Box Score

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MACOMB, Ill. – The Panther men's basketball team was held to a season-low .240 field-goal percentage as they dropped a 60-32 contest at in-state rival Western Illinois on Wednesday night. EIU drops to 3-5 on the year.

WIU started the contest on a 5-0 run before the Panthers tied the game on back-to-back baskets by Mat Piotrowski and Jake Verhagen at the 16:43 mark. EIU would go 5-for-23 from the floor for the remainder of the half as the Fighting Leathernecks (3-4) built a double-digit advantage to take their largest lead of the half, 37-17, into intermission.

The poor shooting continued into the second half as the Panthers went 5-for-23 from the floor. WIU held onto their double-figure advantage the entire second stanza and led by as much as 29 points (60-31) with just over a minute left in the game.

Josh Piper led the Panthers with five points while four other players added four points. Adam Link scored a game-high 12 points for the Leathernecks on 6-for-11 shooting. Mike Miklusak added eight points for the Leathernecks as WIU finished the contest hitting 43.9 percent of its shots (25-for-57).

WIU held a 42-33 advantage on the glass while adding a season-high 10 blocks and 11 steals. Sherman Blanford had a team-high seven rebounds for EIU while Michael Ochereobia paced WIU with nine.

WIU outscored the Panthers 36-12 in the paint and scored 17 points off of turnovers. WIU also had 14 more second chance points (18-4) and six more bench points (24-18).

The Panthers return to action on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. Fans attending the home EIU FCS Playoff football game at 1 p.m. against Tennessee State can receive $2 off general admission tickets to the men's basketball game against the Sycamores.