MACOMB, Ill. – The William Woods University women's basketball team played its first of two exhibition contests on Tuesday night as they traveled to Macomb, Illinois to face NCAA Division I Western Illinois University. The Owls were defeated by the Leathernecks, 96-57.
 
Peyton Greenlee led the Owls with 12 points in the contest, while Bailey Rollins followed with 10 rounding out the double figure scores for the Owls. WWU shot 37.9 percent from the floor against the Leathernecks. WWU hit six three pointers in the contest.
 
WWU returns to action on Thursday, November 16th when they host Stephens College in American Midwest Conference action. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Anderson Arena.
 
Game Flow
In a tail of two quarters, the Owls came out strong in the first quarter as Peyton Greenlee scored the first four points for the Owls. A layup by Hannah Bland tied the game at 6-6. Just over a minute later, the Owls Jasmine Brown hit a jumper putting the Owls ahead 8-6, with 6:04 left in the first quarter. WWU continued to battle and build a five-point lead, 13-9, after going on a 5-0 run that was capped by a Bailey Rollins three. Western Illinois battled back ending the quarter on a 7-o run taking a 16-13 lead over the Owls.
 
In the second quarter, the Leathernecks used three different runs to grow its lead over the Owls. WWU trimmed Western Illinois lead down to two, 18-16, after a Lexy Ganaway three-pointer. After Ganaway's three, Western Illinois went on a 6-0 run taking an eight-point lead, 24-16. Five straight by the Owls put them down three, 24-21. However, the Leathernecks went on an 8-0 run capped by a Michelle Farrow three pointer growing its lead to 13, 35-22. After a Bland jumper, Western Illinois closed out the half on an 8-0 run taking a 43-24 lead at halftime.
 
Early in the third quarter, Western came out and scored the first 14-4 run over the first four minutes of the third quarter taking a 57-28 lead. Greenlee opened the quarter by hitting a three-pointer before the Leathernecks went on its run. After the run, the Owls and Leathernecks traded baskets. With the Owls down 30, 65-35, WWU went on a 7-0 run that saw five points scored by freshman Tori Nesslage. After three quarters of play the Owls trailed 71-46.
 
WWU continued to battle in the fourth quarter but they would trade buckets with the Leathernecks. WWU found itself down 28, 79-51, after a jumper by Jess Schmidt. After the Owls field goal, Western Illinois went on an 11-0 run. After the run the Owls scored six more points in the game, capped by a Nesslage jumper. WWU was defeated in the exhibition contest by Western Illinois, 96-57.
 
By the Numbers
12 – Peyton Greenlee led the Owls with 12 points
10 – Bailey Rollins followed with 10 points
2 – WWU only had two players score in double figures
6 – The Owls hit six three-pointers in the contest
15 – William Woods had 15 assists in the contest
21 – The Owls collected 21 offensive rebounds in the contest led by Kaycee Gerald with seven