Western Courier | February 7th, 2020

Sports: Dynamic Leatherneck duo leads the way to road victory.

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Opinions: Make sure to take care of yourself.

Friday, February 7, 2020 - Vol. 120 Issue 52

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Western Illinois University to host dozens of Black History Month events

By Devin Brooks NEWS3 reporter

MACOMB, Ill. (NEWS3) — Western Illinois University will celebrate Black History Month with dozens of events planned throughout the month.

WIU University Relations said WIU students have come up with a campus theme of “The African American Experience: Pressing Forward.”

Staff part of the WIU Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center will organize the month-long activities to commemorate Black History Month. All of the events are open to the WIU and Macomb community.

“We want to continue the center’s legacy of being there for all students as a place of learning and a place to create a sense of community for students,” Multicultural Center Program

Coordinator Carl Ervin said.

“Knowledge is important and hate comes from ignorance. We want to share a shared sense of humanity.”

Among the events planned are guest speakers, discussions and workshops, films and pageants.

Staff said the focus is about learning more about the black experience and having conversations to understand all people and cultures.

Multicultural Center Events Administrator Jerome Halsey said he would like to “uplift, inspire, love, motivate and celebrate our students.” “I’d also like to help all of our students understand that the MCC is a place where they are loved and welcomed.”

Black History page 2

The Multicultural Center will host many events over Black History Month.

WIU.EDU

Macomb Community gathers for first “First Wednesday”

By Sebastian Gamboa courier staff

The Western Illinois Department of Art and Design held their first “First Wednesday” community art event of the semester on Wednesday.

The multifaceted and interactive event was from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and was spread out across Garwood Hall, the Heating Plant Annex and the University Art Gallery. Admission was free and open not only to staff and students of Western, but the surrounding community as a whole and to all ages.

The activities in Garwood included printmaking, silkscreened valentines, charcoal drawing, keychain making, painting and a cartoon caption contest.

First Wednesday page 2

Members of the community participating in various activities.

SEBASTIAN GAMBOA/COURIER STAFF

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Friday, February 7, 2020

NEWS

Black History from front page

This year ’s Black History Month schedule includes: • Thursday, Feb. 6, 6:30 p.m., University Union Sandburg Theatre: Film and discussion “The New Black” – This award-winning and eye-opening film is about the Black community’s struggle with Gay rights as civil rights. The film will be followed by a facilitated and open discussion. This event is sponsored by the Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center, the GLBT*QA Resource Center and WIU Libraries.

• Sunday, Feb. 9, 5 p.m., WIU Multicultural Center – Gala – The Cotton Club: The Cotton Club was an influential part of the Harlem Renaissance during the 1920’s-1940’s.

The Cotton Club Gala, sponsored by the National Association of Colored Women’s Club (NACWC), pays homage to ancestors and all of their creative efforts during a time when their talents weren’t appreciated.

• Tuesday, Feb. 11, 7 p.m., WIU Multicultural Center – New Hampshire Primary Watch Party: In honor of the national theme for Black History Month, African Americans and the Vote, the Multicultural Center and the WIU Department of Political Science will offer a nonpartisan gathering spot to view, discuss and debate the U.S. Presidential primaries, voting rights and issues of the day. The party is sponsored by the WIU Multicultural

Center and the WIU Department of Political Science.

• Thursday, Feb. 13, 6:30 p.m., University Union Heritage Room, “Why I Love Black Women” – WIU’s student organization, Black Male Achievement Network (BMAN), will host its annual recognition and celebration of the African American woman.

• Saturday, Feb. 15, 2 p.m.

University Union Heritage Room – Mr. and Miss Africa Pageant: The African Student Association hosts an annual pageant to celebrate African aesthetics, culture and heritage. Contestants who best personify the African identity through excellence, achievements, African heritage and style are selected to participate. Contestants will represent different African countries. The winners stand a chance to win a $500 scholarship each. Admission is $5, which includes $2 in food from the Taste of Africa event.

• Saturday, Feb. 15, 5 p.m., Multicultural Center – Taste of Africa: Following the Mr. and Miss Africa Pageant, the African Student Association (ASA) will serve and array of African delicacies and cuisine prepared by African students.

• Wednesday, Feb. 19, 5 p.m., Stipes Hall, room 121 – Mental Health Awareness: The Preeminent Gentlemen’s Society will create a safe haven for students to come and discuss the importance of mental health, as well as learning early warning signs of mental health issues and

ways to maintain positive mental health.

