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Men's Basketball Announces 2018-19 Slate

| By: WIU Athletic Communications

The schedule will feature 16 road trips, the most in program history.

MACOMB, Ill.- Western Illinois men's basketball will travel on the road a program-record 16 times this season which will include trips to Creighton and Nebraska, as head coach Billy Wright announced the 2018-19 schedule on Tuesday (Oct. 9).
 
"We've put together a tough non-conference schedule that I'm really excited about and is something that we have always tried to do. With all things considered we try to focus on regional opponents who will return the game here in Macomb, and to do that you'll have a year like this one where we have the most road games in program history," said head coach Billy Wright. "We're also participating in the WAC/Summit Challenge this year, which will give us another home game versus a tough opponent from a very good conference."
 
The Leathernecks will begin the 2018-19 campaign on the road at Creighton on Nov. 6 before hosting North Park University on Nov. 10. The Purple and Gold will then embark on a three-game road trip to WIU's most familiar opponent Eastern Illinois on Nov. 17 before heading to UT-Martin on Nov. 21 and Big Ten opponent Nebraska on Nov. 24.
 
Western Illinois will host a Thanksgiving-eve tilt against SIUE on Nov. 28 before competing on the road at SEMO (Dec. 1) and Stetson in DeLand, Fla. on Dec. 5. The Leathernecks return home against Eastern Illinois for the programs' 160th meeting on Dec. 8.  The squad will head to IUPUI on Dec. 15 and in-state opponent NIU on Dec. 17 to close out its non-league road slate.
 
As part of the WAC/Summit Challenge, Chicago State will compete inside of Western Hall on Dec. 20 to round out the Leathernecks' non-league portion of the schedule.
 
"To compete for a conference championship you have to win games on the road, and this year's non-conference schedule will not only test us early, but will also prepare us for another tough Summit League schedule," said Wright.
 
The men's basketball program will begin league play before the first of the year with back-to-back home contests against South Dakota State on Dec. 28 and Denver on Dec. 30. The slate features three-straight road contests to begin January with trips to Oral Roberts (Jan.5), North Dakota State (Jan.10) and first-year Summit League opponent North Dakota (Jan. 12). The Leathernecks will then play host to Omaha (Jan. 17) and Purdue Fort Wayne (Jan. 19) before returning to the road against South Dakota on Jan. 26. After a five-day break, the Purple and Gold welcome North Dakota to Western Hall for the first time since 2011 on Jan. 31 before playing host to NDSU on LeRoy A. Ufkes Court on Feb. 2.
 
The Fighting Leathernecks will head to Fort Wayne on Feb. 7, before a 9-day break. The team returns to action on Feb. 16 inside of Western Hall against South Dakota. After a trip to Omaha on Feb. 20, the seniors will be honored on Feb. 23 against Oral Roberts. The 2018-19 campaign will end with two road games against Denver on Feb. 28 and South Dakota State on March 2. The Summit League Basketball Tournament will is scheduled to begin on March 9 and will run through March 12.
 
"With 80 percent of our offense returning, along with four starters and one of our best recruiting classes, I'm confident our students and community will pack Western Hall and provide a great home court atmosphere that is always appreciated," said Wright.
   
 
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