MACOMB, Ill. Western Illinois men's basketball hits the road for a pair of nonconference contests in Ohio this week. The Fighting Leathernecks open the two-game road trip with the Akron Zips on Thursday night (Dec. 4) at 6 p.m. CT. Western then travels to Cleveland State to face the Vikings at 12 p.m. CT on Sunday (Dec. 7).
UP NEXT: After this week's road contests at Akron and Cleveland State, the Leathernecks return home for a pair of games in three days... Western Illinois plays host to Idaho next Thursday, December 11, before welcoming Alabama State to Macomb on Saturday, December 13... Both games are slated to tipoff at 7 p.m. on LeRoy A. Ufkes Court inside Western Hall.
A LOOK AT AKRON: The Akron Zips, who rank #9 in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll, are members of the Mid-American Conference and enter Thursday's game with a 5-2 overall record... The Zips have made won their last two games, both at home, against Bryant (72-66) this past Sunday, and Arkansas-Pine Bluff (81-60) on Tuesday night...Akron has five players averaging 10 or more points per game, and are led by Noah Robotham who averages 12.3 points per game... Robotham also leads the team in assists with a 3.0 average per game... Akron is coached by Keith Dambrot who is in his 11th year leading the program, and 17th year overall as a head coach.
LEATHERNECKS VS. ZIPS SERIES HISTORY: Western Illinois trails the all-time series 10-14... Akron, former members of The Summit League (then known as the Mid-Continent Conference), won seven of the first eight meetings between the two teams... The first meeting occurred on February 23, 1971, who Akron winning 93-70... The Zips have also won the last two meetings, most recently on February 17, 1992, 75-69.
ESPN3: Western Illinois is slated to play five mores games that will air live on ESPN3... The Leatherencks already played on game on ESPN3, a 67-64 loss at UIC (Nov. 17)... The Leathernecks' next game scheduled to air on ESPN3 is Sunday's (Dec. 7) game at Cleveland State...Below is a complete list of WIU games that will air on ESPN3:
Date   Opponent   Result/Time
Nov. 17Â Â Â at UICÂ Â Â L, 64-67
Dec. 7   at Cleveland State   12 p.m.
Dec. 23   at Memphis   7 p.m.
Feb. 5   at South Dakota   7 p.m.
Feb. 12   at Oral Roberts   7 p.m.
Feb. 26Â Â Â at IUPUIÂ Â Â 6 p.m.
CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH A TRIPLE: Sophomore guard Garret Covington has made a three-pointer in 21 consecutive games dating back to last season. The streak of triples started when the Leathernecks played host to William and Mary last season on Jan. 4, 2014... Newcomer Jamie Batish has made a three-pointer in every game this season.
TEAM LEADERS: Sophomore guard Garret Covington leads the team in points per game (17.2), field goals (26), free throws (21) and three-pointers made (13), three-point field goal field goal percentage (41.9)... Sophomore guard Jabari Sandifer owns the team's best free throw percentage (83.3) and leads the team in assists per game (4.4)... Junior guard Jamie Batish leads the team in minutes played per game (31.6) and assist/turnover ratio (3.0)... Junior forward Jalen Chapman leads the team in rebounds per game (6.0), blocks per game (0.8) and steals per game (1.3)... Senior forward Mohamed Conde also has 1.3 steals per game... Junior forward Tate Stensgaard has the team's best field goal percentage (57.1).
AS A TEAM IN THE SUMMIT LEAGUE (as of Dec. 1): The Leathernecks rank first in defensive rebounds per game (26.8)... Second in opponent field goal percentage (40.4), opponent three-point field goal percentage (29.2), points allowed per game (67.2), and personal fouls per game (18.2)... Third in steals per game (6.6), turnovers per game (12.0), assists per game (14.8), total rebounds per game (36.6) and three-pointers per game (8.0).
INDIVIDUALLY IN THE SUMMIT LEAGUE (as of Dec. 1): Sophomore Garret Covington ranks first in points per game (17.2), third in total 3-pointers made (2.6), seventh in assist/turnover (1.6) and eighth in 3-point field goal percentage (41.9)... Sophomore Jabari Sandifer ranks first in assist/turnovers (2.8) and fifth in assists per game (4.4)... Junior Jalen Chapman ranks second in offensive rebounds per game (2.8) and tied for eighth in rebounds per game (6.0)... Junior Jamie Batish ranks fourth in 3-pointers made (2.2) and 10th in minutes per game (31.6)... Senior Mohamed Conde ranks fifth in offensive rebounds per game (2.5).
AS A TEAM IN THE NATION (as of Dec. 1): Western Illinois ranks in the top 100 of eight national statistical categories: 44th in fewest turnovers (60), 53th in three-point field goals per game (8.0), 61st in assist/turnover ratio (1.23), 72nd in defensive rebounds per game (26.8), 75th in turnovers per game (12.0), 75th in fewest fouls (91), 80th in three-point FG defense (29.2) and 84th assists per game (14.8).
INDIVIDUALLY IN THE NATION (as of Dec. 1): Two Western Illinois players rank in the top 100 nationally: Garret Covington ranks 82nd in three-point field goal percentage (41.9), 89th in points per game (17.2), 99th three-pointers per game (2.6)... Jabari Sandifer ranks 74th in assist/turnover ratio (2.75) and 99th in assists per game (4.4).
WIU IN ESPN'S DAILY RPI/STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE (as of Dec. 1): Western Illinois has an RPI (Rating Percentage Index) of 342 in ESPN's Daily RPI, and a SOS (Strength of Schedule) of 330. Joe Lunardi and his team of Bracketologists have replicated the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), one of the tools used by the NCAA Selection Committee to evaluate teams. Lunardi & Co. update it daily, and have included additional ratings, providing readers with original data for every Division I team, available only on ESPN.com.
WHERE WIU OPPONENTS RANK IN ESPN'S DAILY RPI (as of Dec. 1): 78. Akron | 104. Pacific | 115. William & Mary | 122. Memphis | 124. North Dakota State | 127. Cleveland State | 144. Alabama State | 208. Omaha | 251. Denver | 264. UIC | 268. Southeastern Louisiana | 295. IUPUI | 309. South Dakota State | 317. Idaho | 321. South Dakota | 322. Fort Wayne | 332. Oral Roberts.
COVINGTON'S CAREER NIGHT: Sophomore Garret Covington finished the Leathernecks' win over Southeastern Louisiana with 29 points, a career-best... Those 29 points were the most by a member of the program since David Jackson scored 32 against Fort Wayne on Nov. 21, 2006.
DISHING OUT ASSISTS: As a team, Western Illinois finished its game at UIC (11/17) with 20 assists on 24 made baskets before dishing out 24 helpers versus Greenville College (11/29)... The Leathernecks had three total games a season ago with 20 or more assists... All three of those games were against non-Division I opponents... The last time WIU had 20 or more assists against a Division I opponent was Jan. 29, 2012 versus Omaha when the Leathernecks recorded 25.
MORE ASSISTS: Sophomore guard Garret Covington leads WIU in assists this season after dishing out a career-high nine at UIC (11/17/2014)... His nine helpers is the most from a WIU player since Jan. 9, 2013 when Ceola Clark III had 12 versus non-Division I opponent Greenville... It also marked the most assists in a game versus a Division I opponent since Feb. 2, 2012 versus Fort Wayne.
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