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Western Illinois University Athletics

Isaac Johnson
74
Western Illinois WIU 11-13, 2-9 SL
90
Winner Fort Wayne FW 17-12, 6-6 SL
Western Illinois WIU
11-13, 2-9 SL
74
Final
90
Fort Wayne FW
17-12, 6-6 SL
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Western Illinois WIU 31 43 74
Fort Wayne FW 45 45 90

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

Johnson Impressive in Leathernecks' Loss to Fort Wayne

Freshman Isaac Johnson netted a season-high 23 points on 7-13 shooting.

FORT WAYNE, Ind.- The Western Illinois Leathernecks fell in Fort Wayne 90-74 on Thursday night and ended the regular with a 1-1 mark against the Mastodons. The Leathernecks cut the lead to seven points in the second half but could not complete the comeback.

"In the first half, we had a couple of miscues on some ball screens and it just snowballed from there," said head coach Billy Wright. "We made adjustments in our ball screen coverage in the second half. To our guys' credit, we competed and fought hard in the last half of the game."

Isaac Johnson was hot early for the Leathernecks as he scored three of the first four buckets for Western Illinois. His first came on a play on a crafty spin move at the top of the key that allowed him to get to the rim to score over a Mastodon defender. 

The Mastodons were making shots early, though, and pulled ahead quickly 11-4. Jalen Morgan had the ball in the post and found Kobe Webster on the elbow for a 3-pointer that cut the Fort Wayne to four points. Beginning with 13 minutes on the clock, the Mastodons went on a 17-5 lead to the push the deficit to 16 for Western Illinois.

Webster halted the Fort Wayne run with another 3-pointer at the 10:42 mark in the first half. C.J. Duff got on the board after coming off a Gilbeck screen and knocked down a jumper at the top of the key. 

Johnson found Jordan Hughes for a layup after Hughes slipped a screen and was left open under the basket. 

At the break, Webster and Johnson led the Leathernecks with 10 points apiece. After a 7-2 run to open the half for the Mastodons, the Purple and Gold went on an 8-4 run of their own, which included three points from Duff.

Duff began a 9-0 Leatherneck run with 14:20 to play in the second half that would cut the Mastodon lead to seven points, the closest the game had been since the 9:47 mark in the first half. During the run, Gilbeck put down a reverse two-hand slam that quieted the crowd inside the Gates center.

The Leathernecks would keep the game within 11 points until the 9:45 mark when John Konchar knocked down a contested 3-pointer.

Fort Wayne scored nine of 11 points on a run that was ended by Johnson free throw with 4:55 to play.

The Leathernecks couldn't mount a comeback in the final five minutes and fell on the road to split the season series with the Mastodons.

Western Illinois gets back to the hardwood on Saturday (Feb. 17) at South Dakota State. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m.
 
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