• Thursday, Feb. 20, 7:30 p.m., WIU Campus Recreation Center, 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament: The tournament will offer an opportunity to gather, mix, socialize and have fun as community members and allies, while enjoying a talent-filled and friendly intramural competition. Admission is a canned-good for the food pantry. The tournament is sponsored by the Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center, the Black Student Association and the WIU Campus Recreation Center.

• Tuesday, Feb. 25, 4 p.m., Multicultural Center – “Family Feud:”: The Preeminent Ladies Society will showcase the popular game show “Family Feud,” with questions about Black culture.

• Thursday, Feb. 27, 6 p.m., Multicultural Center – Women of Color Workshop, facilitated by WIU alumna Tristen Johnson: WIU alumna, diversity and inclusion trainer and successful entrepreneur Tristen Johnson, who serves as the assistant director of Multicultural Affairs at the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, returns to WIU to facilitate an interactive workshop and share her strategies for success and achievement for women of color at Predominately White Institutions.

The event is sponsored by the Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center, the WIU Women’s Center and the Office of WIU Interim President Martin Abraham.

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NEWS 3

SEBASTIAN GAMBOA/COURIER STAFF

Smiles were strewn across the participants in First Wednesday.

First Wednesday from front page

In the painting room, was senior Becca Maccanelli. Maccanelli is an art major and has been to and assisted with countless First Wednesdays.

Maccanelli said that the thing that got her involved with the event that she most enjoyed was “exposing new people to new mediums.” Fellow senior art major and First Wednesday veteran Andi added that the event was a great way to get service hours for departmental scholarships while bringing in members of the

community and students from different majors to try their hands at art.

At the charcoal drawing activity station where participants had a table of objects to draw inspiration from for a charcoal drawing was sophomore Alyssa Suther.

Suther is a graphic design major and has participated in First Wednesday a total of 11 times. Suther said that she got involved with First Wednesday because of her interest in art and the opportunity for service hours. She voiced that the event is an “extra opportunity to get involved in art

and campus life” for students and members of the community. She also mentioned enjoying seeing returning participants who had so much fun at the last event that they came back for more.

On my way out of Garwood, Vanessa Coleman was holding down her station in the Silkscreened Valentines Room. There, she showed participants how to make a print.

Dye was applied to a surface acting as a colorful clue onto which glitter is dumped forming shapes and letters.

Having attended and assisted with many First Wednes-

days, Coleman discussed how nice it was to bring in the school community but also the Macomb community to “get outside of their comfort zones and try something new.” Coleman said that she enjoys seeing people's reactions when trying the new things they experience at a First Wednesday event. She encourages as many people as possible to get involved.

She also said that even those with no art background or experience should try it out as they might discover a new interest.

The event was full of people

from various groups around campus and the community.

Students, children and people of all ages were in attendance enjoying their time.

In addition to the activities at Garwood, there were events at the Heating Plant Annex. There were pressed copper valentines, building castles with clay and soap carving. The events at the Annex and Garwood Hall were complimented by extended hours at the University Art Gallery. The event also had materials and funds donated

by Blick Art Materials and the Performing Arts Society.

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OPINIONS

Friday, February 7, 2020

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BRANDON TROST/PRODUCTION MANAGER

BRANDON TROST/PRODUCTION MANAGER

The Coronavirus was first identified in the 1960s, however it is still unknown as to where it has come from and can infect both animals and humans. The virus spreads the same way as any cold, such as sneezing, coughing and by touch. Some symptoms of the Coronavirus include runny nose, sore throat, coughing and fever.

Just recently, the Coronavirus has killed over 500 people in China and 28,018 cases have been confirmed. Although the virus originally started overseas, the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency as the Coronavirus outbreak spreads well beyond Wuhan, China. Aside from other countries, there are now 12 confirmed cases in the United States.

The first confirmed case occurred between a Chicago woman and her husband who are both receiving care in a Hoffman Estates Hospital. The women had been in China’s Wuhan region where the Coronavirus outbreak occurred.

