Macomb, Ill- Western Illinois Men's Basketball defeated South Alabama 64-63 at the Mitchell Center in Mobile, Alabama on Tuesday night. The Leathernecks came out strong in the first half, scoring 41 points, largely thanks to their stellar three-point shooting. WIU shot 11-18 from deep in the first half with eight of them coming from Ryan Myers and Marko Maletic, who each had four. Julius Rollins added two threes while Sean Smith had one three as the Leathernecks shot 60% from the floor in the first half. Despite struggling offensively in the second half with only 23 points, they held on to secure the win getting stops when it mattered the most.
Myers and Maletic each scored 20 points as Myers converted six three-pointers for the game while Maletic also hit six of his 12 three-point attempts. Rollins contributed 13 points and six rebounds, showing his versatility on both ends of the court. Smith played a pivotal role as a playmaker, dishing out a game-high 13 assists, while scoring five points and adding five rebounds.
Defensively, the Leathernecks were effective, recording three blocks and four steals. Tay Knox stood out on the boards, grabbing seven rebounds, with six on the defensive end. WIU's ability to limit the Jaguars second-chance opportunities proved crucial in a tightly contested second half. Additionally, WIU capitalized on their depth, with the bench contributing 20 points.
While the game became closer in the second half due to a resurgence from South Alabama, Western Illinois showed resilience in the final moments to clinch the win. With 11 seconds remaining in the second half, Ryan Myers knocked down two huge free throws to put the Leathernecks up three. On the ensuing possession, the Jaguars would miss a three and Julius Rollins would get a defensive rebound and would go to the free throw line. Rollins would add a free throw to put WIU up four with one second to go. South Alabama would hit a three as time expired giving the Leathernecks the one point victory.
For the game, the Leathernecks made 15 of their 40 attempts from three compared to South Alabama's five successful threes out of 26 attempts.
The win improves WIU's record to 4-3. The Leathernecks will play one more game at the Mitchell Center tomorrow night as they will take on Incarnate Word. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m.
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