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Western Illinois University Athletics

Mike Miklusak FP
WIU Visual Productions Center
63
Winner Eastern Illinois EIU 6-4
49
Western Illinois WIU 2-7
Winner
Eastern Illinois EIU
6-4
63
Final
49
Western Illinois WIU
2-7
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Eastern Illinois EIU 36 27 63
Western Illinois WIU 27 22 49

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | WIU Athletic Communications

Eastern Illinois Tops WIU Men’s Basketball in Macomb

Seniors Mike Miklusak and Garret Covington led WIU with 18 and 12 points, respectively.

PHOTOS | COACH WRIGHT POSTGAME RADIO INTERVIEW

MACOMB, Ill. – Eastern Illinois topped Western Illinois men's basketball, 63-49, in Macomb Saturday afternoon (Dec. 10) to sweep the season series. The Panthers, who beat the Leathernecks 73-64 in Charleston earlier this season (Nov. 19), improve to 6-4 overall, while WIU falls to 2-7 on the season.
 
"We just have to play better," said head coach Billy Wright following WIU's loss. "We know what to expect from the opponent. We scout, we watch film and we have a game plan. It's just a matter of executing the game plan and from an offensive standpoint, just taking care of the ball. We didn't shoot it well, but at the same rate we're not going to shoot it great every night."
 
EIU shot better than Western from all areas of the floor. The Leathernecks were only able to make 30.5% (18-59) of their attempts from the field, 29.2% (7-24) from long range and 60% (6-10) from the free throw line.
 
Western was also edged in rebounds (43-36) and committed two more turnovers than the Panthers (19-17).
 
Senior Mike Miklusak led WIU with a game-high 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field. He was also one rebound short of his second double-double of the season, finishing with nine. He added three assists and two steals, but turned the ball over six times.
 
Two other Leathernecks scored in double figures in senior Garret Covington and freshman C.J. Duff. Covington tallied 12 points, while Duff finished with 10. Both players made two 3-pointers.

Covington also moved from 6th to 5th all-time in career scoring at WIU. He now owns 1,529 points. 
 
The contest was a back-and-forth affair for the first 11-plus of the game as neither team led by more than three points to that point and the game was tied at 18-18.
 
That was when Eastern rattled off nine consecutive points over the next three minutes and jumped out to a 27-18 advantage with just over five minutes left in the first. 
 
Western was able to cut its deficit to six late in the first, but EIU would end up building its lead back up to nine at halftime, 36-27.
 
The second half was all Panthers, as they built their lead up to double digits and never looked back on their way to a 14-point victory.
 
Eastern was led by Montell Goodwin, who finished with 17 points and five rebounds. Muusa Dama finished with a double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Ray Crossland scored 12 points and was a board shy of a double-double with nine rebounds.
 
The Leathernecks play four straight road games to conclude non-league play and open Summit League play. Western plays at Milwaukee on Dec. 17 and at Purdue on Dec. 19 to close out nonconference action. WIU then opens Summit League action on Dec. 29 at Fort Wayne and finishes its four-game road swing at IUPUI on New Year's Eve (Dec. 31).

 
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