MACOMB, Ill. - Western Illinois continues a season-long four-game homestand, and looks to make it two conference home wins in a row when IUPUI comes to town Saturday night (Jan. 29). Tipoff, game two of a doubleheader, is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The game can be heard on the Leatherneck Sports Network and on the internet at www.GoLeathernecks.com. The pregame show will air 30 minutes prior to tip. Rocky Vision subscribers can also watch the video stream of the game.

Western Illinois' game Saturday night is also the 'Food Fight' game. Fans who donate a canned food item will receive half-price admission to the Leathernecks' games against IUPUI.  The annual event, now in its third year, is a Summit League-wide food drive initiative tied in with Students Team Up to Fight Hunger (STUFH) and organized by The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) at each institution. All food donated during the January 29th games at Western Hall will go to the Western Illinois Regional Council (WIRC) in Macomb.

INJURY LIST: The latest Leatherneck to miss game action due to an injury was Emeka Okafor, Jr. He missed the Southern Utah and UMKC game with an injury but returned to action this week against North Carolina Central... Junior guard Tommie Tyler is the most recent member to join the growing injury group, missing his first game at home versus North Dakota State... Ceola Clark III has been out since early December with a toe injury. He also missed a game in November due to an ankle injury... Billy Molinari has missed all but three minutes in the season-opener due to a foot injury... David Gebru will miss the remainder of the season due to a knee injury... In all seven Western players have combined to miss 55 games due to injuries... Already minus Molinari, the Leathernecks had a 3-3 record heading into the Oral Roberts game when Clark was injured. Since that home conference loss, Western has gone just 4-10... Then the following game since Gebru was lost for the year (at Eastern Illinois), Western is 2-9.

IUPUI ROUND ONE RECAP: Western Illinois closed out the 2010 finale dropping a 70-55 Summit League decision at IUPUI... Down to eight healthy players, Western was playing in just its second game since the start of Finals Week (December 13th)... Matt Lander matched a career-high with three 3-pointers, part of his 16-point effort... Tommie Tyler finished with 11 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals in 38 minutes... Kaimarr Price chipped in 10 points and dished out a season-high four assists... Brandon Smith scored all eight of his points during a seven minute stretch... Western blistered the nets in the second half for 57% shooting, including 5-of-8 from 3-point range, to finish 45.7% overall from the field... The Jags shot 50 percent from the field for the game and out-rebounded Western 38-23, including a plus-9 edge on the offensive glass.

CHANGING UP THE LINE-UP: For the fourth straight game, and 11th time this season, Western Illinois rolled out a different starting line-up... The Leathernecks rank among the national leaders in different line-ups used, forced to with injuries this season... The latest look consisted of Matt Lander, Brandon Smith, Jelani Johnson, Kaimarr Price and Arsenio Mims (second start of the year) getting the nod against North Carolina Central... Lander is the only Leatherneck to have started every game this year. Jelani Johnson, Smith and Jack Houpt have played in every game this season... Using 11 different lineups this year puts Western in a tie for fifth nationally in that category (research by USC Upstate Media Relations Department).

SMITH JOINS THE 40 CLUB: Senior Brandon Smith became the fourth different Leatherneck to log 40 minutes in a game this season. Smith, who played a total of 13 minutes in six games last year, went the distance at UMKC - one game after going a then season-high 30 minutes at Southern Utah... Fellow senior guard Matt Lander leads the way with two 40-minute games (North Dakota State, at Eastern Illinois)... Jelani Johnson (-40 minutes at IPFW) and Tommie Tyler (at Creighton) also logged 40 minutes in a game this season... The last game out, Kaimarr Price and Smith nearly did it again. Price played a season-high 39 minutes against North Carolina Central while Smith logged 39 minutes, Lander played 38 and Johnson played 37 minutes.

SUMMIT LEAGUE LEADERS: Western continues to lead the Summit League in scoring defense (62.8 ppg). In fact, Western is allowing Summit League foes just 54 ppg... The Leathernecks also lead the way in field goal defense (.421) and continues to hold first place in 3-point FG defense (.329)... Western is tied for fifth in 3-point shooting (.377) and fourth in defensive rebounds (23.1)... Individually Matt Lander ranks seventh in scoring (16.3 ppg), tied for ninth in assists (2.5) and has made the most free throws with 103... Kaimarr Price is fifth among the rebounding leaders averaging 6.8 per game, and tied for seventh in blocked shots (0.8). The junior forward also ranks eighth clearing away 2.3 offensive rebounds and fifth with 4.4 defensive boards per game... Jelani Johnson is tied for eighth averaging 1.2 steals per game. He currently does not meet the minimum requirement for 3-point shooting, otherwise his 45 percent accuracy (18-of-40) would rank him seventh in the conference.

PRICE MAKES IT THREE FOR 20: Kaimarr Price became the third Leatherneck this season to record 20 or more points in a game... The junior forward made 7-of-11 field goals and a career-high 6-of-8 free throws in the North Carolina Central contest... Ceola Clark III netted 22 points in the second game of the season, at Savannah State... Senior Matt Lander has gone for 20 points five times this year: St. Francis (22), at Missouri (career-high 24), Centenary (21), Culver-Stockton (21) and North Dakota State (22).

SCOUTING THE JAGUARS: IUPUI and Western Illinois kick off the second half of the Summit League schedule on Saturday night... The Jaguars have won four of their last five (only loss in double-overtime at UMKC), and seven of their last nine... IUPUI ranks 14th nationally shooting 76 percent at the free throw line... Alex Young increased his scoring average to 19.8 points per game, shooting 46.2 percent from the field. He also leads the team in rebounds (6.6 rpg), steals (35) and blocked shots (15)... Leroy Nobles' 41 field goals from 3-point range lead IUPUI. He's second on the squad averaging 16.7 points... Stephen Thomas is next at 10.7 ppg... The Jaguars are 4-7 on the road this year, 2-2 in conference play... IUPUI is coming off an 87-61 win at Southern Utah last Saturday... Down three at the half, IUPUI blitzed the Thunderbirds in the second half 47-18... The visitors shot 65 percent FG in the second half while holding host SUU to 29 percent. Young led all scorers with 27 points while Nobles added 22. Christian Siakam added 15 and Thomas chipped in 14.