By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

MACOMB, Ill. — There is no panic in Western Illinois’ women’s basketball team, and that comes from the Leathernecks’ experience.

It’s why it didn’t take long for them to dig out of a first-quarter deficit and take control of Thursday’s 76-59 win over Tennessee State at Western Hall.

The Leathernecks (12-2 overall, 4-1 Ohio Valley Conference) picked up their defense and rebounding after a slow start to stay in a three-way tie for the conference lead.

Western Illinois was down 14-5 at the first media timeout of the game, but built a 35-29 halftime lead and outscored the Lady Tigers (2-12, 1-4) 41-30 in the second half.

“I thought we did a good job of not freaking out,” coach JD Gravina said. “I mean, that’s the nice thing about a veteran team. It’s not like, ‘Oh, crap.’ I thought we did a good job of staying calm.”

“Once we got our defense going, especially getting rebounds, and then getting a few steals, our pace started picking up, and our energy started picking up,” said guard Kaylen Reed.

“We definitely needed to get our defense and our rebounding going,” said guard Madison Davis, who had 12 points and 11 rebounds for her second double-double in three games. “They were getting too many points off second chances, and we had to stop that.”

The Leathernecks had been outrebounded 7-4 in the opening five minutes, but Tennessee State would get just two rebounds in the next five minutes as Western Illinois started cutting into the lead.

Tennessee State did outrebound the Leathernecks 36-34 for the game, but Western Illinois had an 18-17 edge in second-chance points.

“Any time they did anything good, it was a rebounding breakdown and they took advantage of it,” Gravina said of those early minutes. “We just had to be better.”

The Leathernecks, playing their fifth consecutive game without Raegan McCowan, their leading scorer the last two seasons, got contributions from a variety of sources again.

Mia Nicastro, who leads the OVC in scoring, led Western Illinois with 20 points. Addi Brownfield, who picked up three first-half fouls, finished with 12 points. Mallory Shetley had 11.

The Leathernecks also got eight points from Allie Meadows, as well as eight from Reed, all coming in the second half.

“It’s good to see the ball go through the hoop sometimes to get your confidence up,” said Reed, whose 3-pointer with 1:32 left in the third quarter started the Leathernecks on an 8-0 run.. “But I’m just happy that my teammates provide open shots. Mia gets a lot of attention, so coming off and getting shots kind of opens her up a little bit the paint. So I try to help out the team.”

“Kaylen is playing really well right now,” Gravina said of Reed, who also led the Leathernecks with five assists. “She hit some big shots in the second half.”

Davis, who stepped in when Brownfield got into her foul trouble, continues to impress coming off the bench as a sophomore.

“Madison obviously has been playing better and better every game,” Gravina said. “I thought today was another good step. She defends and she rebounds, and that’s why she’s been in the game late in some of our wins.”

“I just say that I watch the ball,” Davis said of her rebounding ability. “ There’s never a thought in my mind that I can’t get it. So I think it’s just my kind of, like, my work — I’m always going to try and go get it, even if it might not look like I have a chance, but I’m just going to hustle and try to make a play.”

“I tell her every day. she’s the hardest worker on our team,” Reed said. “She’ll stay after practice, she’ll come in before practice. She is just kind of that glue that kind of keeps us all together. It’s nice having her coming off the bench. She’s another threat for us. So I love it.”

Photo: Western Illinois’ Madison Davis gets a shot inside in Thursday’s win over Tennessee State. (WIU Athletic Communications)