BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The ninth-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team will travel to the Griswold Center Wednesday, Feb. 9, to take on Millikin University. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
    Illinois Wesleyan boosted its record to 17-4 overall and 10-2 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin with a 73-49 win over North Park University, Feb. 7. The Titans are in sole possession of first-place in the conference with four regular season games remaining. Millikin is 12-9 on the season and right in the middle of the pack at 7-5 in CCIW play. The Big Blue, who boast a 7-3 home record this season, were most recently upended at North Central College, 61-55, Feb. 7.
    Fans can tune into the game via live stats or live stream. Links on how to follow along can be found on the men's basketball schedule page of IWUsports.com.
LONG-STANDING RIVALRY: IWU and Millikin have met on 235 occasions, with the first match-up held in the 1909-10 season. The 235 total contests rank second in Division III men's basketball in most-played rivalries. The Titans hold a 157-78 advantage against the Big Blue all-time, including winning the past 11 meetings and 28 of the last 30.
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 74-46 record away from Shirk. In the past five seasons specifically, IWU boasts a 41-18 record on the road.
CCIW WIN NO. 150 FOR ROSE: With Illinois Wesleyan's 73-49 win over North Park, Feb. 7, Titan Head Coach Ron Rose notched his 150th CCIW victory of his career. He now ranks second in IWU history, just ahead of Jack Horenberger's 149 conference wins. Illinois Wesleyan legend Dennie Bridges holds the record for most CCIW victoies with 421 over his 36-year career.
    Additionally, Rose is one of two active head coaches with 150-or-more league wins, joining North Central's Todd Raridon (160).
THE ARTIST FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE MAN-BUNNED MONSTER: Junior forward Cody Mitchell may not don the man bun any longer, but the St. Charles, Ill. native has been just as key for the Titans despite the hairstyle change. Mitchell led the Green and White with a game-high 14 points in a win over Carthage, Feb. 5. In fact, IWU boasts a 9-0 record when Mitchell scores 10-or-more points this season.
MR. DO IT ALL: A consistent force for the Titans this season, senior Matthew Leritz put together another stat-stuffing game against Carthage, Feb. 5. Leritz went for 13 points, a game-high 14 rebounds, a career-high six assists, one steal, and one block in IWU's win. Leritz, who picked up his ninth double-double of the season, is the first Illinois Wesleyan player to go for 10+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 5+ assists since Jan. 14, 2017. Coincidentally, that occurrence also took place against Carthage as Alec Bausch recorded 13 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists in IWU's 77-74 win at the Shirk Center.
HE'S GOT YOUR BEST: Illinois Wesleyan's strong defensive play paved the way for the Green and White's 66-57 win over Carthage Saturday night, Feb. 5. A large part of IWU's lockdown defense this season has been the play of standout defender Peter Lambesis. The senior captain has been tasked with guarding some of Division III's top scorers this season. Most recently, Lambesis locked down Carthage's Fillip Bulatovic, the CCIW's sixth-ranked scorer.
FEBRUARY FUN: Illinois Wesleyan owns a 68-37 record in the month of February under the direction of head coach Ron Rose.
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 181 appearances in the weekly poll are ninth-most all-time. The Titans are currently ranked No. 9 in the poll.
ON THE HORIZON: Illinois Wesleyan returns home Saturday, Feb. 12, as host to No. 13 Wheaton College in a battle of CCIW contenders. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. inside the Shirk Center. The Titans will recognize and celebrate seniors Matthew Leritz, Peter Lambesis, Cory Noe, and Gavin Markgraff prior to the game as part of Senior Day.
