MACOMB, Ill. - The Leatherneck men's basketball team (9-8, 4-5) continues its road trip Saturday at South Dakota (7-11, 2-7) and face the Coyotes at 7:30 p.m...The Leathernecks will then wrap-up the road swing at Nebraska Omaha Tuesday at 7 p.m.
The Breakdown
Who: Western Illinois (9-8, 4-5) vs. South Dakota (7-11, 2-7)
When: Saturday, Jan. 21 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Vermillion, S.D.
Arena: The DakotaDome (10,000)
Live Stats: HERE
Live Video: HERE
Radio
Leatherneck Sports Network (88.3 FM)
Talent
Beau Spencer (play-by-play), Adam Studzinski (color) & Josh Gleason (sideline)Listen Live: HERE
A LOOK AT SOUTH DAKOTA: The South Dakota Coyotes, the newest member of the Summit League, enter Saturday's game with a 7-11 overall record, and are 2-7 in Summit League contests...In USD's last action, senior Charlie Westbrook tied a career-high with 32 points to lead the South Dakota men's basketball team to a 88-78 win over IUPUI in Summit League action Thursday night in Vermillion, S.D...The Coyotes improved to 7-11 overall and 2-7 in the Summit League with the win, while IUPUI fell to 8-13 overall and 2-7 in the conference...The Coyotes have three players that are averaging in double-figures this season, including Westbrook (17.3), Louie Krogman (14.7), and Trevor Gruis (11.5)...Richardo Andreotti leads the team in rebounds, having pulled down 102, 6.8 per game...Krogman leads the team in assists, having dished out 67, 3.7 per game...Westbrook leads the team in steals with 33, 1.8 per game...Gruis owns a team-best field goal percentage, 54.4...The Coyotes have averaged 69.9 points per game, while giving up 74.1 PPG...They have scored 70.6 PPG in conference contests, and given up 80.3 PPG in league games.
LEADER OF THE COYOTES: The Coyotes are coached by Dave Boots (Augsburg '79)...Boots is in the midst of his 24th season with the Coyotes and has a 490-207 record at USD, while posting a 605-269 career mark.
THE SERIES: Saturday night's contest is the fourth time the two programs have faced one another...The Coyotes own a 2-1 all-time series advantage over the Leathernecks...The first two meetings came in back-to-back seasons, first in 1969-70 when USD downed Western 82-74, then in 1970-71 when the Leathernecks were defeated 83-82...Early this season on Jan. 3 the Leathernecks earned a 67-44 decision over the Coyotes at home.
WHAT'S IN A WESTERN WIN?: A win would mark the team's 1,194th victory in program history...A win would mark head coach Jim Molinari's 39th victory at Western, and his 262th career victory...A win would mark Western's second-ever against USD, and tie the series up at 2-2.
ALL-TIME STEALS LEADER: Senior guard Ceola Clark III stands alone as the program's all-time leader in steals having picked up career swipe 168 at UMKC on January 19th...Clark passed Bill Heisler who held the record since 2001.
STEALS (DIVISION I)Â Â Â Year
1. 169 Ceola Clark IIIÂ Â Â 2009-pr
2. 167 Bill Heisler   1997-01
3. 138 Andre Humphrey   1993-95
4. 127 David Jackson   2004-08
5. 115 Eric Chinn              1986-88
LOOKING TO GET BACK ON TRACK: After Thursday night's loss to UMKC, Western has now dropped three-straight games...Over those last three game Western has averaged 58.3 points per game, and allowed its opponents to score 69.3...The Leathernecks have shot just 39.6% from the floor, while its opponents have made 53.3% of its shots...Western has been outscored by seven points in the first-half during these games, and 25 points in the second.
DEFENSE IS ALWAYS KEY: Western Illinois basketball ranks 38th in the nation and first in the Summit League in scoring defense, allowing opponents to score only 60.6 points per game...In Summit League games, the Leathernecks allow a league-low 63.4 points per game.
TOP-10 NATIONALLY: In the NCAA's most recent release of stats (1/20/12), junior forward Terell Parks ranks seventh in the nation (63.3%) in field goal percentage, while senior guard Ceola Clark III ranks 5th in three-point field goal percentage (47.8%)...Parks has been in the top-10 since Dec. 11th...Two times earlier this season in the NCAA's release of stats Leathernecks have ranked #3 in the country...On Nov. 27th, freshman forward Obi Emegano ranked third nationally with a 74.1 percentage, Parks later took the #3 spot over on Jan. 13th with a 65.3 field goal percentage...Emegano ranks 34th in the nation to date with a 55.6 field goal percentage.
