Little Rock women face quick turnaround with road trip to Western Illinois

The Little Rock women's basketball team will have a quick turnaround after Tuesday's home game, hitting the road again to take on Western Illinois on Thursday night in Macomb, Illinois. The Trojans and Leathernecks meet inside Western Hall at 5 pm with the contest available for streaming on ESPN+ and on local radio at Sports Animal 920 AM.
 
THE MATCHUP
This is the first-ever meeting between the two schools, as Western Illinois (15-6, 6-4 OVC) is in its first season as an Ohio Valley Conference member.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Little Rock (8-14, 7-4 OVC) lost its first home conference game Tuesday night, 64-58 to UT Martin., Four players scored in double figures for the Trojans, but the visiting Skyhawks shot 57.1 percent from the field to take the lead in the second period and never gave it back. Faith Lee led Little Rock with 18 points and Jayla Brooks had 14.
 
A LOOK AT THE LEATHERNECKS
WIU has more wins this season than any other OVC member, but built their record on one of the weakest non-conference schedules in the nation, according to NCAA stats. The Leathernecks are 10-1 at home and have won three straight overall. They rank fourth in the OVC in offense (68.3) and eighth in defense (68.3). WIU ranks as the top rebounding team in the OVC with 41.7 per game but come in 10^th in blocked shots and last in steals. Freshman Reagan McCowan leads the team and is third in the OVC with 19.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.
 
OVC OUTLOOK
Southern Indiana still holds the top spot at 9-1, followed by Little Rock and UT Martin, who are tied for second at 7-4. Three more teams – Western Illinois, Eastern Illinois, and Morehead State – are tied for fourth at 6-4. Southern Indiana hosts Eastern Illinois on Thursday.