Box Score  
ASU scored the first basket of the game, but did not lead again as the home-standing Leathernecks went on to lead by as many as 15 points in the first half and 21 in the game.
 
"Slow start, we got off to a terrible start and we never could recover from that," Head Coach Lewis Jackson said.  "It seemed like we sort of was sleep walking in the first half.  Everything we talked about in our game plan we were unable to execute both defensively and offensively."
 
Along with Page and Strong, Jamel Waters finished with 14 points and a team-high six assists.  That was most of the scoring as the rest of the team only scored 18 points.
 
"We thought we could go inside because we felt we had an advantage on them there, but we couldn't get Wendell going.  We were able to get Maurice going there in the first half and Luther in the second."
 
Even though ASU rebounded to shoot 52 percent in the second half a cold first half of shooting left ASU with a cool 43 percent shooting for the game.  The largest problem shooting was the three for 19 effort (16%) from beyond the three point line.  ASU entered the game as the SWAC's top shooting three point team knocking down over 44 percent of those.
 
ASU's leading scorer DeMarcus Robinson was injured during the game but when he played he failed to score missing on all five of his field goal attempts.
 
The biggest problem for ASU (3-4) was the 16 turnovers which the opportunistic Leathernecks were able to turn into 26 points.  ASU also struggled at the free throw line connecting on only seven of their 15 attempts.
 
"In the second half we were able to get going a little bit, but we just made too many mistakes," Jackson added.  "16 turnovers against a team that is not even pressing us that is just entirely too many turnovers.  We have to play with a bit more poise and understand what we are trying to get accomplished.  When we started to do those things we cut into the lead and then we would give up a wide open shot because we are standing around defensively, but we will get that corrected."
 
WIU (4-5) shot 45 percent from the field but hit eight of their 22 three point field goals and hit 12 of 17 from the free throw line.
 
Garret Covington had 18 points for WIU while J.C. Fuller came off the bench to score 15.  Mohamed Conde scored 14 points and Jabari Sandifer added 11 and a game-high eight assists.
 
Turnovers and cold shooting hampered the Hornets in the first half as they went into the locker room trailing the Leathernecks 45-31.  ASU shot 35 percent from the field.  ASU's 11 turnovers led to WIU's 14 points off those turnovers.
 
Strong was active on both ends of the floor and had 10 first-half points for ASU and grabbed seven rebounds as ASU held a 24-20 edge on the boards in the opening 20 minutes.
 
WIU shot 50 percent from the field with Covington leading the way with 11 first half points.  The home team was also able to knock down seven of its nine free throw attempts.
 
The Hornets will have one more game before the Holiday break when they play at Evansville Sunday, Dec. 21 at 1:05 p.m.  ASU's next home game will be Dec. 30 when they play Fort Valley State at 7 p.m.