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Sathya Sai Chilukuri

Leathernecks Close Out Nonconference With Two Games This Week

| By: WIU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

WIU hosts Eureka Monday; visits Central Arkansas Wednesday

MACOMB – The Western Illinois men's basketball team closes out the non-conference portion of the schedule this week, playing a pair of games.

First up is a return to Western Hall as the Leathernecks host Eureka. Western Illinois plays its first game since a 68-59 win at Green Bay on December 9 and plays its first home contest since an 80-58 win over Coe College on December 6.

Western Illinois ends nonconference play on Wednesday, hitting the road for a matinee at Central Arkansas. The Leathernecks and Bears tip at noon.

WHO | Eureka (3-6) at Western Illinois (5-6); Western Illinois at Central Arkansas (3-9)

WHEN | Monday, 7 p.m. (vs. Eureka); Wednesday, noon (at Central Arkansas)

WHERE | Western Hall, Macomb (vs. Eureka); Farris Center, Conway, Arkansas (at Central Arkansas)

FOLLOW ALONG | Watch; Listen; Live Stats (vs. Eureka); Watch; Live Stats (at Central Arkansas)

SOCIAL MEDIA | Instagram; Twitter; Facebook

LAST TIME OUT | The Leathernecks played perhaps their most complete game of the season, beating Green Bay 68-59 on the road. WIU had four players score in double figures as Ryan Myers and Jesiah West each scored 18, Drew Cisse had 12 and JJ Kalakon finished with 10.
 
HISTORY | Western Illinois is 4-0 all-time vs. Eureka, most recently winning 79-50 vs. the Red Devils last season. That game was played in Moline at Vibrant Arena. WIU is 3-0 inside Western Hall vs. Eureka. WIU is 2-0 vs Central Arkansas all-time, winning in both Macomb and Conway. The last meeting came in December of 2009, a 55-44 win in Macomb.
 
ABOUT THE LEATHERNECKS | Western Illinois has won two straight games and three of four. A third-straight win would be the longest winning streak of the season. WIU is scoring 70.7 points per game while allowing 69.3. Western shoots 42.1 percent from the field while allowing foes to make 40.9. James Dent Jr. leads the team in scoring, averaging 14.9 points per game while Ryan Myers scores 12.6. In their five wins, the Leathernecks are outscoring foes 84.4-59.2.
 
ABOUT THE RED DEVILS | Eureka is 3-6 overall but plays at Monmouth College on Saturday night ahead of Monday's game at WIU. The Red Devils score 68.1 points per game while allowing 69 points per night. Cody Baer leads the team, scoring 21.4 points per game while PeeWee Brown adds 18.8.
 
ABOUT THE BEARS | UCA had a slow start to the season, dropping eight of the first nine, but have won two-straight games. The Bears have been able to get it going against OVC schools, topping Little Rock (75-71) and Eastern Illinois (73-70) in back-to-back games. Central Arkansas averages 70.4 points per game while allowing 76.5. UCA is shooting 40.3 from the field. Tucker Anderson leads the team, averaging 14.5 points per game while Elias Cato scores 10.9. UCA has eight players averaging at least six points per game.
 
BLOCK PARTY | Western Illinois ranks fourth in NCAA Division I men's basketball with 6.7 blocks per game. The 74 total blocks are second-most in NCAA. Drew Cisse's 26 blocks rate him seventh in the NCAA while his 2.36 blocks per contest are 17th.
 
CHAIRMEN OF THE BOARDS | WIU's 484 total rebounds are second-most in the NCAA, while their 44 boards per contest are seventh. Their +7 margin is 42nd in the country, while their 29.36 defensive rebounds per game rank 23rd. WIU's 14.64 offensive rebounds are 16th while their 161 total offensive rebounds rank sixth.
 
REBOUND MACHINE | Drew Cisse leads the way on the glass as his 131 total rebounds lead the country. Cisse's 80 defensive rebounds are ninth in the country while his 51 offensive rebounds lead the nation. Cisse's 11.9 rebounds per game are third in the country, as are his 4.64 offensive rebounds per game. His 7.27 defensive rebounds per game are 15th.
 
STARTING TO FIGURE IT OUT | Western Illinois went with the same starting lineup in back-to-back games for the first time this season. JJ Kalakon is the latest player to enter the starting five and has delivered, averaging 7.5 points and six rebounds per game. James Dent Jr. has become the team's sixth man and continues to lead the squad in scoring.
 
WHAT'S NEXT | After the game at Central Arkansas, the Leathernecks begin a long holiday break over Christmas. Western Illinois makes its Ohio Valley Conference debut on New Year's Eve, visiting Southern Illinois Edwarsdville at 3:30 p.m.
 
 
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