West Central Reporter

The Western Illinois men's basketball team secured a victory against San Jose State with a 59-55 win on Tuesday night. The game saw significant contributions from newcomers Sean Smith and Marko Maletic.

The Leathernecks had a slow start, trailing early as San Jose State took a 7-2 lead. However, Western Illinois responded with an 11-1 run to gain the advantage at 13-8. Rodrick Payne contributed four points during this period, while Marko Maletic hit a three-pointer and Trey Deveaux along with Sean Smith added jumpers to complete the run. By halftime, WIU trailed 29-25 despite shooting 41.7% from the floor.

In the second half, WIU started strong with a 9-5 run. Tay Knox initiated the offense with a dunk that narrowed the gap to 29-27. After two free throws by San Jose State, Sean Smith and Trey Deveaux made consecutive jumpers to level the score at 31-31. The Leathernecks outscored their opponents 34-26 in this half, holding them to just 31.8% shooting.

Marko Maletic led his team in scoring with 13 points and five rebounds. His crucial three-pointer late in the game extended WIU's lead to seven points at 54-47. Although San Jose State went on an 8-2 run reducing WIU's lead to one point, defensive efforts including a key steal by Sean Smith helped maintain their edge. Maletic's free throws further solidified their position.

San Jose State missed an opportunity to tie the game with a corner three-pointer in the final moments. Ryan Myers added another point from the free throw line for Western Illinois, concluding his performance with eleven points.

Western Illinois will next face Pepperdine in Malibu, California on Wednesday at 8 p.m.