West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University's men's basketball team faced a tough defeat against Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) on Thursday night, losing 87-66 at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The Leathernecks struggled with turnovers, committing 16 in total, which resulted in 24 points for SEMO. This early setback allowed the Redhawks to establish control and maintain their lead throughout the game.

In the first half, WIU's offense was hampered by turnovers, scoring only 21 points while giving away the ball 10 times. SEMO capitalized on these mistakes, creating transition opportunities and building a 14-point lead at halftime with a score of 35-21. The Leathernecks had difficulty handling SEMO's pressure defense, often making forced passes and unforced errors that disrupted their offensive flow.

Julius Rollins was active during the first half but was hindered by four turnovers out of his seven total for the game. Trey Deveaux emerged as WIU's most reliable scorer in the opening period by driving to the basket and drawing fouls.

Despite these challenges, both Rollins and Deveaux delivered notable performances. Rollins ended with 16 points on an efficient shooting performance of 5-of-9 from the field and contributed nine rebounds. Deveaux led WIU in scoring with a season-high of 20 points; he demonstrated his range by hitting a three-pointer and converting seven out of eight free throws. Additionally, he recorded three rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block.

The Leathernecks showed more resilience in the second half by adding 45 points to their tally but could not close the gap significantly as SEMO continued its strong offensive play. The Redhawks shot an impressive 58% from the field and hit eight three-pointers after halftime to maintain their advantage over WIU.

This loss drops Western Illinois to an overall record of 10-18 and a conference record of 4-13 in Ohio Valley Conference play. With this defeat, they are officially eliminated from qualifying for the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament with only three games remaining in their season schedule. Looking ahead, WIU aims to finish strong when they face Little Rock on Saturday afternoon at 3 PM in Little Rock, Arkansas.

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