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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Four double-digit showings fueled the Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team past Augustana College, 65-50, Saturday evening, Jan. 14, inside the Shirk Center. (Photo by Kodiak Creative/Jimmy Naprstek)
Kodiak Creative
74
Winner North Park NPU 13-4,6-2 CCIW
70
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 8-7,5-3 CCIW
Winner
North Park NPU
13-4,6-2 CCIW
74
Final
70
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
8-7,5-3 CCIW
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
North Park NPU 36 38 74
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 30 40 70

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men's Basketball Drops Home Game to North Park

Mitchell records sixth double-double of season

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team could not overcome a three-point shooting blitz by North Park University, Jan. 18, inside the Shirk Center. The Titans (8-7, 5-3 CCIW) were downed, 74-70, as the Vikings (13-4, 6-2 CCIW) hit 13 three-pointers to earn the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin win.

Senior Cody Mitchell (St. Charles, Ill.-St. Charles East) led the way with 22 points and 11 rebounds, his sixth double-double of the season. Junior Ryan Sroka (Lake in the Hills, Ill.-Huntley) stuffed the stat sheet with 12 points, five rebounds, five assists, and a team-high two steals. Hakim Williams (Round Lake, Ill.-Round Lake) also finished in double digits with 10 points, all of those coming in the second half. 

North Park used eight three-pointers to take control of the game in the opening half. The Vikings moved ahead by double-digits with 4:14 to go in the period behind their seventh triple of the night.

Heflen answered with a three-ball for the Titans, one of three for IWU over the first 20 minutes of play, to cut into the deficit. Sophomore Harrison Wilmsen (St. Louis, Mo.-St. Louis Priory) hit a jumper on an assist from Heflen moments later to get a brief run going for the Green and White.

Sophomore Hakim Williams found Sroka for a jumper in the paint and free throws by Mitchell and sophomore Marko Anderson (Park Ridge, Ill.-Maine South) clawed the Titans within four, 34-30, with 27 seconds remaining. 

North Park drilled a jumper seconds before the buzzer though, taking a 36-30 lead into the break. NPU finished the half 8-for-15 from three, while IWU went 12-for-13 from inside the arc.

Aided by a technical, Sroka rallied the Titans to a 37-36 lead. A pull-up jumper and trio of free throws gave IWU its first lead of the night.

North Park battled back to take a five-point lead as the half neared the midpoint, but Sroka found Anderson to get the Titans back on track. After a free throw by Williams, Sroka found sophomore sharpshooter Trey Bazzell (Fairbury, Ill.- Prairie Central) for the three-ball. The big shot in front of the IWU bench pulled the Titans back within one, 53-52. 

NPU responded once again from distance, but the Green and White threw back-to-back passes into the post for a pair of buckets by Mitchell to level the score at 56. Williams tacked on a three-pointer with 6:35 to go to push Illinois Wesleyan ahead, 59-57.

Williams knocked down free throws out of a timeout to give IWU its largest lead of the night, 61-57, but the Vikings used a 9-2 run to reclaim an edge. 

Trailing late, Mitchell gave the Green and White a chance with a three-pointer to trim the deficit to two, 70-68, but the Vikings used free throws to close out the game.
 
The Titans depart for a four-game roadtrip this weekend, Saturday, Jan. 21. The first stop for the Green and White is a 7 p.m. bout at Wheaton College.


 
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