Who | Western Illinois vs. Coe College
When | Monday, November 17, 7:30 P.M. 
Where | Western Hall | Macomb, IL 

Leathernecks Home Opener
After opening the season with four challenging road tests, Western Illinois men's basketball finally returns to Macomb for its home debut on Monday night. The Leathernecks have been battle-tested early, facing a demanding stretch that forced a new roster to grow quickly and adjust in real time. That experience now carries over to Western Hall, where the team looks to settle in and draw energy from the home crowd for the first time this season.

Western Illinois at California Baptist Recap

Western Illinois men's basketball battled throughout on Friday night at the Fowler Events Center in Riverside, CA, but came up short in a 69–59 road loss to California Baptist. The result moves the Leathernecks to 0–4 on the season.

Antwaun Massey delivered a dominant performance with 29 points on 13-of-18 shooting, adding five rebounds and three steals in 36 minutes. 

CBU's size and rebounding proved to be the difference as the Lancers finished with a 50–29 edge on the glass, including 21 offensive rebounds that led to 14 second-chance points. Dominique Daniels Jr. led California Baptist with 22 points, while Martel Williams added 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Isaiah Griffin reached double figures with 10 points, going 6-for-10 from the free-throw line. Lucas Lorenzen added nine points and six rebounds, and Francis Okwuosah contributed seven rebounds.

Western Illinois stayed within striking distance throughout the second half, pulling within six on multiple occasions, but California Baptist answered with timely buckets down the stretch to hold on for the victory.

Lineup Change
Freshman guard Makai Kvamme stepped into the starting lineup for the first time in Western Illinois matchup with California Baptist, logging 20 minutes and contributing two points and two rebounds. As the Leathernecks continue working to build chemistry and identify the right on-court combinations, Kvamme's start last game reflects the staff's ongoing search for the lineups that best fit.

Scouting Coe College
Coe College enters Monday's matchup at 4–0, showing early-season consistency built on balanced scoring, disciplined defense, and strong late-game execution. The Kohawks, a Division III program competing in the American Rivers Conference, are led by Cooper Nailor, who is averaging 14 points per game and has emerged as their most dependable scorer. In their last time out the Kohawks defeated the University of Wisconsin-Superior 73-69. 

What's at Stake
The matchup against Coe provides an opportunity to settle into a better rhythm, establish more continuity within the rotation, and translate the progress made on the road into a complete performance at Western Hall before conference play starts. 

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