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Western Illinois University Athletics

Dalan Ancrum
WIU Visual Productions Center
54
Eastern Illinois EIU 0-2
56
Winner Western Illinois WIUM 2-0
Eastern Illinois EIU
0-2
54
Final
56
Western Illinois WIUM
2-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Eastern Illinois EIU 28 26 54
Western Illinois WIUM 30 26 56

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

Leathernecks Defense Secures 56-54 Win Against Eastern Illinois

Dalan Ancrum scored 11-straight points in second half to help lift Leathernecks over Panthers.

PHOTO GALLERY

MACOMB, Ill.- In part to an 11-0 run from Western in the second half, the Western Illinois men's basketball team (2-0) beat Eastern Illinois (0-2) 56-54 in a thrilling contest on Wednesday evening. Down by seven twice in the second half, Dalan Ancrum scored 15-second half points to lift the Leathernecks over the Panthers.
 
"We just revisited our principles defensively. Credit our kids, because in the last 12 minutes, we just talked about four-minute segments, being disciplined in our gaps, making sure that when the shot went up, making sure there's five guys rebounding," said head coach Billy Wright. "We're pretty good defensively when we defend. We're even better when we stay out of foul trouble when Brandon [Gilbeck] and Kobe [Webster] are out there. We have that 'next man up' mentality. I thought that the guys who came off the bench, like Jalen Morgan, you look at what he was able to do in the first half, really gave us some energy and made some plays."
 
The low scoring affair started early, as there were only 26 combined points in the first 10 minutes of the game. With the game tied at nine, Kobe Webster knocked down his first of three trifectas to put the Leathernecks up 12-9. Eastern Illinois answered, going on a 9-2 run with four points coming from Montell Goodwin, three Jajuan Starks and two from D'Angelo Jackson. After a Starks 3-pointer to put the Panthers up 26-18, Western went on a 12-2 run to end the half that included back-to-back makes from C.J. Duff and five Eastern Illinois turnovers.
 
With Eastern up 36-33, Michael Chavers drove the lane but was met by Morgan, who swatted his shot that served as a momentum swift for the Leathernecks in the second half. The Leathernecks found themselves down seven with 6:03 to go after a Montell Goodwin 3-pointer, but Western was not discouraged as Jeremiah Usiosefe found Brandon Gilbeck under the basketball for a layup.
 
Ancrum found his stroke with 4:53 to play in the second half after scoring 10 points until that point in the game on 4-14 shooting from the field. He made back-to-back-to-back three-pointers before making two free throws to put the Leathernecks up by four points.
 
Jackson made a layup to pull the Panthers within two points, but the Leathernecks clamped down and forced the 19th and final Panther turnover to win the game.
 
GAME NOTES:
-The Leathernecks scored 12 of 18 paint points in the first half
-Ancrum recorded his first career double-double (21 points and 11 rebounds)
- Kobe Webster made three of five threes
- Gilbeck swatted four Panther shots
- The Leathernecks forced 19 Panther turnovers
- Western only recorded five bench points
- Leathernecks only led for eight minutes and thirty-four seconds
 
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