West Central Reporter

The Western Illinois University Leathernecks men's basketball team faced a challenging evening against Tennessee State, resulting in a 72-52 defeat at Western Hall. The Leathernecks' performance was hampered by their shooting struggles, achieving only 32.7% accuracy from the field.

Despite Julius Rollins leading the team's efforts with 18 points and an impressive 4-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc, his teammates struggled to maintain momentum. Marko Maletic added 13 points but experienced difficulty with his shots, hitting just 4 of his 14 attempts. Sean Smith contributed with eight points and five rebounds; however, the team's lack of consistent scoring proved detrimental.

Tennessee State capitalized on WIU's weaknesses, particularly in the paint where they outscored WIU with 34 points compared to WIU's 16. Ronald Jessamy led TSU with 16 points and eight rebounds. Josh Ogundele and Brandon Weston also made significant contributions for TSU with Ogundele adding 12 points and eight boards while Weston had nine points and seven rebounds. The Tigers shot an efficient 48.2% from the field, including a strong showing from three-point range at 43%.

The Leathernecks' troubles were further exacerbated by committing 12 turnovers which allowed TSU to score an additional 18 points. The bench performance also highlighted disparities between the teams as WIU's substitutes managed only four points compared to TSU's bench contributing a substantial 24 points.

Looking ahead, WIU is set to travel for their next game against Morehead State on Thursday evening, with tip-off scheduled for 6:30 p.m CT.

For ongoing updates on Leatherneck Basketball, fans are encouraged to visit GoLeathernecks.com or follow their social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.