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Western Illinois University Athletics

KJ Lee
Rachael Keating
97
Winner Western Ill. WIU 8-2,0-0 Summit League
70
Central Mich. CMU 1-7,0-0 MAC
Winner
Western Ill. WIU
8-2,0-0 Summit League
97
Final
70
Central Mich. CMU
1-7,0-0 MAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Western Ill. WIU 59 38 97
Central Mich. CMU 31 39 70

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

Hot Start Fuels Road Victory

At 8-2, the team is off to its best start since the 1980-81 season.

MOUNT PLEASANT, MICH. – The Western Illinois University Fighting Leatherneck men's basketball team played on Sunday (Dec. 5), defeating the Central Michigan Chippewas 97-70 at McGuirk Arena in Mount Pleasant, Mich. Western is now 8-2 on the season and has surpassed their win total from all of last year.
 
"I think we handled them pretty well, a lot better than I think any of us thought we would. We were talking in the locker room before the game and Colton Sandage had a funny line, he goes 'most of us have been in junior college and so we're used to this.' Getting on a bus, traveling eight hours and playing a game, we're used to this and it showed tonight," associate head coach Chad Boudreau said. "We have an older team, a more experienced team and those guys play through adversity and so it's good for us, this will help us later in the season."
 
Despite playing UT-Martin less than 24 hours prior, the Leathernecks came out firing from the first whistle. Colton Sandage scored eight of the team's first ten points, as the Chippewas were held scoreless for nearly five minutes off the opening tip-off. The shooting numbers continued through the duration at the half, as the Leathernecks built a 59-31 lead at halftime. Western's quality shooting and stout defense continued into the second period of play, utilizing an 11-2 run to build their lead upwards of 40 points before the second media timeout. The bench unit took control of the game midway through the half and rode the game out to a 27-point victory.

The Leathernecks were bolstered by their ability to draw fouls, as Central Michigan committed 19 fouls in the first half alone and finished with 28. The team shot 22-27 (81.5%) from the free-throw line, and six players finished with multiple shots made from the line – four of whom were perfect.
 
Colton Sandage led all scorers with 25 points, dishing out four assists to go with two steals. Trenton Massner scored in double figures for the seventh-consecutive game, finishing with 11 points and four assists while shooting 3-3 from deep, and Will Carius tied a program record for consecutive three-pointers made (six) on his way to 20 points. Carius tied this same record last season. George Dixon grabbed a team-high five rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench, and KJ Lee scored seven in his 15 minutes on the floor. Cameron Burrell had five points and three boards, and Adam Anhold threw down a nice dunk through contact during his time on the floor. In total, 13 different players checked in, 11 of whom played ten or more minutes.
 
"Those reserve guys were on the same bus too, so it was a long trip for them and I think in some ways when you're not playing and you go for a long bus ride and you play that many minutes, it's a tough spot," Boudreau said. "It's an opportunity and we said that during a timeout, it's an opportunity for them to show why they should be playing more… that group is talented and they'll help us at some point this season."
 
As a team, Western Illinois shot 29-57 from the field and made 17 of 29 from behind the arc, while winning the rebound battle 32-27 (10-7 offensive). Six players combined to dish out 18 assists, and the Leatherneck defense forced 19 Chippewa turnovers while scoring 25 points off turnovers. The bench chipped in 27 points as Western scored 20 points in the paint.

The Leathernecks now have some time off, as their next matchup isn't until Dec. 18 against Eastern Illinois, scheduled to take place at Western Hall.
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