By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

MACOMB, Ill. — It was a comment that Western Illinois women’s basketball coach JD Gravina made slightly in jest.

But it started the planning for something that is somewhat unusual in college basketball — a power conference school playing at a mid-major in a nonconference game.

The Leathernecks will be playing host to Missouri in a 7 p.m. game on Friday at Western Hall.

“I think it’s really cool,” said Gravina, Western Illinois’ coach. “We’ve got a ton of high school teams, middle school teams, calling for tickets. Just getting the community more involved is big.”

Missouri has played at Western Illinois in 2014 and 2019, and this game came about when Gravina and Tigers’ coach Robin Pingeton were texting each other about scheduling a closed scrimmage.

“I know Coach Pingeton well,” Gravina said. “Last year, we had gone down there and scrimmaged at their place, and so they owed us a scrimmage. I half-jokingly texted her and said, ‘Hey, instead of coming back for a scrimmage, why don’t you just come back for a regular-season game and we’ll call it good. She texted back and said, ‘What dates do you have?’”

Gravina said part of the reason the Tigers (2-2) wanted to play at Western Illinois was because sophomore guard Abbey Schreacke grew up in nearby Quincy, Illinois.

“They like to get back and kind of get those kids a game near their hometown,” Gravina said. “So I think that was a big part of it.”

Gravina knows what the opportunity means for his program.

“It’s a good reminder that, in basketball, you know, Division I is Division I,” Gravina said. “I know, in football, with the FCS and FBS, sometimes you feel like there’s kind of a couple divisions, but in basketball, we’re all playing for the same thing, right? There’s a big difference in the size of the programs, but it’s nice to get a team like that to kind of come in here and remind everyone of what level we’re at.

“Plus, there’s the growth of women’s basketball. You’ve got the Caitlin Clark effect that has affected us all in a positive way. And so I think this kind of could help continue to build that. We’ll obviously have a really big crowd. The focus of the region tomorrow night will be WIU women’s basketball.”

Western Illinois has started the season 3-0, opening the season with a home win over Culver-Stockton and then wins at Omaha and at home against Kansas City.

Sophomore Raegan McCowan, the Ohio Valley Conference’s freshman of the year last season, leads the Leathernecks in scoring at 22.7 points per game. Mia Nicastro, a transfer from Saint Louis, is averaging 20.3 points and fifth-year guard Mallory McDermott is averaging 13 points.

“Having that second scoring threat around the basket with Mia really helps,” Gravina said. “Everyone’s gonna give Raegan everything they have. They’re going to put their best defender on her, or get real physical with her, or try to double her. And I think it just opens some things up for our guards. Obviously, Mallory McDermott has been playing really well, which I love to see. I mean, she’s always been a good offensive player for us.”

Missouri, from the Southeastern Conference, has a road loss to Vermont and a home loss to Norfolk State, but is coming off a 60-52 win over Tulane.

“They can really get hot,” Gravina said. “They haven’t got hot yet this year in a regular-season game. I mean, in their exhibition, they scored (112) against Truman State. We’ve played against them. I’ve watched them. I know they could start pouring it in. So, you know, that’s a little scary. We’ve got to kind of make sure we hold the fort down if they go on some runs.”

Photo: Western Illinois guard Mallory McDermott is one of the three Leathernecks who average in double figures in scoring. (Photo courtesy of WIU Athletic Communications)