EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (Interstat) — A surging Western Illinois team riding a seven-game winning streak will look to continue its dominant run when the Leathernecks visit SIU Edwardsville in a key Ohio Valley Conference women’s basketball matchup Thursday. The Leathernecks (23-4, 13-1 OVC), one of the nation’s winningest teams, have been nearly unstoppable since a Jan. 22 loss to Morehead State. Their average margin of victory during the current streak is 24.3 points, highlighted by a 93-49 rout of Eastern Illinois and an 84-73 win over Arkansas-Little Rock. Western Illinois leads the conference standings and is powered by a balanced attack, but guard Addi Brownfield has been a consistent catalyst. Over her last eight games, Brownfield is averaging 13.3 points and 3.6 assists, including a 20-point, six-rebound, five-assist performance in a 74-53 win over Morehead State on Feb. 21. They face a Cougars squad (14-14, 8-6) that has found its footing with four consecutive victories after a four-game skid in late January. SIUE’s resurgence has been fueled by the hot hand of guard Kiyoko Proctor, who has averaged 20.3 points over the last four contests. She dropped 24 points in back-to-back road wins at Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech last week. The teams met earlier this season in Macomb, with Western Illinois securing a decisive 75-51 victory on Dec. 22. The Leathernecks will aim for a regular-season sweep at the Vadalabene Center, where the Cougars are 8-4 this season. For SIU Edwardsville, containing Western Illinois’s high-powered offense, which averages 74.2 points per game, will be paramount. The Cougars’ defense, allowing just 60.2 points per game during their win streak, faces its toughest conference test. Meanwhile, Western Illinois will need to counter Proctor’s scoring punch to avoid a road upset and solidify its hold on the OVC’s top spot. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST Thursday.