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Western Illinois University Athletics

Cameron Burrell
Sarah Ritter
69
Denver Denver 2-14,1-8 Summit League
75
Winner Western Ill. WIU 6-12,4-7 Summit League
Denver Denver
2-14,1-8 Summit League
69
Final
75
Western Ill. WIU
6-12,4-7 Summit League
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Denver Denver 28 41 69
Western Ill. WIU 22 53 75

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Leathernecks Push Win Streak to Four

Four scored in double-digits in Western's fourth straight win.

MACOMB, Ill. - The Western Illinois men's basketball team is still learning how to win when faced with a variety of situations - close games, large leads, etc. 

Saturday's contest taught the team how to overcome a large deficit (14 points) and maintain. Defeating Denver, 75-69, the Leathernecks were rewarded with their fourth straight victory and first inside Western Hall this season. Tamell Pearson and Cameron Burrell each recorded a double-double while Will Carius guided all scorers with 27 points. 

"We're finding ways to win, which you can't be mad about," said Carius. "It's not always pretty, but we're getting over that hurdle that we needed to get over earlier in the season. We had a couple games early on that we needed to get that edge and make those early plays, and we're starting to do it. At this point, it's just about finding a way to get into a groove and keep getting a little better." 

It took the Leathernecks a little while to find their bearings, and Denver took full advantage on its way to a 14-0 lead (9:57). Ten of those points were scored on Western turnovers, and it required a total team effort -- and two and a half minutes -- for WIU to begin to dig itself out of the hole. Five Leathernecks scored in a 13-2 run, and the score read DU 28, WIU 22, at halftime. 

"We just could not get going on either side of the ball. We were getting stops in the first half, they only scored 20-something points, but our flow was really choppy," said head coach Rob Jeter. 

Anthony Jones provided Western its first lead of the night with a trey-ball at 12:55, but it couldn't sustain an advantage until Carius' triple with 8:46 remaining. The graduate transfer scored 25 points in the second half alone, where he went 8-of-10 from the floor, and he and Burrell were the only Leathernecks to play the entire period. 

Though WIU remained ahead, Denver forced it to close out to earn the win. The visitors appeared to be on the edge of a lopsided defeat -- down 15 with 2:31 left -- but never surrendered. By way of the 3-point arc, they outscored WIU, 20-11, in the final minutes, and Jase Townsend was a force with 13 points. 

Western thwarted all momentum by making its free throws. 

"We haven't played well at home. We've been sloppy, finding ways not to play well in our building," Jeter added. "We need to figure out how to turn that switch on early, at home, and play with that passion and pride of protecting our home court. We got the first one, and now we see how we respond tomorrow."

Pearson recorded 12 points and 14 rebounds, and Burrell 11 points and 13 rebounds. Colton Sandage also finished in double-digits with 12 points and six rebounds. 

The Leathernecks play inside Western Hall one last time this season in a 7 p.m. tip-off against Denver. 
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