By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Western Illinois has had some good games and bad games in Ohio Valley Conference play this season, which is why the Leathernecks are a seventh seed in the women’s basketball conference tournament that starts Wednesday in Evansville, Ind.

But it was a couple of those good games that give the Leathernecks confidence that they can make a run in the tournament.

The Leathernecks (14-15 overall, 8-12 OVC), who play sixth seed UT-Martin (13-18, 10-10) in Wednesday’s 3 p.m. first-round game at the Ford Center, have wins over second seed Lindenwood and third seed Eastern Illinois, two teams on their side of the bracket.

“The way this league is, I truly don’t think people understand, really, how even it is,” said sophomore Raegan McCowan, a first-team all-conference selection who ranks 11th nationally in scoring. “The margin between the No. 1 seed and the No. 8 seed, it’s not very big, like you said. We beat two of the best teams in the conference. So I think it’s anyone’s game, and we just got to bring it.”

“That’s a great thing about this OVC Tournament,” coach JD Gravina said. “It really does feel wide open.”

One of the teams the Leathernecks didn’t beat this season was UT-Martin, the conference’s representative in the NCAA tournament last season. The Skyhawks won 73-60 at Western Illinois and 75-55 at home.

“I think the biggest challenge they present is just they’re so experienced with postseason play, especially with their run last year and making it to the NCAA tournament,” Gravina said. “So you feel like, when you’re going into the year, they’re definitely one of the teams that I think had the best chance to maybe win the league and also win the conference tournament. I know they’re probably a little disappointed in their regular season, but they’ll be ready to go for the tournament.”

It will be a matchup of two of the conference’s top scorers — McCowan led the league at 21.3 points, while Tennessee-Martin’s Anaya Brown was third at 15.4. Kenley McCarn, Brown’s teammate, averaged 13.5 points, while Western Illinois will counter with Mia Nicastro, another first-team selection at 14.9 points per game.

“It’s always, in postseason play, you’re going to throw some different stuff at them, and they’re going to throw some different stuff at us,” Gravina said. “They’ve got a lot of stuff they play, several different presses. They mix in that 1-3-1, they do some different things defensively, with switching and trapping or hedging ball screens. So we’re both going to be trying different things and throwing different things at each other.”

Western Illinois, which lost guard Kaylen Reed to a season-ending injury in December, could be without guard Mallory McDermott, who is dealing with a calf injury.

“She hasn’t gone for that full 100 percent step yet,” Gravina said. “And with the calf strain, you almost are going to know right away, when she really goes to try to be explosive, whether she can go or not. So I’d say probably 70, 80 percent chance she’ll be able to play, but we’ll know more in the next couple of days.”

The Leathernecks want to stay in Evansville as long as possible.

“I think as a team, for sure, there’s a couple things that we wish could have done better,” McCowan said. “We lost a few close games, but that’s just how the conference is. Ultimately, it comes down to this week, and that’s what we’ve been saying all season. We’ve lost some tough, close games. But we know this league is so even so we know it comes down to this week, and I think we’re all focused and ready.”

Photo: WIU’s Raegan McCowan led the OVC in scoring at 21.3 points per game this season. (Photo courtesy of WIU Athletic Communications)