MACOMB, Ill. — Western Illinois used a hot-start from the 3- point line and pulled away late to register a 68-46 victory over North Dakota on Thursday at Western Hall. 

Sophomore Aaron Anderson (Brookyln Park, Minn.) scored a team-high 11 points for UND (5-7), but the Leathernecks (5-4) never let the visitors get comfortable on the offensive end as they finished with a season- low point total. 

The home team came out firing from deep, using the long ball to build a 37-19 advantage at halftime.  Western Illinois, who came in the game shooting just 32.7 percent from distance, went 7-for-10 in the opening 20 minutes and one of those misses was a desperation attempt at the buzzer. Senior Ceola Clark and seldom- used reserve Don McAvoy both went 3-for-3 to lead that effort. 

“I thought our energy and effort was good. Our pick-and-roll defense was good, but, quite honestly, they had some guys who do not shoot the ball well make some shots,” UND head coach Brian Jones said. “But, that happens at home and really that was the only thing I was displeased with at halftime.  They went 7-for-10 from beyond the arc and you cannot let that happen.” 

While the Leathernecks were finding a rhythm offensively, UND struggled with starters Patrick Mitchell (Des Moines, Iowa) and Jamal Webb (Buffalo, N.Y.) and  their combined 23 points per game sitting this one out. The club managed to make just six shots from the floor in the first half (25 attempts) and only one during the final 11 minutes. 

Junior Jordan Allard (Fargo, N.D.), who was making his first career start for Mitchell (Des Moines, Iowa), paced the team with eight points in the first half, but 10 first-half turnovers also added to the 17-point deficit.

The second half started better for UND as the visitors trimmed their deficit to just seven points midway through the half after matching their 19-point total from the first half in the opening nine minutes and 30 seconds. Anderson knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key to make it a 45-38 contest, but that would be as close as UND would get.

UND went 9-for-15 to open the stanza, but missed their final six shots as WIU stretched its lead back with a 12-for-19 effort at the charity stripe after not attempting a free throw in the first half.

“We played better in the second half and showed a lot of heart to cut the lead down to seven, but that kind of took its toll on what was already a short bench,” Jones added. “We really missed our floor general in Jamal and some senior leadership in Patrick, who has played well for us all year.” 

UND did get the services of junior Spencer Goodman (Jackson, Mo.) back, who saw his first regular-season action in over a year (at UMKC; Dec. 18, 2010). Goodman played 16 minutes and scored seven points.

Clark led four Leathernecks in double figures with 15 points. He had four of his team's season high 10 3-pointers in the contest. McAvoy added 11 points after scoring only 13 points in the first eight games of the season.  Terrell Parks had his second double-double against UND this season with 13 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. 

The rebounding totals were even at 32 for both teams. Junior Mitch Wilmer (Warroad, Minn.) grabbed a career-high seven and Allard pulled down six to lead UND.

UND's next action will be on New Year's Eve as the squad travels to Jayhawk Country to face No.11 Kansas on ESPNU. Tipoff at Fog Allen Fieldhouse is set for 3 p.m.