UP NEXT: After Western hits the road for Summit League games at Denver (Jan. 14) and North Dakota State (Jan. 16) this week, the Leathernecks return home for their longest league home stand of the year... The Leathernecks play host to South Dakota (Jan. 22), IUPUI (Jan. 30) and North Dakota State (Feb. 1).

LEATHERNECKS VS. PIONEERS SERIES HISTORY: Denver leads the all-time series 3-1... The Leathernecks won the first meeting between the two programs on January 30, 1978, by a score of 84-78... Denver has since won the last three meetings... DU won the second meeting on December  7, 2002, by a score of 75-48... The first Summit League meeting between the two teams came on January 25, 2014 last season in Macomb with Denver winning, 67-55... The most recent meeting came last season in Denver with the Pioneers winning 75-67 on Feb. 20, 2014.

HOME SWEET HOME: Western is 36-13 (.735) inside Western Hall since the beginning of the 2011-12 season... The Leathernecks went 10-4 during their 2011-12 campaign, 12-2 during the 2012-13 league slate, and 7-5 last season... So far this year WIU is 7-2 on LeRoy A. Ufkes Court inside Western Hall.

ON THE ROAD: With all of its success at home, Western has struggled on the road the last four seasons... WIU is 14-35 on the road since the beginning of the 2011-12 season... The Leathernecks went 6-10 in 2011-12, they were above .500 in 2012-13 with a 7-6 road mark, went 1-13 last season and are 0-6 so far this year.

COVINGTON FOR THREE: Sophomore guard Garret Covington had 70 three-pointers as a freshman, and has 33 so far as a sophomore... He has 103 in his career, nine away from jumping into the program's 'top 10'... He has played in 44 career games, has only had five games without at least one three, and has made at least one triple in 39 games... He has 28 games with multiple three pointers... He has 10 games with one trey, seven games with two triples, nine games with three makes from long range, nine games with four three pointers, two games with five connections from beyond the arc, and a career-high six three-pointers in one game.

DOUBLE FIGURES: Sophomore guard Garret Covington has 660 career points and averages 15.0 points per game... He has 34 games with 10 or more points, 25 games having scored between 10-19 points, and nine games with 20-plus points... He finished the Leathernecks' win over Southeastern Louisiana (Nov. 22) 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.

SANDIFER'S ASSISTS: Sophomore guard Jabari Sandifer has 166 assists in his young career, and averages 3.7 per game during his career... As a freshman, he played in all 30 games and averaged 3.1 per game, and has played in all 15 games this season and averages 4.9 per game (74 total)... He has at least one assist in all but one of his 45 career games played... He has multiple assists in 41 of those games... Three-plus assists in 35 career games... 20 games with four-plus... Eight games with five-plus... Seven games with six-plus... Three games with eight-plus, all of which have come this season... And a career-high 13 assists this season versus Greenville College (Nov. 29) while not turning the ball over in 29 minutes of play... His 13 helpers was two shy of WIU's single-game record. 

TEAM LEADERS: Sophomore Garret Covington and junior Tate Stensgaard are the only two Leathernecks to have started all 15 games this season for the Leathernecks... Covington also leads the team in points per game (15.9), minutes per game (31.7), field goals (68), three-pointers (33), free throws (69), free throw percentage (83.1) and defensive rebounds (54)... Stensgaard also leads the team in field goal percentage (56.1)... Junior Jamie Batish leads the team in three-point field goal percentage (39.3)... Senior Mohamed Conde leads the team in rebounds per game (6.0) and offensive rebounds (33)... Sophomore Jabari Sandifer leads the team in assists per game (4.9)... Junior Jalen Chapman leads the steals (19) and blocks (9).

INDIVIDUALLY IN THE SUMMIT LEAGUE (through Jan. 12): Sophomore Garret Covington ranks: Third in free throw percentage (83.1)... Third in free throws made (69)... Fourth in three-pointers (33)... Fourth in points per game (15.9). Sophomore Jabari Sandifer ranks: First in assists per game (4.9)... Eighth in assist/turnover ratio (1.8). Junior Jamie Batish ranks: ninth in three-point field goal percentage (39.3). Senior Mohamed Conde ranks: Eighth in rebounds per game (6.0). Junior J.C. Fuller ranks: Ninth in free throw percentage (78.9).

WIU AND ITS OPPONENTS IN THE NCAA'S DAILY RPI: (as of Jan. 8): Western Illinois has an RPI of 298 in NCAA's Daily RPI... It's opponent's rankings are: 228. Pacific | 284. UIC | 267. Southeastern Louisiana | 111. William & Mary | 166. Akron | 169. Cleveland State | 260. Idaho | 221. Alabama State | 108. Memphis | 291. Fort Wayne | 299. Omaha | 142. South Dakota State | 149. Oral Roberts | 240. Denver | 158. North Dakota State | 249. South Dakota | 241. IUPUI.