Western Illinois (4-12, 2-7) vs. Nebraska Omaha (2-15, 0-7)
Baxter Arena, Omaha, Nebraska; Saturday, 8 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Western Illinois looks to extend Nebraska Omaha’s conference losing streak to 10 games. Nebraska Omaha’s last Summit League win came against the North Dakota Fighting Hawks 84-83 on Feb. 26, 2020. Western Illinois beat Nebraska Omaha by eight on the road in its last outing.
BIG MEN ON CAMPUS: The Leathernecks are led by Will Carius and Tamell Pearson. Carius is averaging 14.3 points and 4.9 rebounds while Pearson is putting up 11.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. The Mavericks have been led by Matt Pile and Marlon Ruffin. Pile has averaged 10.2 points and 7.8 rebounds while Ruffin has put up 12.3 points per game.
SUMMIT LEAGUE IMPROVEMENT: The Mavericks have scored 74.6 points per game across seven conference games, an improvement from the 61.7 per game they recorded against non-conference competition.CLUTCH CARIUS: Carius has connected on 42.9 percent of the 91 3-pointers he’s attempted and has gone 12 for 19 over his last three games. He’s also made 76.2 percent of his free throws this season.
YET TO WIN: The Leathernecks are 0-10 when they score 77 points or fewer and 4-2 when they exceed 77 points. The Mavericks are 0-14 when allowing 70 or more points and 2-1 when holding opponents below 70.
COLD SPELL: Nebraska Omaha has lost its last three home games, scoring an average of 78.3 points while giving up 88.7.
DID YOU KNOW: Western Illinois has attempted the second-most free throws among all Summit League teams. The Leathernecks have averaged 20 free throws per game and 25 per game over their last five games.
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