It’s tough to beat a team that commands an 11-1 record at home, and it’s even tougher when said team is shooting the best it has all year; this is what Western was faced with when taking on Oral Roberts inside the Mabee Center Thursday (February 27).
Final score: ORU 113, WIU 70.
Ben Pyle finished the night tying his career-high with 21 points while Kobe Webster tacked in 12.
“We’ve got a quick turnaround; no need to feel sorry or hang our heads, but we didn’t play particularly well, and that led to a lot of transition baskets,” said head coach Billy Wright. “They are really good in transition, and we knew that, but didn’t sprint back to contain the ball.”
A game after setting Western’s single-game scoring record, Webster opened Thursday’s contest by jacking a 3-pointer on the first possession of the night. Unfortunately for WIU, the Golden Eagles also rank ‘Top 3’ in the Summit in treys made per game, and they used three quick ones to jump out to a 13-3 lead at the first media timeout (16:23).
While the Leathernecks struggled to hit their rhythm, it was as if ORU couldn’t miss. The home side held a 63-33 advantage at halftime, shooting 66.7 percent from the floor with nine 3-pointers. Both Webster and Pyle entered the locker room with double digits as they accounted for nearly all of Western’s halftime points with 12 and 13, respectively.
The Golden Eagles were Western’s first opponent to surpass 100 points this season, and they were helped by 17 treys.
“No one is going to feel sorry for us. We have less than 48 hours to regroup and get ready for a tough game Saturday afternoon.”
Western concludes its regular season at Denver Saturday at 2 p.m. A postseason berth is on the line for both, and the contest will determine who claims the eighth and final spot in The Summit League Tournament.
***Report Courtesy of Western Illinois University***
