MACOMB, Ill. (Interstat) — Western Illinois delivered a commanding performance Saturday, defeating Omaha 90-41 in a nonconference women’s basketball game at Western Hall. The Leathernecks seized control early, building a 52-18 halftime lead behind 25 first-quarter points. They never relented, holding Omaha to single-digit scoring in three of four quarters. Allie Meadows led Western Illinois with 18 points, while Raegan McCowan added 17 points and five rebounds. Kaylen Reed contributed six points and six assists. The Mavericks, who shot poorly from the floor, struggled offensively throughout. The loss drops Omaha to 1-10 this season. Western Illinois improved to 8-1, continuing its strong start. Attendance was 164.

MACOMB, Ill. (Interstat) — The Western Illinois women’s basketball team delivered a dominant performance from the opening tip, overwhelming Omaha in a 90-41 victory on Saturday at Western Hall. The Leathernecks, improving to 8-1, established control immediately with a suffocating defensive effort that translated into easy offense. They opened the game on a 16-0 run before Omaha managed its first field goal, setting a tone that would last all afternoon. Western Illinois forced 25 Omaha turnovers, converting them into 33 points, while committing only 10 turnovers of their own. Omaha, which fell to 1-10, struggled profoundly against the pressure. The Mavericks shot just 31.4 percent from the field and managed only five assists against their 25 giveaways. Their offensive rating of 58.7 on 70 possessions underscored a day of futility, while Western Illinois operated with efficiency, posting a 118.3 offensive rating. The most important part of the game was the first-quarter onslaught that rendered the remaining three periods a formality. Western Illinois scored the game’s first 16 points, capitalizing on a series of Omaha mistakes. The sequence began with an Addi Brownfield steal and a subsequent 3-pointer, followed by a Raegan McCowan layup assisted by Mia Nicastro. Omaha turnovers on three consecutive possessions led directly to six more Western Illinois points, including a transition 3-pointer from Allie Meadows. By the time Omaha’s Sarai Estupiñan hit a jumper at the 6:27 mark, the Leathernecks led 16-2, and the Mavericks never came within single digits again. Nicastro, a 6-foot-2 sophomore from St. Charles, Missouri, anchored the Western Illinois effort with a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds to go with four assists in 24 minutes. Meadows, a guard from De Witt, Iowa, led all scorers with 18 points, adding four rebounds. McCowan, from Lebanon, Missouri, contributed 17 points and five rebounds, while Brownfield of Boonville, Missouri, filled the stat sheet with 14 points, four rebounds, two blocks and a game-high three steals. For Omaha, Estupiñan, a guard from Cedar Park, Texas, provided a bright spot with 15 points. Avril Smith, an Omaha native, battled inside for 11 rebounds and two blocks. Ali Stephens of Fort Wayne, Indiana, added seven points and six rebounds. Western Illinois dominated the interior, outscoring Omaha 56-16 in the paint and outrebounding the Mavericks 44-31. The Leathernecks also shared the ball effectively, tallying 10 assists on 37 made field goals, compared to just five assists for Omaha on 16 makes. The victory extended Western Illinois’s strong start to the season, which includes notable wins over Drake and Bradley. Omaha’s difficult non-conference schedule continued, with the Mavericks having faced a gauntlet of high-major opponents leading into this contest. A sparse crowd of 164 at Western Hall witnessed the Leathernecks methodically build their lead through each quarter, leading 25-9 after one, 52-18 at halftime, and 71-30 after three periods before closing out the 49-point win. Western Illinois will look to continue its momentum on the road at Lindenwood on Thursday. Omaha returns home to face in-state foe Creighton on Wednesday.

Preview: Omaha Mavericks at Western Illinois Leathernecks MACOMB, Ill. (Interstat) — A stark contrast in trajectories will be on display Saturday when the surging Western Illinois Leathernecks host the struggling Omaha Mavericks in a nonconference women’s basketball game at Western Hall. Western Illinois (7-1) enters riding a four-game winning streak, including a dominant 75-37 victory over Columbia on Tuesday. The Leathernecks have been fueled by a high-powered offense, averaging 80.1 points per game during their streak. They are led by standout forward Mia Nicastro, who is coming off a 24-point, three-block performance against Columbia. Nicastro has been a force all season, including a 32-point, 18-rebound outing in a win over St. Francis on Dec. 4. Omaha (1-9) seeks to halt a nine-game skid, most recently a 35-87 road loss to Nebraska on Tuesday. The Mavericks have struggled offensively, failing to reach 65 points in any game during their losing streak and averaging just 52.2 points per game for the season. Guard Daria Shelby, a player to watch for Omaha, scored seven points in 29 minutes against Nebraska. She will need increased production to challenge a stout Western Illinois defense that has held opponents to 37.6% shooting from the field. The matchup presents a clear challenge for Omaha, which has faced a difficult early schedule with road losses to power-conference teams Kansas State, BYU and Nebraska. Western Illinois has excelled at home, boasting a 5-0 record in Macomb with an average margin of victory of 38.6 points. The game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. CST tipoff on Saturday, Dec. 13. It is the final nonconference tune-up for Western Illinois before opening Ohio Valley Conference play on Jan. 1. Omaha will look to regroup before hosting in-state foe Creighton on Dec. 17.