By JOHN BOHNENKAMP MACOMB, Ill. — There isn’t much ground Western Illinois can gain or lose in the Ohio Valley Conference standings, so the goal right now for the Leathernecks is to be playing their best basketball once the conference … Continue reading WIU 78, MOREHEAD STATE 73: Leathernecks Grab An Overtime Win
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP Iowa’s women’s basketball team followed a five-game losing streak with a five-game winning streak. Getting through the highs and lows is part of any season, but this is a little extreme. Still, coach Jan Jensen said on … Continue reading Jensen Wants Hawkeyes To Take The Ups And Downs The Same Way
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP IOWA CITY, Iowa — Fifteen thousand gold towels couldn’t erase Jan Jensen’s message. Jensen knew there was opportunity available on Sunday, but she wanted to make sure her players didn’t think of themselves as the warm-up act … Continue reading THE MONDAY TIPOFF: 40 Minutes Said A Lot About The Hawkeyes In Win Over USC
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP MACOMB, Ill. — The double-double duo of Raegan McCowan and Mia Nicastro was the perfect counter to the 3-point barrage Western Illinois faced in Saturday’s 94-82 win over SIU-Edwardsville at Western Hall. McCowan had 27 points and 10 rebounds, while Nicastro had 23 points and 10 rebounds, which offset the 15 3-pointers of the Cougars. “That’s the difference,” Western Illinois coach JD Gravina said. McCowan and Nicastro had every point in the 12-2 run to start the fourth quarter that gave the Leathernecks (12-9 overall, 6-6 Ohio Valley Conference) a 78-71 lead. “I think Mia and I … Continue reading WIU 94, SIUE 82: Double-Doubles Counter A 3-Point Attack
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP MACOMB, Ill. — Raegan McCowan knew the horn and the substitution was for her. Four seconds remained as Mallory McDermott entered the game and McCowan headed to the Western Illinois bench, where she hugged coach JD Gravina … Continue reading McCowan Gets To 1,000 As Leathernecks Topple Eastern Illinois
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP IOWA CITY, Iowa — It’s time for Iowa’s women’s basketball team to start stacking wins. January is about to ease into February, and March isn’t that far away, and for the moment it’s probably wise to start … Continue reading Hawkeyes Happy To Stack Wins, No Matter How They Look
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP Mia Nicastro’s smile spoke as loud as her voice. It was noisy in Western Hall on Saturday as Western Illinois’ men’s basketball team was warming up for its game against Southeast Missouri State. The Leathernecks’ women’s team … Continue reading THE MONDAY TIPOFF: Nicastro Grateful For Opportunity With Leathernecks
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP MACOMB, Ill. — The good thing about the Ohio Valley Conference schedule is how quickly a team can rebound from a loss. The usual Thursday night/Saturday afternoon schedule doesn’t allow much time to think about a loss. … Continue reading WIU 94, SEMO 66: Leathernecks Bounce Back, Dominate In Win
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP MACOMB, Ill. — The explanation for why Western Illinois’ women’s basketball team lost to Little Rock 65-60 on Thursday night could be found in the 24 turnovers the Leathernecks committed. The explanation of the last turnover, which came when the Leathernecks had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds, was something neither coach JD Gravina or guard Addi Brownfield could understand. The Leathernecks (9-9 overall, 3-6 Ohio Valley Conference) stayed with the Trojans (9-9, 7-2) for the entire game — Little Rock’s biggest lead was six points, and Western Illinois led by as much … Continue reading LITTLE ROCK 65, WIU 60: Leathernecks Hurt By Turnovers In Home Loss
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP IOWA CITY, Iowa — Almost every free throw Lucy Olsen took went through the net. There weren’t a lot of people around to see it. Long after Iowa’s 87-84 loss to Nebraska on Thursday night at Carver-Hawkeye … Continue reading Hawkeyes Can’t Catch A Break, Even At The Free-Throw Line
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