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Box Score

Western Illinois WIU 10-21

North Dakota State NDSU 17-15

Western Illinois WIU

10-21

Final

Mar. 11, 2019

North Dakota State NDSU

17-15

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
Western Illinois WIU	40	33	73
North Dakota State NDSU	49	27	76

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | Monday, March 11, 2019 | WIU Athletic Communications

Leathernecks Give Outstanding Effort in Summit League Semifinal

The team’s historic tournament appearance ended in the league quarterfinals Monday.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Western Illinois' historic run in The Summit League Men's Basketball Tournament ended Monday (March 11) in a heartbreaking 76-73 decision to North Dakota State (17-15) in the semifinal round.

The Leathernecks held the ball in the final 19.6 seconds and were able to rattle off a pair of 3-pointers – both hitting the frontend of the rim. Western became the first No. 8 seed in Summit League men's championship history to upset the top seed when it defeated the three-time reigning champions South Dakota State, 79-76.

Kobe Webster finished the game with a game-high 24 points while Brandon Gilbeck added a double-double on 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Ben Pyle wrapped the Leathernecks' double-digit scoring on 14 points, also contributing seven rebounds.

"It was a good college basketball game," head coach Billy Wright said. "Both teams played hard. I thought our guys did a really good job fighting back into the game. A lot of teams may have given up in that situation but I am really proud of our guys. We had a chance to win and it came down to one or two possessions."

The Leathernecks controlled the opening tip, and Webster fed Gilbeck under the basket for first points of the game. A battle ensued, with both sides pretty evenly matched, for a pair of ties and three lead changes before the first media timeout (15:07).

The Bison used the 3-ball to gain separation, a perfect 6-for-6 effort to start the game, and popped back-to-back to take their first double-digit edge at 25-15 with 11:38 on the clock. Webster flexed a little range to pull Western within six in the final minute before the half, but an NDSU buzzer-beating trey sent his team into the locker room trailing, 49-40.

There was a momentum shift heading into the second half, and it greatly favored the Purple and Gold.

An 8-0 run closed Western's deficit to 57-54 with 15:53 left, and it became a one-point game less than two minutes later when Gilbeck powered his way to the rim for a lay-in. He set the score at 59-58, and Isaac Johnson tied it at the line, 62-all (10:55).

In similar fashion to the game's start, back-and-forth scoring saw C.J. Duff push Western ahead, 67-65, on a corner 3-pointer, but it was short lived on the next possession when the Bison recorded a trey of their own.

It seemed as if NDSU had an answer to every Leatherneck rally. When Webster hit an unconventional baseline jumper, the Bison responded with a 3-pointer at the top of the key, and the score remained 76-71 for the next three minutes.

Webster broke the drought with a driving layup at the 1-minute mark as his team called a timeout with possession of the ball in the final seconds.

The Leathernecks conclude the 2018-19 slate at 10-21 overall, in their first trip to the Summit League semifinals since the 2012-13 season.

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