Francis Okwuosah, Basketball player | Western Illinois University Leathernecks Men's Golf
Francis Okwuosah, Basketball player | Western Illinois University Leathernecks Men's Golf
Western Illinois University's men's basketball team began the 2025–26 season with a narrow 80–75 defeat against Radford at the Dedmon Center on Monday night. The game marked the debut of a completely new Leathernecks roster, as no players returned from last season.
Junior guard Lucas Lorenzen led Western Illinois in scoring, posting 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting and making four three-pointers. Francis Okwuosah contributed 16 points and was perfect from the free-throw line, while Isaiah Griffin added 12 points and eight rebounds. Tyran Cook also scored in double figures with 10 points.
The Leathernecks shot 47 percent from the field and outrebounded Radford by a margin of 32–30. However, foul trouble impacted their performance, as Radford attempted 31 free throws during the game.
After trailing by six at halftime, Western Illinois took its first lead early in the second half following an Antwaun Massey layup that made it 46–44. Radford responded quickly to regain control and held off a late surge by Western Illinois to secure the win.
Despite the loss, Western Illinois showed energy and resilience, finishing with 30 points in the paint and collecting 23 second-chance points in their first outing together as a team.
The Leathernecks will next play against Iowa on Friday at 6 p.m. in Iowa City.
For more information about Leatherneck Basketball, visit GoLeathernecks.com or follow their social media accounts for updates.
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