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
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP MACOMB, Ill. — JD Gravina knows his team can wear out opponents. It was a message the Western Illinois women’s basketball coach gave to his team in Thursday’s game against Southeast Missouri State at Western Hall, and his players responded with a second-half fury to win 69-55. “I told our team, I think we’re the type of team that if we just keep playing aggressive, it’s hard for teams to keep up for 40 minutes,” Gravina said. The Leathernecks had a 10-0 run to end the third quarter, then had a 12-0 run in a three-minute stretch … Continue reading WIU 69, SEMO 55: Leathernecks Deliver In Second Half
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP IOWA CITY, Iowa — Ben McCollum’s choice for the final shot, the last chance to salvage what would have been a devastating collapse, was of course going to be Bennett Stirtz. USC made that choice before the … Continue reading IOWA 73, USC 72: Stirtz’s Free Throws, And McCollum’s Energy, Save Hawkeyes
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP Iowa’s women’s basketball team will have to go the rest of the season without its leading 3-point shooter. Senior guard Taylor McCabe, who was injured on the first possession of Sunday’s 91-70 win over Ohio State, suffered … Continue reading Hawkeyes Lose McCabe For Rest Of Season
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP IOWA CITY, Iowa — The moment you don’t want, the moment that can derail the plans that have taken so long to construct, can come any time. It happened to Iowa’s women’s basketball team 23 seconds into … Continue reading THE MONDAY TIPOFF: Deal Helps Hawkeyes Get Through A Storm
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP Iowa women’s basketball coach Jan Jensen got the text from her daughter on Monday, informing her that the Hawkeyes had moved into the top 10 of the Associated Press poll for the first time since the end … Continue reading Hawkeyes Reach Top 10, But Jensen Wants More Lasting Power
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP It’s been so long since Ben McCollum has suffered through a three-game losing streak, it’s been purged from his memory bank. McCollum, in his first season as Iowa’s men’s basketball coach, is going through one now heading … Continue reading McCollum, Hawkeyes Dealing With A Three-Game Losing Streak
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP Two of the nation’s top point guards will match up in Iowa’s game at Purdue on Wednesday. Their impacts, Iowa coach Ben McCollum said on Tuesday, are different. Purdue’s Braden Smith and Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz are both … Continue reading Purdue’s Actions Will Test Hawkeyes
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