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Western set to battle with South Dakota State for first place in The Summit League

March 25, 2008 on 9:25 pm | In Athletics |

MACOMB, Ill. - The first trip to South Dakota State is set to be a battle for sole-possession of first place in the The Summit League standings when the Western Illinois women’s basketball team heads to Brookings, S.D. for a 5 p.m. tip-off, Saturday, February 9.

About South Dakota State
The Jackrabbits are currently 16-6 overall and 9-2 in The Summit League standings after earning two overtime victories on the road last weekend. SDSU first defeated Oakland, 64-63, and then downed IPFW, 74-72.

The Jackrabbits will be tough to beat on their home court, as they are 9-0 at home this season and have not lost in Frost Arena since December 31, 2006, giving SDSU a 17 game home-winning streak.

Jennifer Warkenthien, Maria Boever, and Kristin Rotert are a triple threat for the Jackrabbits, as they average 13.9, 12.7, and 10.3 points per game, respectively. Warkenthien is also the team’s leading rebounder with 6.6 boards per game. Boever is shooting 53 percent on the season, while Rotert is the top three-point shooter for SDSU with a 41.2 shooting percentage from beyond the arc.

As a team the Jackrabbits are connecting on 41 percent of their shots, but are also allowing their opponents to record a 42.0 shooting percentage this season.

Last Time Against the Jackrabbits
In the first meeting between the two teams (January 14) the Westerwinds (11-11, 9-2 The Summit League) earned a 67-60 victory on Waste Management Court at Western Hall.

Western was led by junior Katy Davenport, who recorded a career-high 23 points and eight rebounds.

After entering the second half with a 36-23 lead the Westerwinds saw the defensive intensity of the Jackrabbits increase. SDSU opened the first five minutes of the half with a 14-7 run to pull the game within six points.

The Jackrabbits didn’t let up and tied the game at 46 with 10:45 remaining in the half. From there the team’s traded baskets and then both teams kicked up the defense, holding each other scoreless from the seven-minute mark until 4:30 remaining in the game.

SDSU then took a quick 54-53 advantage when Boever converted a three-point play. Western regained the lead less then 20 seconds later when senior Stephanie Lovingood hit a jumper from the middle of the lane. The 55-54 lead was all that the Westerwinds needed for the rest of the game.

Western took advantage of eight trips to the charity line in the final 3:45 of the game to pull ahead of the Jackrabbits for good. The Westerwinds went on an 8-0 run, including two of those free throws over a three-minute span, starting with 4:30 remaining in the half.

SDSU was led by Boever and Rotert, who tallied 11 points each. Warkenthien added 10 points for the Jackrabbits.

The Series
This is just the second meeting in school history with SDSU, after they joined The Summit League for the 2007-08 season. Western claimed victory in the previous meeting, 67-60.

Second Half Frenzy
The second half of play has been favorable for the Westerwinds this season. During league action Western has tallied 55 more points in the second half than the first, while allowing its opponents to record only 11 more.

This trend will be important at SDSU, as the Jackrabbits have also recorded 65 more points in the second half, but have allow their opponents to record 115 more.

Taking Advantage of Charity
The free throw line has been a key part of the Westerwinds game this year. Since December 8, 2007 Western’s opponents have recorded at least 15 fouls in all but two games, while the Westerwinds have been under 15 fouls in all but two games.

Western has been taking advantage of those extra trips to the charity stripe, converting on 19 more free throws than its opponents have attempted (171-152).

Crane Captures Milestone
With the Westerwinds 78-48 victory over Centenary, January 21, head coach Leslie Crane recorded her 100th conference victory. Crane currently has a 102-45 record against league opponents, and is the winningest (by league wins) active coach in The Summit League. Only Keith Freeman from Valparaiso (135-69) recorded more wins against league teams when the Crusaders were members of the conference.

Among the Nations Best (as of February 3)
Western ranks in the top-100 in the country in seven statistical categories. The Westerwinds are ranked 46th in the nation and lead the league in three-point field goal percentage. Western has connected on 35.7 percent of its shots from beyond the arc.

The Westerwinds are also ranked 20th in personal fouls (14.3), 32nd in free throw percentage (74.5), 52nd in turnovers (16.2), 56th in assist/turnover ratio (0.89), 78th in scoring defense (60.0), and 91st in assists (14.4).

Junior Amanda Walker is currently the only Western player on the national charts. She is ranked fifth in assist/turnover ratio (2.48).

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.

Live stats are available through www.wiuatheltics.com. A link is provided on the women’s basketball “Schedule/Results” page. Click on the No. 1 to connect to the live stats. Stats are provided by the SDSU Sports Information office.

All home and conference road games are broadcast through Summit TV (www.thesummitleague.org).

Up Next
The Westerwinds head to Fargo, N.D. for the first meeting with the Bison at Bison Sports Arena. Game-time is set for 7 p.m., Monday, February 11. Western then returns home for the final two home games of the 2007-08 season. The Westerwinds host Centenary, Saturday, February 16 at 4:30 p.m. The game is part of the national Think Pink! Day events. The final home game is against Oral Roberts, Monday, February 18 and will be Senior Night.

Western Quick Sets
The Westerwinds came from behind to win for the fourth time in conference play when they defeated UMKC, Saturday…Gina Hugelier tallied a team-high 19 points against the Kangaroos, including nine in the final two minutes to push Western to a 10-point win…Davenport and Lovingood were also in double digits for the Westerwinds, with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Originaly from Source