MACOMB, Ill. - The Western Illinois men's basketball squad ended its losing skid Wednesday (Feb. 15) with a 47-42 grind-it-out victory over the Kangaroos of UMKC inside Western Hall. Western improves to 14-11 overall and 8-8 in Summit League play, while the 'Roos fall to 10-18 and 4-12 in league play.
After tonight's Summit League action (Feb. 15), the Leathernecks sit fifth in the standings with their 8-8, just below North Dakota State and Oakland who each own 9-7 league records, and just ahead of Southern Utah who has 8-9 conference mark.
The combined 89 points in the game is the lowest combined total since December 12, 2009 when Western dropped a 44-41 contest to Eastern Illinois in Macomb.
The last time Western earned a victory with a combined total of 89 or less was in the 2006-07 season when Western downed Centenary, 45-42, on February 1, 2007.
Senior guard Ceola Clark III, who was honored prior to tip-off for becoming the 19th member of the men's basketball 1,000 point club, finished with 10 points and six assists. Freshmen Obi Emegano and Remy Roberts-Burnett each tallied 10 points as well in the win. Junior forward Terell Parks added nine points and recorded a game-high 10 rebounds.
After shooting 32% in the first half, Western finished the game with a 43.9 shooting percentage to UMKC's 39.5%.
The Kangaroos were led by Reggie Chamberlain who finished with a game-high 14 points.
After three scoreless minutes of basketball, Clark knocked down the game's first basket, a long jumper to put Western up 2-0 early on.
Over the next six minutes of action, both teams struggled to put points on the board and neither team was able to generate a decent lead.
UMKC built its lead up to five points, 11-6, the largest lead either team would mustard in the half with 11:11 remaining, thanks in part to the Leathernecks' 23.5 shooting percentage (3-of-13) early on.
Western had tallied 14 shots in the first 10 minutes of play, while UMKC attempted only six.
The Kangaroos held onto their lead for the next five minutes until Clark drilled his first and only three of the first half with 5:42 left to knot things up at 13.
The two teams would score four points each during the remainder of the period and enter halftime tied at 17.
The 34 combined halftime points was the lowest total since the 2009-10 Eastern Illinois game mentioned above when the Leathernecks trailed 18-14 at the half.
Thanks to tough defense and improved shooting in the second, the Leathernecks were able to crawl out to a 1-point advantage over the first 10 minutes of the second half, 32-31.
The low scoring affair continued as the two teams entered the final five minutes of action tied at just 35.
Western took a 5-point lead with four minutes left in the game after Clark knocked down three straight free throws, and then hit Parks underneath the basket with a nifty no-look pass to make it 40-35.
UMKC would get within three points, but the Leathernecks were able to suppress the 'Roos for the remainder of the game and finish-off the gritty 5-point victory, 47-42.
The Leathernecks will hit the road for their ESPN BracketBusters game at Evansville Saturday (Feb. 18) with the tip scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
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