West Central Reporter

Western Illinois Men's Basketball faced a challenging game against Little Rock, ending with a 75-61 defeat at the Jack Stephens Center. The Leathernecks had a promising start, leading 39-36 at halftime due to effective shooting. Ryan Myers stood out for Western Illinois with 17 points, including five three-pointers and eight rebounds. Trey Deveaux added 11 points and nine rebounds, while Sean Smith and Julius Rollins contributed nine points each.

In the first half, WIU made seven three-pointers, setting the pace early on. However, their performance faltered in the second half as they scored only 22 points and shot just 29% from the field. This allowed Little Rock to seize control of the game.

Turnovers were also an issue for WIU, committing 14 that led to 18 points for Little Rock's Trojans. Despite six steals and two blocked shots by WIU, they could not recover from their offensive difficulties in the latter part of the game.

Looking ahead, WIU will play Lindenwood on Tuesday for their final home game of the season. The event will be marked as Senior Night with honors planned for Trey Deveaux, Julius Rollins, Sean Smith, Marko Maletic, and Ryan Myers.

For updates on Leatherneck Basketball, fans can visit GoLeathernecks.com or follow them on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.