She arrived back to her homeland at O’Hare International Airport on Jan. 13 and her symptoms began four days later. Although the outbreak of this incurable virus is extremely serious throughout the world, there are many ways that people can take precautions. Some recommended tips include washing your hands consistently and using alcoholbased hand sanitizer, avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes, cover coughs and sneezes

with arm or tissue, avoid exposure to people who are showing symptoms, staying home if you are ill, eating clean, getting rest and consistently cleaning and disinfecting objects and surfaces.

Many social media platforms have been talking about the ongoing occurrence of the Coronavirus, which leads our society to panic.

However, according to the Ohio Department of Health article, the virus is not spreading as rapidly in the U.S. communities. The greater risk of this virus is for people who recently traveled to China and their close contacts.

It is far more likely for the people of the United States to be infected with the flu. It has been estimated that between 10,00025,000 people have died from the flu this season and there have been no confirmed deaths in the U.S. due to the Coronavirus.

Although there are no medications proven to cure this virus, most people with a mild case of the illness recover from drinking plenty of fluids, resting and taking pain/fever medications.

The people within our community should follow protocol, but I do believe that the panic is overly exaggerated through our social media platforms. Aside from the flu, many Americans die every year from other viruses and colds that are commonly spread and are curable. The virus can easily be prevented if our community continues to follow protocol and works to maintain a clean and safer environment for all.

At some point we all have complained about how annoying or stupid TikTok is, myself being no exception. But whether or not we like it, TikTok is here and has become wildly popular.

TikTok has invaded nearly every social media with its content, making it hard to scroll through Twitter or Instagram without seeing an uploaded TikTok. The app is becoming part of your daily social media lineup and I think that is because of the similarities that it possesses in comparison to Vine (R.I.P.).

TikTok, however, has become even more useful than Vine ever was, with content from “doit-yourself” to dance videos to even medical advice. TikTok has evolved from its original name of 'Musical.ly.' It is now more of a Vine vibe and I refuse to believe differently. While it's not completely the same (for example: no seven-second time limit), it does allow users to create videos using their own background as well as other people's sounds from videos already made on the app, not just songs.

The app has become a platform that a majority of this generation is obsessed with. As I write this article, two out of three of my friends in the room are currently scrolling through and watching TikToks. The concept of the app is to utilize sounds and visual effects to either create something funny, aesthetically pleasing

or interesting.

I was one of those people who thought TikTok was stupid because I still had loyalty for Vine. When I started watching TikToks, it was a total joke.

In essence, I downloaded the app to troll my friends and harass them about the content they would post. However, after I downloaded the app and started to scroll through more regularly, I began to realize I enjoyed watching the videos and eventually began to take videos and post them privately just to send them to my friends.

At this point I was still publicly hating on TikTok, because I still kind of thought the concept was weird. I then started making more videos and started making them public (only the funny ones) and I almost like the app better than Vine.

While I enjoy watching TikToks, there are still some weird trends that I do not understand or care for. For instance, there is a trend where people narrate a step-by-step process on how to be “TikTok Famous,” and frankly it is 15 seconds of my life that I will never get back. I do think that the good content outweighs the bad. So, to any of you who may be missing Vine as much as I do, give TikTok a chance. While it does take a bit of getting used to and isn't exactly Vine, it is worth a shot.

If you decide it's not for you, Vine compilations will always be waiting.

OPINIONS 5

Friday, February 7, 2020

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Self-Care is not “Treat Yourself” or Facemasks In today’s society, the idea of self-care is all over and is becoming a big part of a lot of people's lives. This is absolutely outstanding because self-care is extremely important to maintaining a healthy mental state, managing stress and just overall showing yourself some love.

Though, most of the time when I see things about self-care, it is all about treating yourself, facemasks or some other every now and then thing. Well, from what I’ve been finding, that is not necessarily self-care; self-care is raw, hard and definitely not always fun.

I recently attended a conference where one of the sessions I attended was on self-care action planning. This was something that really stood out to me because I, among many others, am very good at saying that I will start a self-care routine, but never fully understood the concept. When I heard self-care I also thought it had to be complex or expensive, and thought that it would have to take a lot of time out of my day. This presentation squashed the bug that was my idea of self-care right in front of me. The presenter drove home the fact that self-care is not al-

ways pretty. It is not always facemasks and Netflix binges.

