Omaha takes down W. Illinois behind 22 pts from Jackson
MACOMB, Ill. (AP) — Zach Jackson scored 22 points and KJ Robinson scored 18 and Omaha won its third straight in beating Western Illinois 80-71 on Thursday night.
Brett Barney's 3-pointer capped a 20-10 run to give the Mavericks (10-8, 4-1 Summit League) a 40-28 lead with 2:19 before halftime. Omaha led 45-33 at the break and held on to its double-digit lead until Isaac Johnson's layup provided the game's final margin.
JT Gibson scored 14 points and Mitchell Hahn added 11 points and nine rebounds for Omaha. Jackson, Robinson, Gibson, Hahn and Matt Pile all entered the game averaging double figures for the Mavericks. Pile finished with just two points but grabbed seven boards, with three assists and two steals. Omaha shot 29 of 57 from the field with 10 3s.
Kobe Webster led the Leathernecks (6-13, 1-5) with 22 points, Johnson and Ben Pyle each scored 11 and Brandon Gilbeck 10 with 11 rebounds.