By DAYNE MCELWEE, Western Courier Sports Editor
MACOMB, Illinois – The Western Illinois Men’s basketball team wasn’t able to keep the winning streak alive as they fell to the Jackrabbits of South Dakota. The Summit League clash was played in Macomb, Illinois as SDSU came out victorious 93-75.
The Leathernecks came out clicking on all cylinders which gave them a lead for most of the first half. It was until the 9:57 mark that SDSU proved why they are the best team in the Summit League, and one of the best in small conference division one. WIU wasn’t able to respond as SDSU would go on an 11-0 run to finish the first half and take a 40-29 lead.
The start of the second half started just as the first ended, with SDSU knocking down shot after shot and getting stops at the defensive end. The Jackrabbits would start on an 11-0 run once again to give them a comfortable lead for the rest of the game and ultimately keep SDSU’s best conference start in history alive.
Trenton Massner led all scorers with 24 on 9-18 shooting. George Dixon came off the bench for WIU and provided big minutes as he would finish with a double-double. The Leathernecks struggled shooting in comparison to the Jackrabbits as WIU shot 35% from the field. Not being able to hit shots was a big reason that SDSU was able to continue to knock down shots.
After the game assistant head coach Chad Boudreau said, “George did a good job – he’s always going to bring energy no matter what the situation is. He’s a great kid, he’s tough, he got inside, he’s a good athlete with great hands and we need more like that down the stretch.”
The Leathernecks will stay at home as they will have a makeup game against South Dakota on January 24 at Western Hall.
