Western Illinois shot at a rate of 41.3%, although they struggled from beyond the arc with only three successful three-pointers out of 23 attempts.

Western Illinois will take a break for Thanksgiving before heading to Cincinnati on December 6th for their next match-up scheduled at 5:30 PM.

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