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Doug Wallen driving to the basket
© Jimmy Naprstek
74
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 4-0,4-0 CCIW
60
Millikin MIL-U 1-7,1-7 CCIW
Winner
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
4-0,4-0 CCIW
74
Final
60
Millikin MIL-U
1-7,1-7 CCIW
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 35 39 74
Millikin MIL-U 23 37 60

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Balanced Effort Pushes Titans Past Big Blue

Three Titans score in double figures

DECATUR, Ill. - A balanced effort led the second-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team to a 74-60 win over Millikin University Tuesday night, Feb. 16, at the Griswold Center. Three Titans scored in double figures, as IWU upped its record to 4-0, while MU slipped to 1-7.

Junior Matthew Leritz (St. Louis, Mo.-St. Louis University HS) led the Titans with a game-high 16 points, six rebounds, and three assists. Also finishing with double digit points were senior Doug Wallen (Champaign, Ill.-Champaign Central) and junior Keondre Schumacher (Bloomington, Ill.-University High), who added 15 and 14 points, respectively. 

The Green and White shot better than 50 percent from the floor for the third time this season, as IWU converted 29-of-55 field goal attempts for a 52.7 clip. IWU finished with seven triples on 19 attempts (36.8 percent) and went 9-for-10 at the free throw line. Millikin finished 19-of-42 from the floor, 7-of-19 from distance, and converted 15-of-22 free throws.

Defensively, Illinois Wesleyan edged Millikin, 25-24, in rebounding. The Titans registered nine steals, with Wallen tallying a team-high three, as the Big Blue turned it over 22 times.

Illinois Wesleyan's hot-shooting put the Titans ahead from the jump, but turnovers allowed Millikin to pull within two, 15-13, 10 minutes into the first half. 

IWU responded with a give-and-go from Leritz to senior Charlie Bair (Glen Ellyn, Ill.-Glenbard South) and a Cory Noe (Mahomet, Ill.-Mahomet-Seymour) drive over to push ahead by six, 19-13, with 8:44 until the break.

Timely triples by Schumacher kept the Titans in control and gave IWU a 35-23 lead at halftime.

The Big Blue got off to a strong start in the second half, cutting IWU's lead in half over the first two minutes. Illinois Wesleyan rattled off six straight points, capped by a Schumacher layup, to reclaim a 12-point edge, 43-31, as Schumacher's layup with 16:36 to play.

The Titans maintained a double-digit cushion from there, extending their lead to as many as 24 before walking out of the Griswold Center victors, 74-60.

Illinois Wesleyan goes for its fifth straight win next Thursday, Feb. 25, when the Titans host the Big Blue in a rematch inside the Shirk Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will serve as Senior Night for Colin Cheaney, Doug Wallen, Charlie Bair, and Grant Wolfe.

 
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