My ideas of self-care were completely rewritten, and I’m glad they were. I found that self-care is something that needs to happen every day, not just when you’re having a rough day, and that when you are having a rough day, it is important to already have a self-care action plan set to fall back on. Now, I’m sure a lot of you are thinking what I was: “How can I practice selfcare every day? Won’t that take up a ton of time?” Well, no actually, it won’t. Some things that are self-care acts that are recommended to be included in a daily schedule are improving your nutrition, exercising, staying hydrated, spending time in the sun and spending time with your emotions. Spending time with your emotions and allowing

yourself to feel is by-far not easy or pretty, but it is something that is extremely important to overall well-being. This list stuck out to me because the things that we do every day just to keep ourselves alive and moving are all acts of self-care, too.

Deeper than just the day-to-day things are the other additional things one can do for self-care.

The presenter put these into categories of mind, body and soul. I loved reading through the list of over 25 ideas for self-care. Some that stuck out to me as things I would have personally never thought of were editing your social media feeds and getting rid of the negative people, dancing, getting a plant and going on a self-date. While these are things that may not have jumped into my mind originally when hearing self-care, they are things that

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are valuable and that will truly help to boost one’s mood.

One thing that was on the list that I loved the idea of was going on a “Beauty Scavenger Hunt” on your way to or from work or school. This is something that takes no extra time but allows for reflection and mindfulness in those moments by finding five things that you feel are beautiful on your travels.

So, I challenge you to take the time this week or weekend to sit down and plan out some things that you could do to incorporate self-care in your life. It doesn’t have to be extravagant or expensive, it doesn’t even have to be fun (because working out definitely isn’t fun when you are first starting), but in the long-run the things you do for self-care will improve your overall wellness and your happiness.

Contact Allison Young

AN-Young@wiu.edu

6

Friday, February 7, 2020

SPORTS

WesternCourier.com

Mookie Betts and David Price are heading to the L.A. Dodgers With the NBA trade deadline getting all the attention this week, The Los Angeles Dodgers decided to make their first moves of the offseason. They made a huge splash by acquiring former American League MVP Mookie Betts from the Red Sox. Ken Rosenthal and Jeff Passon first reported it.

Betts is set to be a free agent after the 2020 season and many people in the baseball world are certain that he will sign a contract extension with L.A. before the end of the year. In 2018, he became the first player in Major League history to win the Silver Slugger, Gold Glove, Batting title, League MVP and the World Series.

Betts is slated to make $27 million in his final season before he can hit the open market.

Then, moments later, they announced that David Price, veteran left handed pitcher, was also headed to L.A. Price, entering his age 34 season, is set to make close to $30 million this season. He went 7-5 with a 4.28 ERA for the Boston Red Sox last season. A former first round pick in 2007 by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays out of Vanderbilt University.

Minutes later, Rosenthal and Passon announced there

was a third team, one saying the Angels and the other saying the Twins, and well, they were both right.

The Dodgers and Angels were involved in a deal that was separate from the Red Sox deal. The Dodgers agreed to send outfielder Joc Pederson and right handed pitcher Ross Stripling to the Angels for infield prospect Luis Rengifo and two prospects. Rengifo, 22, will join the Dodgers, who are not shy of young talent in their organization.

The Angels get two veteran guys in Pederson and Stripling who have seen more playoff experience than most of the Angels’ current roster. Their front office made it clear that they want to get back into playoff contention, with their franchise centerpiece, Mike Trout, in his prime years.

More and more information was slowly but surely coming out after the initial report. The Twins were in on the original deal between the Dodgers and the Red Sox. The Dodgers were sending Kenta Maeda to the Twins and the Twins were sending a top-pitching prospect, Brusdar Graterol to the Red Sox. Maeda has shown that he can come through in high

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stakes situations, both as a starter and out of the bullpen. That's what the Twins were looking for. They signed Josh Donaldson to a deal a few weeks ago and are working on making a deeper push in the playoffs this year. Maeda has the playoff experience the Twins need in their rotation.

Graerol was a top prospect in the Twins organization and in baseball because of his rare 100 mph sinker. He is expected to be part of a major league ball club within the next 2-3 years according to analysts around the league.

The Dodgers sent their former top outfield prospect Alex Verdugo. Verdugo burst on the MLB scene in the summer of 2018 and he came out swinging. Last season, he batted .294 with 44 RBIs in a season that was plagued by injury. He will join Jackie Bradley Jr. and Andrew Benintendi in a young, starstudded outfield in Boston.

