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Bennett defense
WIU Athletics
61
Monmouth (IL) MC 0-0,0-0 Midwest Conference
89
Winner Western Ill. WIU 0-0,0-0 Summit League
Monmouth (IL) MC
0-0,0-0 Midwest Conference
61
Final
89
Western Ill. WIU
0-0,0-0 Summit League
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Monmouth (IL) MC 24 37 61
Western Ill. WIU 46 43 89

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

Leatherneck men top Monmouth College

Western Illinois wins lone exhibition, 89-61

MACOMB – There was a lot of good to see from a lot of different players, which made the Western Illinois men's basketball exhibition game against Monmouth a good one as the Leathernecks topped the Fighting Scots 89-61 in their lone preseason game of the season.
 
It was all Western Illinois as the Leathernecks never trailed, led for all but :39 and were in front by as many as 30.
 
"I was pretty pleased with the defensive effort for the first 20 minutes, the second 20, we have young guys, we have inexperienced guys, so it was a little sloppy but that's to be expected when you have different combinations in there," Western Illinois coach Rob Jeter said. "For the most part, I was pleased with the defensive effort and offensively, we were pretty sharp."
 
The Leatherneck defense controlled the game for most of the night, forcing 21 Monmouth turnovers which led to 28 Western Illinois points. WIU held the Fighting Scots to 22-58 shooting (37.9 percent) for the game while keeping Monmouth at arm's length.
 
"That's big for us, we have to be really active," Jeter said of the turnovers leading to points. "I'm not sure if we stat deflections, but we'll go back and chart it ourselves, but I thought we got a lot more hands, a lot more tips on basketballs and it was good to see that."
 
The big lead allowed Western to test their depth and play different combinations as 13 different Leathernecks played and 12 different WIU players scored, led by Trenton Massner's 25-point performance.
 
"A little choppy, that's something that's going to take time, figuring out combinations, the correct subs," Jeter said. "I think J.J. Kalakon is a perfect example, he can play more with the group that starts the game, but he got pushed out a bit and Steph Gabriel is one of the first guys off the bench, along with K.J. Lee, and then Elijah Farr.
"J.J. has been playing really well, we just have to figure out those combinations."
 
Along with Massner's 25, Alec Rosner and Vuk Stevanic were each in double figures with Rosner scoring 14 and Stevanic adding 11. In his return to the floor, Quinlan Bennett also had a good night, scoring nine points and adding a game-high eight rebounds. Jesiah West and Gabrial each scored eight while Farr chipped in six points and seven rebounds.
 
Massner had an all-around strong night, adding six rebounds, eight assists and three steals to his 25-point performance.
 
Overall, WIU shot 35-62 from the field (56.5), 5-24 from three (20.8) and 14-29 from the line (48.3). Western outrebounded Monmouth College 45-31.
 
The Leathernecks are off for nearly a week before opening the regular season next Monday, taking on Illinois State in Normal at 7 p.m.
 
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