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Western heads to Kansas State for final non-conference game of the season

January 25, 2008 on 9:05 pm | In Athletics |

MACOMB, Ill. - After a 10-day break for the holiday season, the Western Illinois women’s basketball team returns to action with the final non-conference game of the 2007-08 season when it travels to Manhattan, Kan., to take on Kansas State, Wednesday, January 2, 2008. Tip-off is schedule for 7 p.m. at Bramlage Coliseum.

About Kansas State
The Wildcats enter the game with a 7-5 overall record after two wins at the Commerce Bank Wildcat Classic in Las Angeles, Calif. Kansas State has three of its five starters averaging double-digits in the points column. Kimberly Dietz is the Wildcats’ top producer with 13.4 points per game, including a 43.7 percent (59-135) shooting percentage. Marlies Gipson and Shalee Lehning average 10.9 and 10.1 points per game.

Gipson and Lehning are the top rebounders for Kansas State. Gipson averages 8.3 boards per game, while Lehning adds 7.2.

The Wildcats are a strong shooting team as they average 45.9 percent (315-687) from the field and 32.5 percent (68-209) from beyond the arc. Only one member of the Kansas State roster has a shooting percentage under 30 percent.

Western is the second Summit League opponent that Kansas State will face this season. The Wildcats defeated Southern Utah, 87-38, November 12, 2007 at the Bramlage Coliseum.

As of games through December 16, 2007, Kansas State ranks in the top 50 in the country in eight of the NCAA’s 16 statistical categories. Its top ranking is a No. 10 spot on the Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.12) column. The Wildcats also rank 13th in assists per game (6.4) and 16th in field goal percentage (47.5 percent).

Kansas State is a strong blocking team, averaging 4.5 blocks per games. Gipson is the top blocker for the Wildcats with 1.8 per game.

The Series
Kansas State has been victorious in all four meetings between the two teams since the 1986-87 season. Like Wednesday’s game, all games have been played in Manhattan, Kan. Three of those games have come during head coach Leslie Crane’s tenure, including games in consecutive seasons (2002-03 and 2003-04). The last meeting was November 21, 2003 with the Wildcats earning a 76-48 victory.

Holiday Hugelier
During the 2006-07 season, then-junior Gina Hugelier turned her game around during the holiday season. The Elmhurst, Ill., native went from averaging only 0.8 points per game and 0.7 rebounds per game in the 2006 portion of the season to 7.4 points and 2.9 rebounds per game at the end of the season.

The 2007-08 season started out slow again for Hugelier as she was garnering just 4.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game before the December 5, 2007 game at Wichita State. Since that game she has recorded at least 14 points in five of the last six games and is now tallying a team-high 10.6 points and 3.5 boards per game.

Hugelier tallied a season-high 22 points and recorded a career-high nine field goals made against Robert Morris, December 16, 2007. Hugelier also garnered new shooting percentage bests, with a .643 (9-14) mark from the floor and a .750 (3-4) percentage from beyond the arc.

Among the Nations Best
Western ranks 36th in the nation and leads the league in three-point field goal percentage. The Westerwinds have connected on 37.2 percent of their shots from beyond the arc. Western is also ranked 94th in steals per game (9.8).

Lovingood is currently 75th in the country with her 8.7 rebounds per game. She also leads the conference in offensive rebounds per game (3.44).

Junior Amanda Walker is the only other Western player on the national charts. She is ranked 11th is assist/turnover ratio (2.73).

On the Airwaves
This season all games can be heard live on WIUS 88.3 FM and on the internet at www.wiuathletics.com. Links to each broadcast are available on the women’s basketball “Schedule/Results” page. Click on the speaker to link to the broadcast. Play-by-play is provided by Ryan Thomas, while color commentary is added by Nick McCay.

New Teams; New Conference
On June 1, 2007 the Mid-Continent Conference officially changed its name to The Summit League. The conference name change also included the loss of Valparaiso University as a league member and the addition of IPFW, North Dakota State, and South Dakota State.

The addition of the new teams is set to increase the competitiveness among Summit League schools and in the Division I basketball ranks. Two of the new additions ended the 2006-07 season with RPI in the top 150 and above the top Mid-Con team (Oral Roberts-169). South Dakota State finished the year 25-6, with an RPI of 45, while North Dakota State had an RPI of 139 after finishing 14-11.

Up Next
Western finishes its five-game road trip with Summit League games against UMKC (January 5, 2008) and Southern Utah (January 7, 2008). The games will be the first conference road outings of the 2007-08 season before the Westerwinds return home to face new conference members North Dakota State and South Dakota State (January 12-14, 2008) on Waste Management Court at Western Hall.

Western Quick Sets
Junior Sarah Miller has recorded a season-high two steals in her last two outings for the Westerwinds…Western only allowed Iowa to go to the free-throw line twice during the second 20 minutes of play…the Westerwinds faced two Big 12 opponents during the 2006-07 season in Texas A&M and Kansas…Western has faced all but three of the Big 12 members…the three teams that the Westerwinds have not faced are Texas, Baylor, and Oklahoma.

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