Mastodons Look to Slow Down Western Illinois

PRE-GAME NOTES

MACOMB, Ill. – IPFW will visit Waste Management Court on the campus of Western Illinois on Monday night, continuing their Summit League schedule. The Leathernecks have been on a roll lately winning three of their last four contests. The Mastodons on the other hand have hit a rough spot in the schedule, but they will try to get a winning streak started here in early February.

Opponent: Western Illinois Leathernecks (9-13, 5-6 Summit)
Date: Monday, February 6, 2012 | 8:00 p.m.
Location: Macomb, Ill. | Waste Management Court at Western Hall (5,139)
Audio: IPFW Internet Radio; Mike Maahs play-by-play
Live Stats: www.goleathernecks.com
Series History: IPFW leads 7-2
Last Meeting: IPFW 73, Western Illinois 54, January 7, 2012, Fort Wayne, Ind.

SCOUTING THE LEATHERNECKS
Western Illinois improved to 5-6 in Summit League play (9-13 overall) with an 86-53 victory over Oakland on Saturday night. The Leathernecks have played well lately winning three of their last four. The only setback was a four point loss to IUPUI on January 28.

IPFW won the first matchup between these two teams back on January 7 at the Gates Sports Center. Anne Boese scored a team-high 20 points, while Erin Murphy came off the bench to add 18 points in just 20 minutes. Jackie Rieger and Michele Salvatori led the way for Western Illinois. Rieger went 4-of-7 from the field to post 12 points, while Salvatori hit three triples on her way to an 11 point night.

Sadie Webb leads the Leathernecks in scoring at 15 per contest. She has started in all 22 games for Western Illinois averaging 31.2 minutes. Valencia Kelly is the floor general leading the team in assists while pouring in 11.8 ppg. Another key factor for the Leathernecks is the play of Michele Salvatori. Salvatori leads the team in rebounds and blocks. She is third on the team in scoring, averaging 10 per contest.

SERIES vs. WESTERN ILLINOIS
The Mastodons defeated Western Illinois 73-54 the first time these to programs met during the 2011-12 season. IPFW also swept the Leathernecks in 2010-11. The 'Dons won at home by the final score of 86-74, and they went on the road to record another 73-54 win at Western Hall.

LAST TIME OUT
IPFW took a 33-28 lead into halftime, but a great second half from Emily Phillips changed the momentum as the Jaguars defeated IPFW by the final score of 76-62. Phillips and Kerah Nelson provided a one-two punch for the IUPUI offense. Nelson was consistent in scoring her game-high 23 points, but Phillips found her shot in the second half scoring all 17 of her points in the final 20 minutes of play.

Another key element in Saturday afternoon's loss to IUPUI was the rebound total. The Jaguars grabbed 45 rebounds, including 16 on the offensive end. That allowed IUPUI to rack up 23 second chance points compared to just eight for IPFW.

Stephanie Rosado put in a solid 29 minutes for IPFW. She ended the game with a team-high 14 points and six rebounds. Joining Rosado in double figure scoring was Anne Boese and Erin Murphy. Boese hit three shots from distance and tacked on a layup for her 11 points, while Murphy provided the bench with a spark going for 12.

QUICK HITTERS
• IPFW senior Anne Boese is currently the Summit League career record holder for three-point field goals made with 283. Boese will have to hold off South Dakota State senior Jill Young during the final stretch of the season as Young has 275. Both of these sharpshooters took down the old record of 262 which was held by Buffalo's Brenna Doty. Doty played from 1994-97.

• IPFW set a new school record vs SDSU by hitting all 19 of their free throw attempts. The 19-for-19 mark tops the old record of 15-for-15 which was set during the 1993 season. It also marks the thrid best performance from the charity stripe in Summit League history.

• In other milestone watches, both Stephanie Rosado and Anne Boese have eclipsed the 1,000-point plateau this month. Rosado accomplished the feat against UMKC on December 3, while Boese did it against Valparaiso three days later. Rosado currently has 1,156 career points, while Boese is right behind her at 1,152.

• The Mastodons have made a three-point basket in 398 consecutive games, the fifth longest active streak in the NCAA.

• IPFW has used nine different starting lineups this season, with only Anne Boese starting all 22 games for the Mastodons.

• Stephanie Rosado returned to the IPFW lineup on January 28 when the Mastodons hosted South Dakota State. The senior scored a game-high 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting. It was the first time Rosado saw the court since January 9 when the 'Dons faced IUPUI.

~ Feel the Rumble ~

Purdue University Fort Wayne Athletics

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