Here is the layout of Tuesday nights trade: Dodgers acquire: Betts, Price, and cash (from Red Sox) Red Sox acquire: Verdugo (Dodgers), Graterol (Twins) Tw i n s Acquire: Maeda (Dodgers) The deal was pending physicals and medical reviews by the teams’ doctors, which has put the deal on halt. Graterol is coming off Tommy John surgery, as well as having shoulder issues, which is giving the Red Sox concerns. The deal is in place for now, but is stalled.

Mookie Betts looks towards the dugou for signs.

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Sports 7

Softball kicks off 2020 season in Rambler Rumble

By David Koier courier staff

The brisk chill in the air and fresh snow on the ground can mean only one thing: it’s the beginning of softball season.

That’s right, the Western Illinois softball season kicks off this weekend as the Leathernecks travel to Rosemont, Ill. to compete in the Rambler Rumble hosted by Loyola Chicago.

While the playing conditions outside may be frigid, all games will take place in the warm and snow free Rosemont Dome.

Gameplay will take place Friday through Sunday with the Leathernecks facing off against the University of WisconsinGreen Bay Phoenix and IUPUI Jaguars on Friday the 7th, the Evansville Purple Aces and Miami (OH) University RedHawks on Saturday the 8th and close out the weekend with a Sunday matinee against the Butler Bulldogs.

Last season, the Leathernecks ended their 2020 campaign with a 20-20 overall record while finishing 12-6 in conference. The Purple and Gold ended the regular season on a high note, winning nine straight games on their way to three straight conference series sweeps. However, they were not able to triumph in The Summit League Conference tournament, losing to the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons 7-5 in the first round.

Western is not unfamiliar with some of the teams from the Rumble this year. The Leathernecks faced off against Butler, Green Bay and IUPUI last season beating Butler and IUPUI while falling to Green Bay. The off-season saw major changes to both coaching and the roster. Head coach Beth Golitko announced back in August via her personal Twitter that she had accepted an assistant coach position at Loyola Chicago.

“I want to thank everyone that has been a part of my time at WIU,” Golitko said. “I would not be where I am today without all the people who have helped me throughout my entire time there. Playing, GA, Assistant and Head, there is no better place I would have picked to become my second home.”

Taking Golitko’s place at the helm for the 2020 campaign is former softball skipper Holly Van Vlymen. Van Vlyman was the head coach of Western Illinois softball for 11 seasons until 2017 amassing an overall record of 238-287-2. The threetime Summit League Coach of the Year will still maintain her role as Assistant Director of Academics and Student Athlete Development at Western along with her coaching duties.

On the player side of things, the Leathernecks graduated seven seniors after the 2019 season. One major senior loss

goleathernecks.com

Jasmine Lara swings through contact.

Danielle Olson awaits the pitch.

goleathernecks.com

came from the pitcher’s circle in Emily Ira. The Iowa City native finished the season leading all of NCAA Division-I in strikeout-to-walk ratio, sitting down 9.13 batters per each walk on her way to a 13-7 record and a team-low 2.73 ERA. Over her time at Western, Ira was able to record 63 career complete games and 618.2 career innings pitched, both rank fourth alltime in program history.

Junior Abby Carlin will take over the top spot in the rotation coming off of a 2019 season that featured a 3.46 ERA and 4-8 record. Carlin walked just 16 batters in 81.0 innings of work.

Freshman Maddy Anderson and sophomore Savannah Rodriguez will also be featured in the circle for the Leathernecks this season.

The Leathernecks were voted to finish tied for fifth with the Mastodons in The Summit League preseason poll. Senior Jasmine Lara and sophomore catcher Danielle Olson earned preseason honors as they were both voted to The Summit League Players to Watch list.

Lara played in all 40 games last season, accumulating a team high 40 hits while also scoring 31 runs. As a freshman, Olson strung together a team-high .324 batting average with one homer and 18 RBI in 26 games (22 starts).

The Leathernecks kick off their season this Friday at 10 a.m. against UW-Green Bay.

goleathernecks.com

Abby Carlin gets the signs from her catcher.

goleathernecks.com

Sydney Hollings gets in position to field the ball.

Evan Zars and Danni Nichols power Western to road victory

By Alex Staab courier staff MACOMB, Ill. — For the final time in league play, the Western Illinois women’s basketball team (13-11, 7-4) made a road trip to the Mastodons of Purdue Fort Wayne (5-18, 1-9). Sophomore forward Evan Zars and redshirt sophomore guard Danni Nichols combined to score 50 of the Leathernecks’ 83 points in an 83-74 win.

