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Ryan Sroka driving vs. NPU
Ashtin Elder
56
North Park NPU 2-6,0-3 CCIW
70
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 6-3,2-1 CCIW
North Park NPU
2-6,0-3 CCIW
56
Final
70
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
6-3,2-1 CCIW
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
North Park NPU 28 28 56
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 27 43 70

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men’s Hoops Sinks Vikings

Four Titans score in double-figures

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team gutted out a, 70-56, win over North Park University Wednesday night, Dec. 6, inside the Shirk Center. The Titans boosted their record to 6-3 on the year and 2-1 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin standings, while preseason favorite NPU dipped to 2-6 (0-3 CCIW).

Illinois Wesleyan was led in scoring by junior Nick Roper (St. Louis, Mo.-MICDS), who finished with 15 points and four rebounds. Senior Ryan Sroka (Lake in the Hills, Ill.-Huntley) tallied 12 points and six caroms. Junior Harrison Wilmsen (St. Louis, Mo.-Priory) and freshman Mason Funk (Normal, Ill.-University High) added 11 points apiece. Funk net his career-high in points alongside a career-best five rebounds. 

Senior Luke Yoder (Normal, Ill.-Central Catholic) contributed a near double-double with nine points and eight rebounds, while junior Marko Anderson (Park Ridge, Ill.-Maine South) led the team with nine boards.

The Titans shot 42.1 percent from the floor, going 24-for-57 with six three-pointers and went 16-for-21 (76.2 percent) at the charity stripe. The stingy IWU defense limited NPU to a 33.3 percent showing from the field as the Vikings went 19-for-57 and 7-of-28 from distance. North Park finished 11-for-15 at the free throw line in a game that saw a combined 39 fouls. 

Illinois Wesleyan dominated the glass, 50-27, leading to a 14-5 lead in second chance points. The Green and White also held advantages in points in the paint, 32-22, and fast break scoring, 15-9. 

The Titans erased a 10-point deficit with an 18-5 run towards the end of the opening half. Coming out of a Ron Rose timeout with just under 13 minutes on the clock, Wilmsen converted a hook shot over a double team to get IWU rolling. Funk then popped off for a seven-point run of his own, as the Normal, Ill. native drained a three on a kickout from Wilmsen to cut the NPU lead to three, 23-20. After a Wilmsen layup, the big-man found sharpshooting junior Trey Bazzell (Fairbury, Ill.-Prairie Central) for a three-ball to put IWU in front, 25-23. Funk finished the spurt with a transition assist to Wilmsen, who threw down a dunk to give Illinois Wesleyan a four-point cushion.

North Park closed the half with five straight points to take a 28-27 edge into the break.

Sroka hit a three-pointer and then converted an and-one in the opening minute of the second period to push IWU ahead, 33-31. The run continued as junior Hakim Williams' (Round Lake, Ill.-Round Lake) offensive rebound led to a corner triple from Yoder.

Leading 37-31, the Green and White used another big run to stall the Vikings. After NPU scored seven straight, IWU used buckets by Wilmsen, Roper, Funk, Yoder and sophomore Karlo Colak (Glencoe, Ill.-New Trier) to open up a 12-point lead. 

Illinois Wesleyan held off North Park from there, extending its lead to as many as 15, to close out the 70-56 victory.

The Titans begin a five-game road stint this weekend as IWU travels to North Central College Saturday, Dec. 9. Tipoff is set for 7:15 p.m. and will follow the IWU women's basketball team's game against the Cardinals.

 
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