GAME 21
MEN'S BASKETBALL: WESTERN ILLINOIS LEATHERNECKS VS SOUTH DAKOTA COYOTES
Feb. 1, 2018 • 7:00 p.m. (CT) • Macomb, Ill. • Western HallÂ
LIVE STATS:Â HERE
LISTEN:Â HERE
GAME 22
MEN'S BASKETBALL: WESTERN ILLINOIS LEATHERNECKS VS ORAL ROBERTS GOLDEN EAGLES
Feb. 3, 2018 • 2:00 p.m. (CT) • Macomb, Ill. • Western HallÂ
LIVE STATS:Â HERE
LISTEN:Â HERE
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MACOMB, Ill.- WIU is back in Western Hall after a 13-day hiatus from its home court on Thursday (Feb. 1) at 7 p.m. and Saturday (Feb. 3) at 2 p.m. The Leathernecks will play host to South Dakota on Thursday and Oral Roberts two days later.
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FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT: This weekend's games will begin 'The Summit League Food Fight', an initiative for Summit League programs to collaborate to help end world hunger. More information can be found here.
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LAST TIME OUT: The Leathernecks couldn't't hold onto a 12-point first half lead Saturday (Jan. 27) after an incredibly hot start from Kobe Webster against North Dakota State as Western Illinois fell 80-69 in the Scheels Center. Webster began the game on fire, scoring 18 points and starting 7-for-9 from the field and 2-of-3 from deep in the first nine minutes of the game.
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ALL EYES ON THE NEW KID: Kobe Webster ranks among one of the best freshman in the country and best in many statistical categories. Webster is only one of nine players, including only one of two freshmen, in the country to average 16.6 points, 4.0 assists and 3.6 rebounds while shooting above 40 percent from 3-point land. If continued the entire season, he will end as the only freshman (seventh player, regardless of class) to post these numbers in The Summit League since 1992-93. The Indianapolis native will go down as the only player in Western Illinois program history since at least 1990 claim this stat line.
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FREE THROW WOES: WIU has struggled from the free-throw line during Summit League play this season. The Leathernecks have only shot above 68 percent as a team once in a Jan. 6 matchup against Oral Roberts (87.5 percent)
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MACHINE FROM SPRING GREEN: Spring Green, Wisconsin native Brandon Gilbeck is the one of two players in the NCAA who averages at least 12.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocks while shooting 66 percent from the field.
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PLATES, BOWLS AND MUGS: Kobe Webster ranks third in The Summit League in dishes per game this season, dishing out 4.1 assists per contest. He is only .5 assist behind league-leader Sam Kearns. This figure ranks 12th around the country among freshman players. He is the only player in the Summit League to be in the Top-6 (6th, 16.6) in scoring and Top-3 in assists (3rd, 4.0).
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PROTECTING THE GLASS: Although impressive on the defensive glass averaging , the Leathernecks have struggled getting offensive rebounds. WIU ranks 349 out of 351 in offensive rebounds percentage this season, pulling down only 19.3 percent of misses, almost 10 percent less than the NCAA average (29.1 percent).
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NOTHING BUT NET: Junior center Brandon Gilbeck is shooting 67.1 percent this seaon, which leads The Summit League and ranks seventh in the country.
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BRINGING 'EM DOWN: The Leathernecks crash the boards on defense, averaging 28.45 defensive rebounds per contest, a figure that ranks 21st in country. On the offensive glass, the Leathernecks rank 326th with only 7.70 per game.
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NOTHING BUT TWOS: WIU only shot a combined 29 3-pointers in the last two games, the fewest 3-pointers attempted in a two-game span in league play this season. Against NDSU, the Leathernecks only attempted 13 shots from deep, their fewest league oppoents. WIU looked for the three-point shot in the previous meeting against South Dakota as Western attempted 24 such shots, the most against a Summit League opponent this season.
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GET IT OUT OF HERE: The Leathernecks lead The Summit League in blocks per contest by swatting 4.1 blocks per games. Individually, Brandon Gilbeck is leading the way with 2.8 blocks per game (15th nationally, first in The Summit League) blocks per game and is rejecting 11.0 percent of opponents' attempts. Out of 2,167 ranked players in the country, Gilbeck is 23rd in the NCAA in defensive block percentage.
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SHOW YOUR HANDS, MOVE YOUR FEET: Out of all 351 teams in D-I, WIU has committed the seventh-fewest personal fouls of any team in the land. The Leathernecks have only fouled opponents 296 times through 20 games this season. On the offensive end, WIU does not get many of its points from the free throw line, as only 15.2 percent of its points are from the stripe (335th nationally).
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SCOUTING THE COYOTES: South Dakota comes into the contest in second place in the league and enter the game after falling on the road to Denver 84-68. Matt Mooney leads the Coyotes, leading the team in points (17.7) and steals (2.2).
USIOSEFE OUT: Sophomore guard Jeremiah Usiosefe suffered a season-ending injury so the Leathernecks will have to look to freshman Isaac Johnson and junior Delo Bruster to fill his 23.7 minutes per contest. Before going down, Usiosefe started all fifteen games and averaged 6.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists.
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LOOKING AHEAD: The Leathernecks are home tonight and Saturday against Oral Roberts before heading to Omaha on Feb. 8.
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