By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

MACOMB, Ill. — Experience matters.

It’s why Western Illinois’ women’s basketball team wasn’t rattled at the challenge from Morehead State in the first three quarters of Saturday’s Ohio Valley Conference game at Western Hall.

It’s why they knew how, with their lead in the OVC standings at stake and a chance to set up their biggest week of the season, to finish off the game.

“We decided in the fourth quarter, it was going to be our game,” said forward Mallory Shetley.

And so it was.

The Leathernecks smothered Morehead State in the final 10 minutes to take a 74-53 win.

Western Illinois (23-4 overall, 15-3 OVC) has a one-game lead over Lindenwood heading into the final week of the regular season. The two teams play at Western Hall next Saturday after the Leathernecks play at SIUE and Lindenwood plays host to Eastern Illinois on Thursday.

Western Illinois has clinched a spot in the OVC tournament semifinals, but the Leathernecks want a regular-season championship to take to the tournament in Evansville, Indiana in two weeks.

“We just really wanted to win this game,” Shetley said. “I think what was motivating us was we want that conference championship.”

Morehead State (17-12, 12-6), which defeated the Leathernecks earlier this season, led by as much as 11 points in the first half, and after Western Illinois had taken the lead in the third quarter tied the game at 46 on Landon Forbes’ layup with one second to go in the quarter.

The lineup that went out to start the fourth quarter had:

• Shetley, who is in her first season with the Leathernecks but sixth overall.

• Guard Addi Brownfield, a senior.

• Guard Allie Meadows, a senior.

• Forward Mia Nicastro, a senior.

• Guard Kaylen Reed, a junior.

And all the Leathernecks did was outscore Morehead State 28-7, including a 13-0 run to open the quarter that included 11 points from Brownfield.

“I think I told Mal right before the fourth quarter started, I said, ‘This is when our experience kicks in,’” said Brownfield, who finished with 20 points. “Having all of us out there and the experience we have really showed in the fourth quarter.”

“Experience definitely helps, especially in the fourth quarter,” Shetley said. “Like you saw, we all just locked in, really put our heads down and played team defense and offense.”

“I wasn’t surprised,” Western Illinois coach JD Gravina said. “It was a really close game going into the fourth quarter. But I’m also not surprised that with this crowd and this experienced team that we were able to play like that.

“You have that balance of getting fired up but not quite freaking out, like some teams would. You feed off the crowd’s energy. You kind of know what we’re looking for with each other.”

The Leathernecks, who were 7 of 11 shooting in the final quarter, held the Eagles to just 2 of 11 shooting, 1 of 7 in 3-pointers.

“We really had good rotations off the ball,” Shetley said. “If somebody had to help, then we rotated all around. All five people had to play team defense, and it worked out for us.”

Brownfield, who had picked up her third foul and sat the last 3:38 of the third quarter, hit two 3-pointers and scored inside a stretch of 1 minute, 34 seconds to start the quarter.

“I think she did that on purpose to get some rest,” quipped Gravina.

“It’s just hard for me to talk about, but there’s the mindset of only having a couple more games left with Western Hall,” Brownfield said. “It was having this big crowd here, and owing it to myself, owing it to them, and owing it to my teammates to just step up and give it my all in these last couple games.”

Brownfield’s 3-pointer with 4:18 left capped the Leathernecks’ run, and the lead would never get back to single digits.

Western Illinois struggled offensively in the first half — the Leathernecks made just 2 of 11 shots in the second quarter — and trailed 29-24 at halftime. They shot 56.3% in the third quarter, a sign of what was to come.

“I think it was less disappointment, and more knowing we can do better, just really focusing on ourselves,” Shetley said of the Leathernecks’ halftime mood. “We knew we were playing good defense. We just needed to carry it over to the offensive side.”

Nicastro, battling a nose bleed throughout the game, led the Leathernecks with 24 points. Meadows had 13 points and Shetley added 12.

One week remains for the Leathernecks, who went into this final six-game stretch that included five home games knowing what they could accomplish. 

“We’ve really been focusing on taking one game at a time, but each win kind of fuels us more and more toward our goals,” Shetley said.

“Got four down,” Gravina said. “We’ve got two to go.”