Box Score

Photo Gallery (Jack McLaughlin)

STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The Illinois Wesleyan men's basketball team took advantage of a cold-shooting opponent and topped Dubuque, 72-53, in the first round of the NCAA Division III tournament at Stevens Point, Wis., on Friday, March 6.

Illinois Wesleyan, which hasn't been defeated in a first round NCAA game since 2005, improved to 20-8 and has now won 20 games for the sixth straight season and for the 25th time in school history. Dubuque bows out of the tournament with a 23-6 record.

The Titans play at 7 p.m. Saturday at Wisconsin-Stevens Point (22-5) in the second round. The Pointers easily handled Concordia (Wisconsin), 88-56, behind the 22 points of Austin Ryf. Stevens Point shot .717 from the field (33 of 46).

Illinois Wesleyan soared to a 37-24 halftime lead as Dubuque was 9-of-38 from the field (.236) in the first half and their premiere player, Andre Norris, was limited to eight minutes due to foul trouble. The Spartans were 1-of-11 from 3-point range in the first 20 minutes. Meanwhile the Titans shot .424 in the first half (14 of 33) and sophomore Trevor Seibring scored 10 points with nine rebounds in the first 20 minutes.

Dubuque was held to its second lowest point total of the season. The Spartans, who averaged 77.8 per game coming into the action, scored 51 in a 51-33 win over Carroll on Nov. 16. Norris, who had averaged 29.6 over his last five games, was limited to 11 points and was 3-of-16 from the field and 0-of-11 in 3-point tries.

The Titans were outrebounded 47-45 and both teams were guilty of nine turnovers.

Illinois Wesleyan Statistics and Leaders
Field Goal Percentage - .426 (26 of 61)
3-Point Field Goal Percentage - .409 (9 of 22)
Free Throw Percentage - .647 (11 of 17)
Junior Bryce Dolan (16 points, 5 3-pointers)
Seibring (14 points, 11 rebounds)
Junior Mike Marietti (12 points)
Senior Pat Sodemann (10 points, 5 rebounds)
 
Dubuque Statistics and Leaders
Field Goal Percentage - .282 (20 of 71)
3-Point Field Goal Percentage - .192 (5 of 26)
Free Throw Percentage - .800 (8 of 10)
Lucas Ware (13 points, 9 rebounds)
Andre Norris (9 points, 11 rebounds)
Brandon Ferguson (12 points)

NCAA NOTES: No.2-ranked and defending champion Wis.-Whitewater was ousted from the tournament, losing at home to Defiance 83-71 ... No. 3-ranked St. Thomas (Minn.) also lost, 71-70, on a long 3-point buzzer beater ... From the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, Elmhurst was a 110-98 winner in three overtimes at No. 5 St. Norbert ... Illinois Wesleyan has a record of 54­-23 (.701 winning percentage) in its 24th NCAA Division III appearance, the most wins in Division III postseason. Second is Wittenberg, who has a Division III postseason record of 51-27 in 27 tournament years. In third place is Franklin & Marshall with a record of 43-28 in 23 appearances. Neither Wittenberg or Franklin & Marshall are in the 2015 tournament ...Illinois Wesleyan has a 3-1 record vs. the Pointers with wins in 1971-72 (109-58), 1975-76 (100-78) and in the 2012 NCAA tournament (69-61) when IWU eventually went on to the final four. The lone loss was in the 2010 tournament at Stevens Point, 72-56, and the Pointers went on to win the national tournament that year.