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Western Illinois University Athletics

James Claar
Larry Dean

Leathernecks Set for Three-Game Road Swing

Western will open its trip at Eastern Illinois before traveling to UT-Martin and Nebraska.

Western Illinois (2-1) at Eastern Illinois (0-2)                                       
Date/Tipoff: Nov. 17, 2018 | 7:00 p.m.
Location: Charleston, Ill.
Site: Lantz Arena

Series History: The Leathernecks hold a slight edge in the all-time series, 81-80. The in-state foes have faced each other in each of the last three seasons, and the Leathernecks have claimed a pair of victories, including a 56-54 thriller a year ago. 

The second half began with the score knotted at 30-all and the final five minutes captured former Leatherneck Dalan Ancrum going off for 11-straight points to lift his team to victory. 

Western' Last Outing: WIU has been untouchable inside Western Hall this season with back-to-back victories and an unblemished home record (2-0). The Leathernecks defeated Dominican (Ill.), 95-56, this past Wednesday, guided by center Brandon Gilbeck's game-high 19 points. 

WIU finished the game shooting 55.9 percent from the field and dominated the stats in rebounds (35-36), steals (13-6), blocks (6-0), and turnovers (12-22). 

Déjà vu: The Leathernecks are 2-0 at home this season and the box scores read nearly the same. In action against North Park and Dominican (Ill.), WIU held its opposition to 56 points, five Leathernecks finished in double-figures and the team combined for 33 made fields goals. 

The Accuracy: Against Dominican (Ill.), Brandon Gilbeck posted 19 points on 6-for-7 shooting from the field while Isaac Johnson added 18 points on an 8-for-9 effort. 

First Dates: The Leathernecks took on North Park and Dominican (Ill.) for the first time in program history and are 2-0 in the meetings.  

Big Man of Campus: Last season, 7-footer Brandon Gilbeck was the first Leatherneck to garner the Summit League's Defensive 'Player of the Year' award since Terrell Parks in 2012-13. He is just the third player in school history to earn the accolade. 

Gilbeck broke the program's single-season (85) and career records (150) for blocks during the 2016-17 season and currently boasts 191 career swats. Gilbeck currently ties for third in the nation in blocked shots per game (4.0) while leading The Summit League. 

At the Line: The Leathernecks currently rank third in the nation in free-throw percentage at 85.7. Kobe Webster (8-8), Ben Pyle (4-4) and James Claar (3-3) are managing perfect efforts at the charity stripe. 
    
Scouting the Panthers: The Panthers are seeking their first win of the season after opening the season with a 71-59 loss at Texas and a 71-65 setback at IUPUI. Three are averaging double-figures, led by Rade Kukobat's 15.0 PPG. The 6-9 forward is also the team's leading rebounder with 6.5 RPG. 
 
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