Leatherneck men battle, fall in 2OT vs. North Dakota State

MACOMB — The last time North Dakota State and Western Illinois played, the Leathernecks let a huge lead slip away, only to grab a win in Fargo in overtime.

On Thursday night, it was North Dakota State’s turn to give up a big lead, but much like Western did on the Bison home floor, NDSU was able to scratch and claw its way to a victory, topping the Leathernecks in double overtime inside Western Hall, prevailing 84-81.

“They made a couple tough twos over top of us near the rim, we failed to get a few of ours to go in, that’s how it goes sometimes,” WIU coach Rob Jeter said. “I thought it was a well played game, the fact that we got down 16, there was no life in us but we found a way to get back, a few more free throws go down and maybe we take that lead but that didn’t stop us, we kept going, that’s what is more encouraging now instead of looking back and saying, ‘man if we had got this rebound, or did that.’

“We can learn from that tomorrow but now I’m encouraged that we battled back and did not give in.”

North Dakota State led by as many as 16 in the second half, 49-33 with 16 minutes, 51 seconds to go, but the Leathernecks were able to muscle their way back into the game.

Battling foul trouble, Western went to its bench and inserted KJ Lee, Cam Burrell and George Dixon in different combinations to use their defensive lineup to allow the team to stay in the game.

“It’s the one thing, it’s how you win, you have to guard, especially when you’re down 16, you have to get stops, something we have to get better at,” Jeter said. “It’s not a secret for us, you play a team like that, you’re not going to score a ton of points, but 80 is enough points, we have to get stops.

“Give them (NDSU) credit too, they battled those last plays and they made it their game.”

Western had its shot to get the win at the end of the first overtime, though.

Holding the ball in the final :20 seconds, the Leathernecks played for the last shot.

Unfortunately for the Leathernecks, Trenton Massner’s (15 points) three pointer would go off the iron and force a second overtime.

“We were trying to make sure we got the last one, I thought it was a little quick, they got a shot off too on the miss, all you can ask for is a shot,” Jeter said. “I’d give Trenton or Colton (Sandage, team-high 27 points) the last shot from the top like that all day. The other play, maybe is to throw it in the post on a rollback, but the timing of that is so off, how many dribble scan you take, but it was clear to make a play at the top.”

Western would start the game off hot, leading 12-2 in the game’s first four minutes, but the Bison would battle back, leading 37-33 at half.

In the second half, North Dakota State would go on a 12-0 run to take its 16-point lead before Western Illinois would get it going at both ends, only allowing four Bison points from the 16:10 mark to the 8:04 mark, when a Sandage free throw tied the game at 53-53.

“I trust all these guys when they’re on the court,” Sandage said. “KJ (Lee) was huge, that’s huge as a freshman to step up and guard Sam Griesel, that’s big time, and George (Dixon) and CB (Cam Burrell), everybody contributing, we went small at one point, CB was guarding Rocky (Kreuser), it’s about toughness and getting that stop.”

The teams would go back and forth with Sandage hitting a three to give WIU a 58-55 lead, then NDSU answering to tie, then Sandage hitting another one to put Western up 61-58 with five minutes to go.

But North Dakota State would answer to cut the WIU lead to 61-60 before a pair of Sandage free throws again put Western up 63-60.

“I’ve been in kind of a slump the last 10 games, so I know I need to get going offensively for us to be successful,” Sandage said. “We just came up a couple short.”

Neither team would take more than a two-point from there lead as Griesel’s bucket put NDSU ahead 68-66 with :33 left, but Sandage would hit two more three throws to tie the game and eventually force overtime.

Sandage’s 27 would lead Western while Luka Barisic finished with 23. Massner had 15 points and a team-high 13 rebounds while Will Carius would score 10.

Western returns to Western Hall on Saturday, hosting North Dakota at 2 p.m.

This article originally appeared on The McDonough County Voice: Western Illinois North Dakota State Leathernecks bison basketball men