Box Score Illinois Wesleyan 72, North Central 67 (OT) - Box Score

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The No. 18-ranked Illinois Wesleyan men's basketball team escaped with a 72-67 overtime win against North Central in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin season opener at the Shirk Center on Wednesday, Jan. 5.

Junior John Koschnitzky scored a team-high 21 for IWU (10-2, 1-0 CCIW) while junior Jordan Zimmer netted 18 amd senior Travis Rosenkranz scored 10. Koschnitzky, who made all 10 of his free throw tries, also paced the Titans with six rebounds.

Illinois Wesleyan made 25 of 59 from the field (42.4 percent) and connected on nine of 25 3-point field goal attempts (36.0 percent) while making 13 of 14 free throws (92.9 percent).

North Central easily outrebounded IWU, 45-30, and committed 14 turnovers compared to eight for IWU. The Cardinals (4-8 overall, 0-1 CCIW) got 22 points from Landon Gamble, who fouled out, and 12 from CJ Goldthree, who also snared eight rebounds. Brian Evans had a game-high 10 rebounds.

The Cardinals shot 39.0 percent (23 of 59) from the field and made only three of 16 (18.8 percent) from 3-point range. North Central made 18 of their 26 free throw efforts (.692).

Illinois Wesleyan led by a 25-24 margin with 5:03 to play in the half before scoring 10 of the next 11 points to go to recess with a 35-25 lead. IWU led by their largest margin of 14 at 41-27 with 18:05 to play in regulation before the Cards made a 12-2 run and got within four at 43-39.

The Titans led by eight at 60-52 with 4:23 to play in the game before porous defense allowed the Cardinals to score the final four baskets, three from Gamble, to tie the game with the final bucket coming with 0.2 left in the contest on a Gamble score on a pass from Evans.

In the extra session, IWU scored the first five points to lead 65-60 beforethe Cardinals scored six straight points to take a 66-65 lead with two free throws coming from Derek Raridon. A 3-pointer by Zimmer with 1:58 to go got IWU back on top, 68-66, and four Koschnitzky free throws in the final eight seconds gave IWU all it needed for the win.

The Titans play their first CCIW road game of the year at Carthage (7-5, 0-1 CCIW) at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 8. Carthage absorbed a 62-55 loss at Wheaton on Jan. 5, in a game that the Red Men led by 14 in the first half and by 11 at halftime.