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Men's Hoops bench celebration
Kodiak Creative
55
Ohio Wesleyan OWU 0-1,0-0 NCAC
84
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 1-0,0-0 CCIW
Ohio Wesleyan OWU
0-1,0-0 NCAC
55
Final
84
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
1-0,0-0 CCIW
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Ohio Wesleyan OWU 24 31 55
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 36 48 84

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men's Hoops Blows By Ohio Wesleyan to Advance to Sikma Hall of Fame Championship

Green and White take on Mary Hardin-Baylor at 5 pm, Saturday Nov. 11

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team started the 2023-24 campaign off with a victory in the first round of the Sikma Hall of Fame Invitational, Friday, Nov. 10. The Titans defeated Ohio Wesleyan University 84-55 to advance into the championship game tomorrow afternoon, Saturday, Nov. 11 at 5 pm inside the Shirk Center. 

Illinois Wesleyan put together a balanced performance as junior Trey Bazzell (Fairbury, Ill.-Prairie Central) led the team with 12 points. Senior Luke Yoder (Normal, Ill.-Central Catholic) and junior Hakim Williams (Round Lake, Ill.-Round Lake) added nine points apiece, while juniors Nick Roper (St. Louis, Mo.-MICDS) and Marko Anderson (Park Ridge, Ill.-Maine South) tallied seven points apiece.

Anderson and Hakim Williams tied for the team lead with five rebounds each, with seven other Titans hauling in three caroms apiece.

The Titans were efficient offensively, going 30-for-55 (54.5 percent) from the field and 6-of-15 (40 percent) from three-point distance. At the free throw line, Illinois Wesleyan finished 18-for-21. Meanwhile, the Battling Bishops shot 22-of-62 (35.5 percent) overall and 7-of-30 (23.3 percent) from distance. 

IWU used its size to dominate the glass, 42-25, while also posting a 48-20 lead in points in the paint. The Green and White's bench went for 46 points, while OWU finished with 21 points from its non-starters. 

The Titans got off to a slow start offensively, scoring just four points in the first six minutes of the game. Tough buckets from Hakim Williams, Evan Schneider (St. Louis, Mo.-Ladue), and a Bazzell three gave the Titans a 18-13 advantage midway through the first half. 

With his first three career points, freshman Mason Funk (Normal, Ill.-University High) gave the Titans a 27-17 lead with just under seven minutes left in the first half, forcing a Battling Bishops timeout. The Green and White finished out the half strong, taking a 36-24 advantage heading into the break. 

Illinois Wesleyan went on an 11-0 run in the second half, going up by as many as 33 points midway through the half. A pair of threes from Bazzell and a Hakim Williams and-one highlighted the run. Freshman Brady Kuehl (St. Louis, Mo.-Parkway West) added his first career points in his first game as a Titan in the second half as the Titans cruised to a comfortable victory. 

The Titans will take on No. 15 ranked University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, who defeated University of Wisconsin-Stout on Friday evening, in the championship game tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 11 at 5 pm inside the Shirk Center. 

 
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