Shootouts usually are seen on the streets or in Westerns, but the Chick Evans Field House might play host to one tonight on the basketball court.

NIU Coach Jim Rosborough’s defensive sermon will face perhaps its toughest test tonight when the high-scoring Western Illinois Leathernecks charge into the fieldhouse at 7:30. Western Illinois enters the game averaging 92.9 points per game, making it the third-highest scoring team in the nation as of last week.

The Huskies are scoring 72.3 ppg. but are giving up 76.5 ppg. in posting a 5-11 record. The Leathernecks, 8-3, are allowing 81.9 ppg.

“Either we’re going to have to get back on defense or we’re going to have a tough time,” said Rosborough. “I’m going to tell the kids what they have to do. We’ve set a defensive goal. If the score gets into the 80’s, we’ve not been very successful. We’ll have to play better than the other night to win.”

The other night was an 83-72 victory over Northern Iowa in which five NIU players scored in double figures. But because NIU gave up more than 70 points, Rosborough made the team run extra after Monday’s practice.

“Our post defense has not been good,” said Rosborough. “John (Culbertson) and Mike (Grabner) have to defend their man. With what they (the Leathernecks) run, everyone will have to defend the post. The other night our perimeter defense was probably the best it’s ever been.”

osborough describes the Leathernecks as a fast break, up-tempo team. Everyone in tonight’s starting lineup averages more than eight ppg. Greg Akers, a junior forward, leads Western with 14.6 ppg. and adds 5.3 rebounds per game. Jeff Klinger, a sophomore off guard, is next with 14.4 ppg.

“We’ve showed a lot of depth. We play about 10 men a game,” said Western Coach Jack Margenthaler. “Offensively we take the first shot we can get. A lot of those (points) have come off transition and good shot selection.”

Margenthaler said a lot of players on NIU concern him.

“I know that (Rodney) Davis is leading their team in scoring at about 10 points a game,” he said. “Then the other thing is you can’t let a guy like Harrington score 25 points like he did the other night. We have to be cognizant of all their players and at least hold them to their average.”