By JOHN BOHNENKAMP MACOMB, Ill. — Western Illinois women’s basketball team got a proper celebration and a chance to cut down the nets at Western Hall. The Leathernecks had to share their Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title rather than win … Continue reading LINDENWOOD 50, WIU 49: Leathernecks Celebrate A Title, But Have To Share
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP MACOMB, Ill, — Goanar Biliew is heading into the final week of his college basketball career knowing he made the right choice to come to Western Illinois for his last season. Biliew matched his season high with 14 points in the Leathernecks’ 81-59 loss to Morehead State in Saturday’s Ohio Valley Conference game at Western Hall. There will be no trip to the OVC tournament for the Leathernecks (5-24 overall, 1-17 conference) this season. Their season will end this week with Thursday’s game at SIUE and next Saturday’s home game against Lindenwood. Those are moments Biliew will … Continue reading MOREHEAD STATE 81, WIU 59: Biliew Cherishes Opportunity With Leathernecks
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 … Continue reading WIU 74, MOREHEAD STATE 53: Fury In The Fourth Quarter
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP MACOMB, Ill. — It was a defeat that felt oh-so-familiar. Western Illinois’ 77-58 men’s basketball loss to Little Rock on Thursday night at Western Hall was the 22nd defeat of the season, and it featured so much … Continue reading LITTLE ROCK 77, WIU 58: A Defeat That Felt Like The Others
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP MACOMB, Ill. — Mia Nicastro wasn’t happy. Western Illinois had let a 13-point lead turn into a two-point deficit at the end of the third quarter in Thursday’s game against Little Rock at Western Hall and Nicastro, … Continue reading WIU 84, LITTLE ROCK 73: Nicastro’s Fourth-Quarter Fury Keeps Leathernecks Rolling
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP MACOMB, Ill. — Francis Okwuosah’s 3-pointer snapped the net and released the frustration that had built for two months and had consumed Western Illinois’ men’s basketball team. Four minutes and 26 seconds remained in Tuesday’s game against … Continue reading WIU 79, EASTERN ILLINOIS 70: A Night When The Streak Ended, And The Ax Stayed
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP Raegan McCowan was passing the ball during Western Illinois’ warmups before Thursday’s game with Southeast Missouri State when teammate Addi Brownfield walked by her and playfully slapped her left arm. Then Brownfield realized what she had done. … Continue reading THE MONDAY TIPOFF: WIU’s McCowan Watches While Waiting For Elbow To Heal
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP MACOMB, Ill. — Western Illinois is alone at the top of the Ohio Valley Conference women’s basketball standings, which is why coach JD Gravina challenged his team before Saturday’s game against UT-Martin at Western Hall. The 80-54 … Continue reading WIU 80, UT-MARTIN 54: A ‘Championship Level’ Game For The Leathernecks
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP MACOMB, Ill. — Danny Stephens got to play 26 minutes in Western Illinois’ 84-44 loss to UT-Martin on Saturday. That’s a big deal for a player who came to the Leathernecks having not seen any game action for two seasons. The playing time, even in a defeat like this one, is “very important,” Stephens said. “I mean, I haven’t played a game the last two years, and then even my senior season (of high school) got cut short,” Stephens said. “You can’t replicate these game reps in practice. I’ve had a lot of practices, but these games, … Continue reading UT-MARTIN 84, WIU 44: More Minutes Help Stephens Shake Off Rust
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP MACOMB, Ill. — Makai Kvamme was part of three Illinois state high school championship teams at DePaul Prep, so he’s used to winning. What he’s going through in his first season at Western Illinois is something completely … Continue reading SEMO 78, WIU 74: Leathernecks Can’t Find The Plays To Break The Skid
Iowa College Hoops 