West Central Reporter

The Western Illinois University (WIU) women's basketball team faced a setback on Saturday, losing to St. Thomas with a final score of 69-56. Raegan McCowan led the Leathernecks with an impressive performance, scoring 22 points by converting eight out of 17 field-goal attempts and five out of six free throws, while also securing six rebounds. Addi Brownfield added 12 points, including a three-pointer, and demonstrated her defensive skills with four steals. Mia Nicastro contributed 11 points and collected five rebounds.

The game started with St. Thomas taking a strong lead in the first half, scoring 39 points compared to WIU's 22. Despite a more competitive second-half effort from the Leathernecks, where they scored 34 points, it was insufficient to close the gap. WIU committed 14 turnovers during the game, allowing St. Thomas to score 18 points from these errors.

WIU's shooting percentage stood at 32.8% from the field (19-of-58) and 17.6% from beyond the arc (3-of-17). On rebounds, they were slightly behind with a tally of 38-30 against them. Defensively, WIU managed nine steals and four blocks but found it challenging to contain Jade Hill from St. Thomas, who scored an impressive 26 points.

The Leathernecks are set to return home for their next game on Tuesday as they begin their conference season by hosting Tennessee Tech at Western Hall. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 5 p.m.

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