Who | Western Illinois vs SIUE | Western Illinois vs Lindenwood
When | Thursday, February 26, 7:30 P.M. | Saturday, February 28, 3:30 P.M.
Where | First Community Arena | Edwardsville, IL | Western Hall | Macomb, IL

Leathernecks Close Out Regular Season Against SIUE & Lindenwood

Western Illinois closes out a challenging 5–24 season with two final opportunities to finish the season the right way.

The Leathernecks travel to face SIUE before returning home for Senior Day against the Lindenwood Lions. While the postseason is out of reach, both games give Western a chance to finish strong and send the seniors out on a positive note. 

Western Illinois vs Morehead State Recap

Western Illinois Leathernecks dropped an 81-59 decision to the Morehead State Eagles on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 21) inside Western Hall. The Leathernecks move to 5-24 overall and 1-17 in Ohio Valley Conference play, while the Eagles improve to 17-12 (13-5 OVC).

Morehead State jumped out to an early advantage and carried a 43-27 lead into halftime after shooting 58.1 percent from the floor in the opening period. The Eagles continued to control the tempo in the second half, scoring 38 points after the break to secure the 22-point win.

Western Illinois was led by Danny Stephens, who paced the Leathernecks with 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting. Goanar Biliew added 14 points and four rebounds, while Lucas Lorenzen and Francis Okwuosah each finished with 10 points. Makai Kvamme contributed eight assists to go along with four points.

Scouting SIUE
Western Illinois will face a disciplined and balanced SIUE Cougars squad that enters the matchup at 17–12 overall and 10–8 in conference play. Under seventh-year head coach Brian Barone, SIUE has built a team that defends at a high level and takes care of the basketball.

The Cougars average 70.9 points per game while allowing just 65.4, holding opponents to 39.5% shooting and 30% from three-point range. Offensively, they shoot 44.3% from the field and 34.4% from beyond the arc, while limiting turnovers to 11.7 per game.

Individually, Ring Malith leads the way at 17.0 points per game. Myles Thompson controls the glass with 6.1 rebounds per contest, while Jack Campion runs the offense (4.9 assists) and leads the team in steals (1.8). Inside, Arnas Sakenis anchors the paint, averaging 2.3 blocks per game.

SIUE's defensive efficiency and balanced scoring attack will present a tough challenge to close out the road slate.

Scouting Lindenwood

Western Illinois wraps up the season against the 16–13 (10–8 conference) Lindenwood Lions, a balanced offensive team averaging 78.3 points per game on 46.2% shooting. The Lions hold opponents to 42.7% from the field and own a +4.9 scoring margin on the year.

Lindenwood is strong on the glass (38.6 rebounds per game) and moves the ball well with 15.0 assists per contest, while also creating nearly nine steals per game defensively.

Anias Futrell leads the scoring attack at 17.4 points per game and shoots 37.6% from three. Jadis Jones adds 15.6 points and a team-best 8.3 rebounds per game, with Dontrez Williams contributing 15.1 points per contest.

With three consistent double-figure scorers and a physical rebounding presence, Lindenwood presents a tough, well-rounded challenge on Senior Day.

Keys to the Matchup's

• Control the Boards – Both SIUE (36.4 RPG) and Lindenwood (38.6 RPG) rely on strong rebounding to fuel their offenses. Securing defensive boards will limit second-chance points and create transition opportunities.

• Protect the Ball – SIUE averages 11.7 turnovers per game, Lindenwood 13.9. Minimizing turnovers is critical to prevent easy scoring and keep the game competitive.

• Defend the Perimeter – SIUE shoots 34.4% from three, Lindenwood 31.2%. Closeouts and disciplined rotations on shooters will be essential to contain outside scoring threats.

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