West Central Reporter

In a tightly contested match, the Western Illinois University (WIU) Leatherneck Women's Basketball team emerged victorious against Eastern Illinois University (EIU) with a score of 78-75. The game, held at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana, featured eight ties and lead changes, with WIU overcoming challenges to advance to the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) semifinals.

The Leathernecks started strong in the first quarter, matching EIU's pace with both teams scoring 20 points. Raegan McCowan set an early tone with a three-pointer, while Allie Meadows also contributed from beyond the arc. However, WIU faced difficulties in the second quarter due to turnovers and fouls. By halftime, they trailed 39-34 but were given a boost by McCowan's half-court buzzer-beater that cut the deficit to five points.

In the third quarter, McCowan found her rhythm and led WIU's offense by scoring inside and outside the arc. She ended up with a game-high 25 points on 11-of-22 shooting. Her crucial basket with 15 seconds left in the fourth quarter gave WIU a late lead. Mia Nicastro added six points in the third quarter as WIU outscored EIU 21-13.

The final quarter saw back-and-forth action as WIU extended their lead before facing foul trouble. Addi Brownfield fouled out after contributing significantly with 15 points, nine rebounds, and six assists. Meadows also fouled out after scoring nine points from three-point range.

Despite these setbacks, WIU maintained composure as Nicastro scored four crucial points in the last two minutes of play. EIU briefly took a lead with just over a minute remaining but was unable to hold it as McCowan made a decisive jumper to put WIU ahead again at 76-75.

WIU shot an impressive 52.6% from three-point range and controlled the paint with 26 points inside while winning fast-break opportunities against EIU. Their efficient shooting and strong rebounding performance secured their advancement to face Lindenwood in tomorrow’s OVC semifinal matchup.

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