BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The best non-conference rivalry in d3hoops returns Sunday, Dec. 19, as the fourth-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team travels to 15th-ranked Washington University in St. Louis. The clash between the Titans and Bears is scheduled for a 3 p.m. tipoff at WashU's Field House.
    Illinois Wesleyan bounced back convincingly with a 73-48 road win at North Central College Wednesday, Dec. 15. With the win, the Titans boosted their record to 8-1 overall and 2-1 in conference play. Winners of seven in-a-row, WashU enters to bout boasting an 8-1 record as well. The Bears are coming off an 11-day layoff following a 71-48 win over Fontbonne University, Dec. 8.
    Fans can tune into the game via live stats or live stream, while Eric Stock and Joel Swanson will also have the call on the radio. Links on how to follow along can be found on the men's basketball schedule page of IWUsports.com.

COMING HOME: Sunday will serve as a homecoming of sorts for senior Matthew Leritz (St. Louis University HS), sophomore Evan Schneider (Ladue), and freshmen Nick Roper (MICDS) and Harrison Wilmsen (Priory) who came to IWU from the St. Louis area. Leritz previously played four minutes in Illinois Wesleyan's game at WashU Nov. 20, 2018 during his freshman year.

LAM-BEAST-IS: IWU senior Peter Lambesis did it all in the Titans' win at North Central, Dec. 15. He scored a game-high 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting, while also tying a career-high with seven assists. He added four rebounds and a pair of steals  as he stuffed the box score.
Not to be overlooked however, was Lambesis' execution of his defensive assignment. One of the top defenders in the CCIW, and perhaps all of Division III, Lambesis was tasked with guarding Matt Helwig - the CCIW's leading scorer. Helwig, who entered the game averaging 27.7 points per game, was held to just 13 points on the night thanks to suffocating defense by Lambesis.

WELL THAT ESCALATED QUICKLY: The turning point in Illinois Wesleyan's win over North Central, Dec. 15, proved to be a layup by Matthew Leritz with 12:26 to play in the opening half. The easy bucket began a 25-0 IWU run that spanned nine minutes and 52 seconds. NCC went 0-for-15 with four turnovers, while the Titans went 10-for-15 from the field over the timeframe.

TURNING UP ON DEFENSE: Illinois Wesleyan put together a masterful defensive effort in its 73-48 victory at North Central, Dec. 15. The Green and White tallied nine steals in the game, turning the thefts in for a 27-0 advantage in points off turnovers.
    Additionally, the win marked the second time this season, and just the seventh since the start of the 2012-13 campaign, the Titans have held an opponent below 50 points.

THE GREATEST NON-CONFERENCE RIVALRY IN D3HOOPS: Sunday's top-25 tilt will serve as the 42nd all-time meeting between Illinois Wesleyan and WashU in a series that first began in the 1933-34 season. Since winning the series' first game 33-32, IWU has built up a 23-18 lead in the all-time tally. The road team has won each of the past four meetings, dating back to Dec. 17, 2016.
WashU outlasted IWU 97-88 in the latest installment, Dec. 19, 2019. The game featured an epic battle of guard play. Grant Wolfe led the Titans with 28 points and four assists, while the Bears were paced by Jack Nolan's 31 points.

RANKINGS ON REPEAT: Illinois Wesleyan is one of 20 programs that have appeared in at least 100 D3Hoops.com Top-25 rankings. In fact, the Titans 175 appearances in the weekly poll are ninth-most all-time. The Titans are currently ranked No. 4 in the poll.

ANOTHA ONE: Illinois Wesleyan senior Matthew Leritz posted a 21-point, 14-rebound double-double at Wheaton, Dec. 11. It was his second consecutive double-double, as well as his fifth of the season. His five double-doubles are tied for 24th-most in Division III, and surpass his previous single-season high of four set back in 2020-21.

TAKE YOUR PICK: Illinois Wesleyan has been one of the most balanced teams in the CCIW this season. Led by preseason All-American Matthew Leritz, who ranks sixth in the CCIW in scoring at 16.8 ppg, IWU is one of two schools in the conference with four players ranked in the conference's top-25 scoring list. Cory Noe checks in at 10th with his 14.8 ppg, while Peter Lambesis' 11.4 points per contest are good for 18th, and Luke Yoder is 23rd (10.7 ppg).

ROAD RECORD: Illinois Wesleyan owns an 91-55 away from the Shirk Center over the past 11 seasons, good for a .623 win percentage on the road over that span.

REACHING 1700: As a program, IWU men's basketball is currently sitting at 1,698 wins. With two more wins this season, the Titans will join an elite club as just two other current Division III men's basketball programs have reached the 1,700-win threshold. Wittenberg leads Division III in wins with 1,817, while Wooster is in second with 1,774 program wins.

HOLIDAY TRAVEL: Including wins at Alma and Calvin, Nov. 19-20, the Titans are 17-7 in the past five seasons in out of state, non-conference games. Over the holiday break, the Titans have taken trips to Texas, California, Georgia, and New York in the past five seasons for competitive, non-conference matchups. This upcoming holiday season is no different, as IWU will travel to New York City, N.Y. for matchups with Mt. St. Vincent and current No. 1 Yeshiva on Dec. 29 and 30, respectively.

ON THE HORIZON: Illinois Wesleyan continues non-conference play with a trip to New York City, Dec. 29-30. There, IWU will tangle with Mt. St. Vincent Dec. 29 at 1 p.m. ET before squaring off against No. 1 ranked Yeshiva Dec. 30 at 8 p.m. ET.