West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University's women's basketball team will play against Westminster College's Blue Jays on Tuesday, November 4, at Western Hall in Macomb, Illinois. The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Central Time and marks the first meeting between the two teams.

The Leathernecks are entering their third season as members of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). Head coach JD Gravina leads a roster that returns 11 players from last season. Among those returning are senior guards Allie Meadows and Addi Brownfield, who were both named OVC Preseason Players to Watch. Junior guard Raegan McCowan and senior forward Mia Nicastro also return after being recognized on the All-OVC Players list.

The team has added new members, including graduate transfer Mallory Shetly from Bourbon, Missouri, who previously played for Columbia College, and freshman forward Sidney Skrobot from Sudbury, Ontario.

Westminster College is coached by Talisha Washington, now in her fifth season with the Blue Jays. Washington led her team to a SLIAC Conference Tournament title in 2021 and was named SLIAC Coach of the Year that same year. Last season, Westminster finished with a record of 20-6 and reached the semifinals of their conference tournament.

Key players for Western Illinois include Raegan McCowan, who surpassed 1,000 career points last season as a sophomore and earned spots on both the All-OVC Players List and the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Watch List for 2026. McCowan averaged 22.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game last year. Senior forward Mia Nicastro also returns after averaging 15.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

In preseason rankings released by the Ohio Valley Conference for the upcoming season, Western Illinois was picked to finish third after posting a 17-17 overall record last year with an 8-12 mark in conference play. Lindenwood University was chosen as preseason favorite to win the conference.

For Westminster College, senior guard Annette Ramirez returns as leading scorer after averaging 23.5 points per game last season while playing all games for her team. Senior guard Olivia Hixson contributed an average of 8.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.

Following this matchup against Westminster at home, Western Illinois will travel to face Northern Illinois University later in the week.

Further information about schedules can be found at https://goleathernecks.com/sports/womens-basketball/schedule.