BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The regular season comes to a close at Tarble Arena Saturday, Feb. 22, with the Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team looking to improve its standing in next week's College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Tournament. IWU and Carthage College will square off at 7 p.m. in Kenosha, Wis. following the conclusion of the IWU women's basketball team's game against the Lady Reds.
Illinois Wesleyan is vying for a first-round bye after surviving a 94-92 overtime scare at North Park, Feb. 19. The Titans pushed their record to 16-8 overall and 10-5 in league play with the tight victory. Meanwhile, Carthage sits at 15-9 overall and 7-8 in the CCIW after back-to-back heartbreaking setbacks. Most recently, the Red Men's upset bid at No. 11 North Central fell short, 70-69, Feb. 19.
Fans can tune into the game via live stats or live stream, while Eric Stock 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.
BUZZER BEATER LIFTS IWU OVER NPU: With five seconds to play and the game even at 92 all, sophomore Peter Lambesis took the ball the length of the court for a buzzer beating layup to lift the Titans past North Park, 94-92, in overtime. It was the second buzzer-beating win of the season for IWU, as a Doug Wallen tip-in as time expired gave Illinois Wesleyan an 82-81 victory over Sul Ross State, Dec. 30.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE FOR LERITZ: A career night gave sophomore Matthew Leritz the first double-double of his career in IWU's win over North Park, Feb. 19. Leritz scored a game-high and career-best 28 points on 12-of-22 shooting, while also tying a career-high with 11 rebounds. The St. Louis, Mo. native also recorded three steals, while becoming the third Titan this season to register a double-double. Additionally, his 28 points are tied for the most by an IWU player this season as Grant Wolfe dropped 28 against WashU, Dec. 19, 2019.
EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!: Illinois Wesleyan's 94-92 overtime win at North Park, Feb. 19, 15 was the Titans' 31st overtime contest since the 2000-01 season and the second of the 2019-20 campaign. Over that span, IWU has compiled a 17-14 record in games that require OT, including a 74-67 win at then-No. 23 Augustana, Dec. 15.
IF THE CCIW TOURNAMENT BEGAN TODAY...: Illinois Wesleyan would hold the No. 4 seed in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Tournament if it began today. IWU would host fifth-seeded Wheaton in a quarterfinals matchup Tuesday, Feb. 25, while third-place Elmhurst would host No. 6 Carthage in the other first round tilt.
North Central clinched the regular season title and No. 1 seed in next week's tournament and will play host to semifinal and championship games Friday-Saturday, Feb. 28-29. Augustana currently owns the No. 2 seed.
WE KNOW WHO, JUST NOT WHERE: The CCIW field is set ahead of Saturday's regular season finales, with North Central, Augustana, Elmhurst, Illinois Wesleyan, Wheaton, and Carthage all having clinched tournament berths, but plenty has yet to be determined. The Titans could jump as high as the No. 2 seed and fall to the No. 5 seed depending on outcomes around the league. Below are a list of scenarios...
• With an IWU win and a North Park win over Augustana, the IWU would claim the No. 2 seed.
• With an IWU win and wins by North Central and Augustana, IWU would be the No. 3 seed.
• With an IWU loss and a North Park win over Augustana, IWU would be the No. 4 seed.
• With an IWU loss and a Wheaton win over North Central, IWU would be the No. 5 seed.
SERVING HIS ROLE, WHATEVER IT MAY BE: With injuries to Grant Wolfe and Luke Yoder, Peter Lambesis has been thrust into the role of point guard. In his past three games orchestrating the IWU offense, Lambesis has tied a career-high with five assists in three straight games. He has also averaged 10.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and has committed just five turnovers.
CLASHING WITH CARTHAGE: Illinois Wesleyan and Carthage share a rivalry that dates back to the 1946-47 season. IWU owns a 103-27 lead in the 130-game history between the two conference foes, and has won the past three meetings. Additionally, the Titans hold a 24-7 record against the Red Men under the guidance of Ron Rose.
The Titans took down an undefeated Red Men squad that was slotted No. 21 nationally earlier this season in Bloomington. IWU used a career-high 26-point effort from Luke Yoder and double-doubles from Doug Wallen (20 p-11r) and Charlie Bair (13 p-11 r) to hand CC its first loss of the season, 95-91, Dec. 7, 2019.
SCOUTING REPORT - CARTHAGE: The Red Men hold a 15-9 overall record and 7-8 CCIW mark ahead of Saturday's regular season finale. Carthage had a four game win-streak halting with a crushing 83-81 defeat at Augustana, Feb. 15. Most recently, the Red Men dropped a nail biter at No. 11 North Central, 70-69, Feb. 19.
Five players average double-digit scoring for Carthage, one of the league's most balanced offenses, led by Jordon Kedrowski's 15.8 points per game. Kienan Baltimore adds 15.4 points per contest and a team-high 80 assists, followed by Sean Johnson's near-double-double of 11.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per contest. Fillip Bulatovic and Crishawn Cook round things out at 10.3 and 10.0 ppg, respectively. Crook is the CCIW leader with 47 steals on the season, while Johnson's 55 rejections are also the most in the league.
Overall, Carthage has been one of the most potent offensive teams in the league The Red Men are shooting 49.6 percent from the floor, the best mark in the conference, and convert 35.6 percent of their three-point attempts. Carthage holds a 38.0-36.1 edge on the glass and is limiting opponents to 76.71 points per game, while scoring 81.75 itself.
FINDING HIS GROOVE: After missing the first month of the season due to injury, sophomore Matthew Leritz has found his groove as of late. The 6-foot-7 forward is averaging 17.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game over the past eight contests. He has also been efficient, converting 57-of-93 (61.3 percent) of his shot attempts over the stretch.
YEAR 111: Illinois Wesleyan has compiled a 1679-917 record in its history, good for a .647 winning percentage. Additionally, the Titans 1679 wins are the fourth-most all-time in NCAA Division III. Meanwhile, IWU's 747 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 12.1 turnovers per game, the third-best mark in the CCIW and the 63rd-best nationally. IWU is forcing an average of 15.3 turnovers per game, the second-most in the league, and hold the league's second-best turnover margin at +3.2 (49th nationally).
ROAD RECORD: Illinois Wesleyan owns an 83-52 away from the Shirk Center over the past 10 seasons, good for a .615 win percentage on the road over that span. IWU is 7-4 away from home this season.
ON THE HORIZON: Illinois Wesleyan turns its attention to the CCIW Tournament following Saturday's game. If the Titans climb into the No. 2 seed, IWU will receive a bye to the semifinals, which will be played on the campus of North Central College Friday, Feb. 28. If Illinois Wesleyan is the third or fourth seed, it will host a quarterfinals game Tuesday evening, Feb. 25, while if the Titans drop to the fifth seed they will be on the road for the opening round.
