BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – For the second time in three weeks, the Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team will tangle with North Central College. Tipoff between the Titans and the 13th-ranked Cardinals is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside the Shirk Center.
Illinois Wesleyan, winners of four its past six games, came up on the wrong end of an 89-72 finish at No. 4 Elmhurst, Jan. 22. The Titans now sit at 11-6 overall and 5-3 in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play. The Cardinals travel to Shirk with an 11-game win streak that dates back to Dec. 7. North Central sits atop of the CCIW standings at 15-3 overall and 8-1 in league play.
Fans can tune into the game via live stats or live stream, while Eric Stock and Joel Swanson will have the call on 98.3 FM WEXG. Links on how to follow along can be found on the men's basketball schedule page of IWUsports.com.
LERITZ MAKES THE MOST OF IT: Sophomore Matthew Leritz put together a career day in the first start of his Titan career, Jan. 22. The 6-foot-7 forward scored a career-high 22 points on 10-of-16 shooting and added eight rebounds to lead Illinois Wesleyan at No. 4 Elmhurst.
CASHING IN: Illinois Wesleyan has been one of the best when it comes to cashing in at the free throw line this season. In fact, the Titans rank second in the conference and 52nd nationally with a free throw percentage of 75.0. North Central leads the conference at 78 percent from the line. Individually, Luke Yoder ranks second in the CCIW and fourth in the country at 93.5 percent from the charity stripe.
ANOTHER RANKED OPPONENT: IWU'S clash with No. 13 North Central Wednesday night, Jan. 29, will mark the Titans sixth game against a top-25 opponent this season. IWU is 2-3 against top-25 competition this year, having picked up wins over then-No. 23 Augustana and No. 21 Carthage last month.
CLASHING WITH THE CARDINALS: Wednesday night's showdown will serve as the 164th all-time meeting between Illinois Wesleyan and North Central. IWU holds a 117-47 lead in the all-time series, but has won just three of the past 11 meetings.
The Titans look to even the season series after dropping an 82-69 road matchup on the Cardinals' home floor, Jan. 8. Cory Noe paced IWU with a career-high 21 points, while Charlie Bair and Peter Lambesis added 14 apiece.
SCOUTING REPORT - NORTH CENTRAL: Since an up-and-down start to the year, No. 13 North Central has rattled off 11 straight wins to enter Wednesday night with a 15-3 record. The Cardinals, who are on top in the CCIW standings, are 8-1 in league play.
Connor Raridon leads a balanced offensive attack for the Cardinals, as her averages a team-best 15.3 points per game. He is also the team's top rebounder with 7.1 caroms a contest, followed closely by Matt Cappelletti who averages 13.1 points and 6.8 rebounds a game.
North Central holds a season field goal percentage of 47.6, including a 36.0 clip from three-point range. The Cardinals scored 78.1 points per game, while giving up just 65.9 a game. Opponents are shooting 41.7 percent from the floor and 33.0 percent from beyond the arc against NCC. The Cardinals hold a 35.6-32.3 edge on the glass and have turned the opposition over 248 times.
SHIRK'S 25TH BIRTHDAY: The 2019-20 season marks the 25th anniversary of the Shirk Center. One of the greatest athletic venues in NCAA Division III, the Shirk Center has been home to more than 600 Titan basketball games between both the men and women. The men hold a 271-55 record on their home floor, good for a .831 win percentage.
BAIR'S BOARDS: Junior Charlie Bair has owned the glass this season, pulling down 9.6 rebounds per game. Bair ranks top in the conference and 46th nationally in rebounding average, while his 3.71 offensive boards per contest are 22nd-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 163 rebounds are the most in the CCIW and 46th-most in all of NCAA Division III.
YEAR 111: Illinois Wesleyan has compiled a 1674-915 record in its history, good for a .645 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.
KEEPIN' IT CLEAN: The Titans are averaging just 12.7 turnovers per game, the third-best mark in the CCIW and the 87th-best nationally. IWU is forcing an average of 14.65 turnovers per game, the second-most in the league, and hold the league's second-best turnover margin at +1.9 (86th nationally).
ON THE HORIZON: Illinois Wesleyan remains at home this weekend as the Titans host Carroll University in CCIW action Saturday, Feb. 1, inside the Shirk Center. The game, which will see IWU honor Naismith Hall of Famer Jack Sikma, is scheduled to tipoff at 4 p.m. and will serve as the second leg of a doubleheader with the IWU women's team.