The Mastodons got off to a good start, getting a layup to go roughly two minutes in to go up 6-2. The Leathernecks were unable to tie or take the lead until a three from redshirt junior guard Sam Pryor at the 4:36 mark of the quarter

becca langys / photo editor

Carla Flores sprints up to the offense.

put Western Illinois in front, 10-8.

Purdue Fort Wayne never lead again the rest of the quarter. Nichols iced the quarter, scoring with a jumper to go up six. The Mastodons answered later and set the score at the break favoring the visitors, 20-16.

Western Illinois did not take long to return to the scoring column, as senior guard Olivia Kaufmann got the ball rolling just 25 seconds into the quarter. A Nichols jumper made it an eight-point lead about three minutes through. Both teams then struggled to find the scoring column for a couple of minutes. After the scoring resumed, it was the Mastodons that worked their way back into the game, tying it up at 29 off a three from senior guard

becca langys / photo editor

Evan Zars looks to receive a pass.

Hannah Albrecht. Nobody would have a multiple-possession lead in the quarter. Zars hit a three with less than a minute left to set the halftime score of 38-36, Western Illinois.

The Leathernecks did all they could to keep a solid string of momentum on their side, reaching to a 10-point lead when Nichols got a fast-break bucket to go, forcing a Purdue Fort Wayne timeout. It continued to be a back-andforth battle, with the Mastodons not allowing Western Illinois to go back up 10. An Albrecht jumper put the home team within seven with just a quarter to go.

The single-digit lead didn’t last much longer, as the Leathernecks got a shot from Zars to go ahead 67-56 with eight

becca langys / photo editor

Danni Nichols dribbles the ball.

minutes to go. Yet, the Mastodons we’re going down without a fight, getting within 78-72 with a mere 1:24 to go.

Nichols and redshirt freshman guard Carla Flores split the scoring the rest of the way to send the Leathernecks home with a nine-point win.

Zars (25) and Nichols (25) led the scoring attack, with Kaufmann (15) also breaking double figures. Zars brought in a team-high nine rebounds, while Kaufmann dished out five assists. Zars also had three blocks.

The Leathernecks have an extended break from games before traveling to league-leading and No. 22-ranked South Dakota on Feb. 13 at 7 p.m.

becca langys / photo editor

Olivia Kaufmann plays defense.

Men's basketball losing streak reaches six games

By Jumique Philips courier staff

goleathernecks.com

James Claar goes on the fast break.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — It was another disappointing night for the Leathernecks as they fell short to the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons, 69-75. Western Illinois’ record is now 5-16, which extends their losing streak to six.

Senior forward James Claar shot six for six from the field and eight for eight from the free-throw line. He tallied a career high 20 points. Leatherneck’s head coach Billy Wright was impressed with Claar’s performance.

“James is just a great attitude guy and obviously came in as a great spark. He sparked energy from the bench that was needed,” Wright told WIU Athletics Communications.

The Leathernecks’ season-leading scorer junior guard Kobe Webster started off hot with the first points, but later on the game, he couldn’t just get it going, shooting 4-14 and 1-7 from behind the arc. Webster still finished in double figures with 12 points.

The Leathernecks started the game hot with an 8-2 run just three minutes in, before the

Mastodons found their way back in the game with back to back three-pointers before heading into the half 8-0 run which lasted for much of the second half. Western had no answer for the Mastodons' sophomore guard Jarred Godfrey pouring in 20 points on 7-17 shooting, and behind him was freshman guard Deonte Billups finishing with 16 points, shooting 4-7 from the field.

Western Illinois’ bench made a huge contribution in this game with 26 points, but it still wasn’t enough. Late in the game, Western was trailing by 17 points, cutting the lead to 55-58 in the fourth quarter. The Leathernecks’ energy was there, but the Mastodons just pulled out a close knit game. The Leathernecks had 21 turnovers which played a major part in their loss. Both teams were dominating in the paint equally, but Fort Wayne outscored Western 30 points to 28, respectively. The Mastodons also shot 45 percent from the three.

Claar and Webster were joined in double figures by senior gaurd CJ Duff with 13 points and sophomore forward Ben Pyle with 10.

goleathernecks.com

Kobe Webster tries to grab a steal.