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Leathernecks Win Summit League Tournament Title

March 7, 2017

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Top-seeded WIU Leatherneck Women's Basketball beat second-seed IUPUI in overtime today (March 7), with a final score of 77-69, to capture the 2017 Summit League Tournament Championship. WIU advances to the NCAA Tournament.


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Leathernecks Rally for a Berth in the Summit League Title Game

Courtesy of WIU Athletics (goleathernecks.com)

Emily Clemens recorded her first-ever triple-double leading Western to an 84-82 semifinal win

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Led by Emily Clemens' first career triple-double, Western Illinois staged a fourth quarter comeback to capture an 84-82 victory over Omaha in the Summit League Basketball Tournament semifinals.

With the win, the top-seeded Leathernecks (25-6 overall) advance to the Tournament title game for the first time since 2006. The game is set for Tuesday (March 7) at 1 p.m. against second-seed IUPUI with an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on the line.

"I thought that was a tremendous game and you have to give a lot of credit to Omaha after an emotional win over South Dakota (Sunday quarterfinal round) and not having any rest. They brought their A-game. If you're playing a match-up zone, and a team hits 12 3-pointers against you, you know you are in for a battle," said head coach JD Gravina. "Down the stretch we talked about being a good offensive team, and our offense carried us. We hit six 3s in the fourth quarter to win the game. Just to have that ability and the firepower to do that is nice, because we never felt like we were out of the game."

Down by three at the start of the fourth quarter, Western saw Omaha extend its lead to as many as six following Michaela Dapprich's 3-pointer with 8:57 remaining. Olivia Braun answered with a three of her own, the first of six 3s made by Western that quarter and starting a 11-5 run.

Clemens sank a three to tie the game at the 6:44 mark, but Mikaela Shaw followed with a three-point play of her own to put the Mavs ahead 70-67 with six minutes left. Michelle Farrow began her stretch of key baskets down the stretch.

The junior guard hit a jumper on the next possession, then when Omaha went ahead by three again, Farrow drained a 3-pointer to tie the game with 4:55 left. Dapprich gave Omaha another two-point lead, but once again Farrow answered from beyond the arc to put Western ahead 75-74, and all of Farrow's points in the game came during that stretch.

Abi Lujan sank a 3-pointer to make it 77-75 Mavs with 3:38 remaining, then it was Morgan Blumer who stepped up. After Western kept the possession alive on an offensive rebound, The Summit League 'Transfer of the Year' hit a 3-pointer making it 78-77 and a lead Western would not relinquish.

Shaw missed two field goal attempts on the same possession and Taylor Higginbotham eventually got the defensive rebound. After a missed three-pointer by WIU, Clemens picked up the offensive board, found Blumer and she drained another '3' to extend Western's lead with 1:49 on the clock.
Shaw scored on a layup but Clemens responded with one of her own with 1:01 left and an 83-79 lead. Lujan missed on a '3' but got her own rebound and sank a shot beyond the arc to make it a one-point game again. Omaha (16-15) had to foul four straight times to put WIU in the bonus.

Clemens hit the second free throw with 21 seconds left to make it 84-82. Shaw's missed jumper was grabbed by Higginbotham, but the sophomore guard missed both free throws to keep it a two-point game with 13 seconds left.

On the final possession, Western trapped the Omaha point guard, and by the time two passes were made (one saving the ball from going out-of-bounds), the Mavs could not get a shot attempt up before the final horn sounded.

The Leathernecks jumped out to a 7-0 lead thanks to a jumper and 3-pointer from Blumer and a fastbreak layup from Higginbotham. Omaha cut the deficit to 22-20 after the first quarter, then took control in the second and third quarter to lead by as many as 11 points prior to halftime.
Down by eight with 5:03 left in the third, Mallory Boyle hit a layup then Clemens hit a 3-pointer. In a stretch that saw Western miss three shots beyond the arc, Blumer tied the game on a '3'. Shaw hit a 3-pointer of her own with six seconds left and 62-59 lead heading into the final quarter and start of the Leathernecks' comeback.

Clemens recorded 21 points, a career-high 11 rebounds and 11 assists for her first-ever triple-double. She hit 4-of-11 from beyond the arc, played all 40 minutes and committed just two turnovers. It was the first triple-double by a Summit League player since March 2015 (Oral Roberts Vicky McIntyre). Her 11 assists are the third-most by an individual in a Summit League Tournament game, and highest total since March 2, 2002.

"When your point guard has a triple-double, that is a good sign. We had 21 assists to seven turnovers, and I think that just shows the way we play team basketball," said Gravina. "These girls pass the ball so well. They're a really fun group and I'm happy to have another day with them."

Blumer finished with a team-leading 22 points, hitting six shots from 3-point range. Those six 3-pointers tie for third-most in a Summit League Tournament game.

Braun added 15 points and seven assists to one turnover while blocking two shots. Higginbotham added 10 points and seven rebounds.

A game following a Tournament record 15 3-pointers made in the quarterfinal round versus Denver, Western sank 14 '3s' to tie for the second-highest Tournament total.

Shaw led all scorers with 29 points and added eight rebounds. Dapprich chipped in 24 points and Ellie Brecht hit five 3-pointers to finish with 15 points.

The Summit League Tournament championship is scheduled for 1 p.m. against No. 2 IUPUI and can be seen on ESPNU and online at ESPN3.com. Fans can listen to the game on the Leathernecks Sports Network.

PROGRAM NOTES:
-Western Illinois reaches its first championship game since 2006... seeking first Summit League Tournament title since 1995... -41 three-point field goal attempts are the most in a tournament game since South Dakota State had 38 on March 9, 2010 (vs. Oral Roberts)... -10th straight win is one shy of the most consecutive wins in program history (11- Dec. 30, 2004-Feb. 5, 2005)... also the last time Western Illinois won 10 straight games was in 2005- 06...

PLAYER NOTES:
-Emily Clemens' recorded her first-career triple double... first triple-double by a league player since Oral Roberts' Vicky McIntyre (20 points, 18 rebounds, 12 blocks) on March 9, 2015... 11 assists are the most in a tournament game since Chicago State's Krisey Sanders (12) on March 2, 2002 (vs. Southern Utah)... four 3-point field goals made ties her season high for the second time... 11 rebounds mark a new career-high... 17th game this season of recording 20-plus points (career 19th)... 11th career 40 minute game... eighth game of 10 or more assists this season... 431 total assists thus far... only needs seven more assists to pass Michelle Maher (2013-16) for second all-time in program history for career assists... 225 assists this season.... only needs eight more assists to pass Nicole Seekamp of South Dakota (2015-16) and set a new Summit League record for the most assists in a season...
-Olivia Braun's seven assists tie her career-high for the second time... 15 points marks her ninth career double-digit scoring game... -Morgan Blumer's 22 points marks her ninth career game as the scoring leader... also marks her seventh career 20-plus point game (all this season)... six 3-pointers made are one shy of her career-high... -Taylor Higginbotham's 10 points marks her 21st double-digit scoring game this season (career 44th)...

Posted By: WIU Athletics (SID@wiu.edu)
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