BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The third-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team continues its road stretch with a trek to Waukesha, Wis. for a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin battle at Carroll University Saturday, Jan. 22. Tipoff is slated for 4 p.m. and will serve as the second leg of a double dip with the IWU women's basketball team.
The Titans pulled out a 63-58 triumph at North Park University, Jan. 19, to move to 13-2 overall and 6-1 in league play. The win marked the fifth straight for the Green and White and kept them atop the CCIW. Carroll is 5-12 overall and 1-7 in league games ahead of Saturday's contest. The Pioneers most recently fell to North Central College, 89-81, Jan. 19.
A live stream of the game will be available, along with live stats. Links on how to follow along can be found on the men's basketball schedule page of IWUsports.com.
CLASHES WITH CARROLL: Illinois Wesleyan and Carroll have met on the hardwood a total of 86 times ahead of Saturday's league tilt, with the Titans holding a 68-18 record against the Pioneers all-time. IWU has won the past six meetings by an average of 16.2 points per game. CU's last win over the Green and White came back in the 2018-19 campaign, when the Pios upended Illinois Wesleyan, 90-83, inside the Shirk Center Dec. 15, 2018.
The Titans and Pioneers most recently met in Bloomington, Dec. 4. Matthew Leritz paced the Titans with a 14-point, 15-rebound double-double, while Peter Lambesis (14), Cody Mitchell (10), and Luke Yoder (10) also contributed double-digit points.
NO NIGHTS OFF: The CCIW has proven to be one of the toughest conferences from top-to-bottom across all of Division III. As noted by Bob Quillman (@IWUHoopscom on Twitter), the conference has not seen a team survive the conference season unscathed since 1973. The league currently features three top-25 teams in No. 3 IWU, No. 12 Elmhurst, and No. 14 Wheaton.
FACING THE BEST OF THE BEST: The No. 3 Titans have played one of the more difficult schedules in all of Division III this season. IWU has faced five current top-25 opponents, including the current No. 4 and No. 5 teams in the country, Wash U and UW-Oshkosh, respectively. The Titans are 3-2 against top-25 opponents this year, including wins against the current No. 5, No. 7, and No. 12 teams in the country. IWU's schedule is the 12th-toughest according to NCAA stats.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Although the Shirk Center is one of the best home court advantages across all of Division III, the Titans have impressed on the road as well. In the past 10 seasons, the Titans have a 72-45 record away from Shirk. In the past five seasons specifically, IWU boasts a 39-17 record on the road.
GETTING BETTER WITH TIME: Matthew Leritz has been a thorn in the sides of the Pioneers since returning from injury his junior season, and has only gotten better in each meeting with Carroll. Leritz is averaging 11.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 57.1 percent (20-for-35) from the field, in his last four games against Carroll. When starting against CU, Leritz is even better - with 14.5 ppg and 12.5 rpg. Most recently, Leritz went off for 14 points and 15 rebounds in IWU's 63-44 victory Dec. 4, 2021.
MAKING A LIVING IN THE PAINT: Illinois Wesleyan's size and aggressive style has caused issues for the Pioneers as of late. In fact, IWU has outscored Carroll 156 to 94 inside the lane. The Titans are averaging 39 points in the paint per game against the Pioneers.
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 178 appearances in the weekly poll are ninth-most all-time. The Titans are currently ranked No. 3 in the poll.
ON THE HORIZON: Illinois Wesleyan continues its roadtrip returns to Wisconsin for a Monday night tilt at Carthage. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. Jan. 24.
