BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team travels to R.A. Faganel Hall Wednesday night, Jan. 22, for a clash with No. 10 Elmhurst College. The College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin contest is scheduled for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
The Titans enter the contest 11-5 overall and 5-2 in CCIW play following a 71-67 win at Carroll, Jan. 18. With the win, IWU currently sit in third-place in the league standings. No. 4 Elmhurst, winners of nine straight, is 15-1 overall and 6-1 in league play. Since a two-point loss to North Central, Dec. 14, the Bluejays have won five CCIW games in-a-row, including an 82-75 win at Wheaton, Jan. 18.
Fans can tune into the game via live stats or live stream. Links on how to follow along can be found on the men's basketball schedule page of IWUsports.com.
FAMILIAR FACE: When the Titans take on the Bluejays Wednesday night, IWU fans may recognize a familiar face in Elmhurst bench boss John Baines. A 1998 Illinois Wesleyan graduate, he was a part of teams that compiled a 103-14 record, played in the NCAA Tournament four times, reached the Final Four twice, and won a national championship in 1997.
ANOTHER RANKED OPPONENT: Ahead of Wednesday's matchup with No. 10 Elmhurst, Illinois Wesleyan has faced off against four top-25 opponents so far this season. The Titans have compiled a 2-2 record against ranked opponents, picking up wins against No. 23 Augustana and No. 21 Carthage. IWU has dropped its last two tilts against top-25 opposition, falling 97-88 versus No. 10 WashU, Dec. 19, and at No. 18 North Central 82-69, Jan. 8.
ROAD RECORD: Illinois Wesleyan owns an 80-50 away from the Shirk Center over the past 10 seasons, good for a .615 win percentage on the road over that span. IWU is 5-2 away from home this season.
SWIPE!: Freshman Luke Yoder tallied five steals in Illinois Wesleyan's win at Carroll, Jan. 22, the fifth-most in IWU single game history. Additionally, his five swipes were the most since Eliud Gonzalez recorded six versus Wittenberg, March 10, 2012, as well as the most by a freshman in program history.
A LOOK AT THE ALL-TIME TALLY: Illinois Wesleyan and Elmhurst will square off against one another for the 136th time Wednesday night at R.A. Faganel Hall. The Titans hold a commanding 112-23 advantage in the all-time series, and are currently amid a seven-game win streak against the Bluejays.
Most recently, IWU edged Elmhurst 82-80 on the road, Jan. 16, 2019, before completing the season sweep with a 79-76 Senior Night triumph in Bloomington, Feb. 9, 2019.
SCOUTING REPORT - ELMHURST: The fourth-ranked Bluejays are 15-1 overall and sit in second-place in the conference with a 6-1 league mark. Elmhurst's lone blemish was a two-point setback to league-leading North Central, Dec. 14.
Elmhurst is led by CCIW scoring leader Jake Rhode, who is putting up 20.9 points per game. Derek Dotlich and Lavon Thomas follow at 16.6 and 14.0 points per game, respectively. Thomas is also the team's top rebounder, grabbing 9.0 boards a contest. Meanwhile, Rhode and Dotlich have combined for 96 of Elmhurst's 146 three-pointers this season.
As a team, the Bluejays are scoring 86.5 points a contest and giving up just 72.6. Elmhurst holds a 42.0-34.8 edge on the glass, and owns a field goal percentage of 47.3.
BAIR'S BOARDS: Junior Charlie Bair has owned the glass this season, pulling down 9.9 rebounds per game. Bair ranks top in the conference and 35th nationally in rebounding average, while his 3.75 offensive boards per contest are 19th-most nationally and lead the CCIW. Additionally, Bair is one of three players in the conference with six-or-more double-doubles this season and his 158 rebounds are the most in the CCIW and 30th-most in all of NCAA Division III.
YEAR 111: Illinois Wesleyan has compiled a 1674-914 record in its history, good for a .647 winning percentage. Additionally, the Titans 1674 wins are the fourth-most all-time in NCAA Division III. Meanwhile, IWU's 742 CCIW wins are by-far-and-above the most in the league. In fact, the Titans have more than 100 conference wins than any other school in the CCIW.
HEAT CHECK: Sophomore Keondre Schumacher has been a great addition to the Titans backcourt this season and has been one of the more efficient shooters in the country. Schumacher is converting 44.4 percent of his three-pointers, the second-best mark in the conference. Nationally, the Bloomington native ranks 32nd in three-point field goal percentage and 115th with 40 three-pointers made this season.
KEEPIN' IT CLEAN: The Titans are averaging just 12.6 turnovers per game, the second-best mark in the CCIW and the 77th-best nationally. IWU is forcing an average of 14.56 turnovers per game, the third-most in the league.
ON THE HORIZON: Illinois Wesleyan returns home after a week away from competition as host to North Central, Wednesday, Jan. 29. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
