BOX SCORE (pdf)

SHREVEPORT, La. - Playing Centenary in conference play for the final time, Western Illinois (7-21, 2-15 Summit League) was held to 33 percent shooting in a 73-60 loss to the Gents Thursday night at the Gold Dome.

Centenary (1-28, 1-16 Summit League) is in its final year in the Summit League after announcing its transition to NCAA Division III next season. The College will join the American Southwest Conference in 2011-12.

Sophomore Jack Houpt led the Leathernecks with 15 points. The 6-foot-7 forward hit 5-of-7 shots from the field, including 4-of-6 from three-point land. Houpt, who leads the team with 44 three-pointers, has been in double figures seven times this season.

Senior Matt Lander finished with 10 points and reached the 700-career point milestone (708). The 6-foot-4 guard has now scored in double figures in 13 consecutive games.

Junior forward Kaimarr Price had 12 points and nine rebounds while sophomore Jelani Johnson added 13 points and career-high five steals. Price also tied a career-high with three blocks while Johnson was just one point away from his career-high of 14 (vs. North Dakota State, Jan. 15).

The Gents led by as many as 16 points in the first half and hit 6-of-11 three-pointers in the opening stanza. However, Western went on a 9-2 run to close out the half and only trailed 32-24 at halftime. Price was 3-of-8 from the field and 4-of-4 from the line to finish the half with 10 points.

Lander and Houpt drained three pointers to open the second half and Western trailed 35-30 with 18:23 remaining. Centenary responded with a 6-0 run to go up 41-30 and held a double-figure lead until Houpt hit another three-pointer to cut the lead to seven with 10:11 left in the game. The Gents responded again, this time with a 9-2 run to go up 59-45 with 4:20 remaining and the Leathernecks never got closer than eight points the rest of the way. 

Western Illinois is back in action on Saturday (Feb. 26) as the Fighting Leathernecks travel to Tulsa, Okla. to take on Oral Roberts. Tipoff against the Golden Eagles is set for 7:05 p.m. inside the Mabee Center.

Steven Roundtree scored a career-high 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead Oral Roberts to a 92-74 home win over IUPUI Thursday night. The victory, coupled with IPFW's 84-66 loss at Southern Utah, clinched the No. 2 seed for ORU in next week's Summit League Tournament.