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MBB | IWU vs Wheaton
Kodiak Creative
70
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 21-4,14-2 CCIW
64
Augustana (IL) AUGIE 11-14,6-10 CCIW
Winner
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
21-4,14-2 CCIW
70
Final
64
Augustana (IL) AUGIE
11-14,6-10 CCIW
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 30 40 70
Augustana (IL) AUGIE 27 37 64

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men’s Hoops Finishes Off Regular Season with Win at Augustana

Four players hit double-digit scoring

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. - The No. 6 Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team finished off the regular season with a 70-64 victory over Augustana College at the Carver Center Saturday night, Feb. 19. The Titans complete the regular season with a 21-4 overall record, IWU's most wins since 2013-14, and a 14-2 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin mark. Meanwhile, Augie slipped to 11-14 on the season, 6-10 in the CCIW, with the setback.

The Green and White used a balanced effort to take down the Vikings, as six players scored seven-or-more points. Senior Cory Noe (Mahomet, Ill.-Mahomet-Seymour) led the way with 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting, while seniors Matthew Leritz (St. Louis, Mo.-St. Louis University HS) and Peter Lambesis (Mt. Prospect, Ill.-St. Viator), and junior Cody Mitchell (St. Charles, Ill.-St. Charles East) scored 12 points apiece. Leritz and Mitchell tied for the team lead with nine rebounds each, while Leritz also dished out a team-best five assists.

Illinois Wesleyan finished 26-for-61 from the field (42.6 percent), went 6-for-17 in three-point tries, and converted 12-of-17 free throw attempts. Augustana compiled clips of 45.3 percent (24-for-53), 45.5 percent (10-for-22), and 75 percent (6-for-8). 

The Titans forced 19 turnovers, with sophomore Ryan Sroka (Lake in the HIlls, Ill.-Huntley) snatching a team-high three steals. Noe and junior Luke Yoder (Normal, Ill.-Central Catholic) tallied two each. Despite losing the rebounding battle 33-30, IWU used nine offensive rebounds to score 10 second chance points.

The Green and White dominated the paint, outscoring the Vikings 32-10, while also mounting a 17-11 edge in points off turnovers. Augie held a slim 8-6 lead in fast break points, while totaling an 18-10 advantage in bench points.

Lambesis had the hot-hand for the Titans in the early goings, connecting on three of his first four shot attempts. His first two buckets put IWU up 4-2, but Augie responded with seven unanswered points to take a 9-4 lead with 14:49 on the clock.

Out of a IWU timeout, Lambesis broke the drought with a baseline jumper. The bucket proved to be the start of an 11-3 run for the Green and White, which culminated in a pair of free throws by Mitchell to push Illinois Wesleyan ahead 15-12 midway through the period.

Augustana came roaring back with a trio of three-pointers over a two and a half minute span to charge ahead, 23-17, and force Ron Rose to burn his second timeout.

Trailing by six with 5:10 to go in the half, Leritz passed out of a double team to a wide-open Sroka for a layup to get the Green and White going. A Sroka jumper and a Noe three-ball sandwiched a free throw by Leritz as the Titans reclaimed a 25-23 lead with 2:50 left in the period.

A three-pointer by Sroka on a kickback from Noe and a strong putback by Mitchell extended the IWU advantage to five, 30-25, before the Titans took a 30-27 lead into the break.

Illinois Wesleyan opened up a double-digit lead as Noe buried a three-pointer five and a half minutes into the half.

Augustana answered with an 8-0 run to pull within two, 46-44, with 13:09 to go, but Leritz's and-one ended the Vikings run.

Augie had another run left as the Vikings banked in a three-pointer and followed with another bucket to trim the Titans' advantage to one, 55-54, with 8:41 remaining. After an IWU timeout, Noe scored to get the Green and White back on track. Yoder followed with a reverse layup and Lambesis added a jumper to give Illinois Wesleyan a 61-54 edge.

Augustana used the three-ball to hang around late, including a triple with 2:09 to go. The Vikings' latest three-ball made it a one possession game, 65-62, but Yoder, Noe, and Mitchell knocked down free throws to finish off the 70-64 victory.

The Titans will host the semifinal and championship rounds of the CCIW Tournament next weekend, Feb. 25-26. IWU will begin the postseason with a semifinal bout Friday night, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m. inside the Shirk Center. The Green and White will learn its opponent after Tuesday's quarterfinal contests.
 
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