By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

MACOMB, Ill. — The explanation for why Western Illinois’ women’s basketball team lost to Little Rock 65-60 on Thursday night could be found in the 24 turnovers the Leathernecks committed.

The explanation of the last turnover, which came when the Leathernecks had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds, was something neither coach JD Gravina or guard Addi Brownfield could understand.

The Leathernecks (9-9 overall, 3-6 Ohio Valley Conference) stayed with the Trojans (9-9, 7-2) for the entire game — Little Rock’s biggest lead was six points, and Western Illinois led by as much as nine points in the first half — but it was all about giving the ball away.

Thirty of Little Rock’s points came off turnovers — Western Illinois got just three points off 12 Trojan turnovers — which made a huge difference in the game.

“They were just killers,” Gravina said of the turnovers. “But that’s what they do. That was almost half of their offense — they got easy baskets.”

“I mean, they had 28 points in the first half off 14 turnovers,” said sophomore Raegan McCowan. “I think that just speaks to what they do, and what we have to change.”

The last turnover came with two seconds left, with the Leathernecks down 63-60 and inbounding the ball under their own basket. Brownfield never got the ball in after official Shante Glenn whistled her for a violation that was never quite explained.

“The ref told me I stepped on the (end) line, and then she changed it to I shuffled my feet,” Brownfield said.

“I thought she stepped over the line, I thought that’s what they were calling,” Gravina said. “The official said Addi moved too far. She had three feet, and there’s no way she moved three feet.”

It was one moment in a night full of frustration. The Leathernecks went seven minutes without a field goal late in the third quarter and early in the fourth as Little Rock went from down 36-34 to up 46-41.

“We struggled to score, and that’s what they do,” Gravina said. “They make everything tought they’re the best defensive team in the league. They make everything tough — when you get a good look, it’s challenged. There’s some physicality to it that you’ve got to handle, and we just got to do a better job spacing them, making them come out to guard and making them play a little bit more in space.”

“They’re a great defensive team, and we knew that coming in,” Brownfield said. “Give kudos to them, but we knew coming in how good they were defensively.”

“That’s their game,” McCowan said. “Little Rock tries to slow it down. They try to kind of get you out of rhythm offensively. Obviously, for that quarter, they succeeded, and we were kind of playing their game instead of playing our game — pushing it, getting quick offensive movements. We were kind of stagnant on offense.”

McCowan led the Leathernecks with 16 points. Allie Meadows had 13 points. Mia Nicastro had 12. Brownfield had 10 points and a career-high 14 rebounds.

Sug Williams led Little Rock with 20 points.

The Leathernecks play host to Southeast Missouri State on Saturday in the second game of what is a four-game homestand.

“SEMO is the last team that we haven’t played yet,” Brownfield said. “And then it’s kind of restarting, playing each team again. So we’re going into this second half with the mindset of we’re right there and we’ll turn things around.”