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Yoder scores 23 at Wheaton College Jan. 17, 2024
Kodiak Creative
78
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 11-6,7-1 CCIW
77
Wheaton (IL) WHEIL 4-13,3-5 CCIW
Winner
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
11-6,7-1 CCIW
78
Final
77
Wheaton (IL) WHEIL
4-13,3-5 CCIW
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 33 45 78
Wheaton (IL) WHEIL 32 45 77

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men’s Hoops Holds Off Wheaton to Maintain Control of CCIW Race

Yoder and Wilmsen post 20-point games

WHEATON, Ill. - A layup by senior Luke Yoder (Normal, Ill.-Central Catholic) with three seconds to play lifted the Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team past Wheaton College, 78-77, on the road Wednesday, Jan. 17 in a game that featured a 36-minute delay due to a leaking roof.

The Titan saw two players post 20+ points, as Yoder led the team with 23, while junior Harrison Wilmsen (St. Louis, Mo.-Priory) finished with a career-high 21. Junior Nick Roper (St. Louis, Mo.-MICDS) added 11 points to round out the double-digit scorers for IWU. Yoder recorded a team-best six assists to go along with five rebounds and two steals in his impressive performance. 

Illinois Wesleyan's defense saw a balance at the boards, as six players finished with five-or-more rebounds. Wilmenson, senior Ryan Sroka (Lake in the Hills, Ill.-Huntley), and junior Marko Anderson (Park Ridge, Ill.-Maine South) finished with six, while Roper and junior Hakim Williams (Round Lake, Ill.-Round Lake) joined Yoder with five. Williams posted three blocks, while Roper added a pair of his own. 

As a team, Illinois Wesleyan utilized advantages in rebounds (40-30), points in the paint (52-12), bench points (11-3), second chance points (8-2), fast break points (9-3), and recorded nine points off turnovers, while Wheaton did not score off a Titan miscue. 

After scoring the game's first five points, Illinois Wesleyan pulled away midway through the first half. Williams slipped a pass to freshman Mason Funk (Normal, Ill.-University High) for a layup to push IWU ahead, 33-24, with 4:10 to play before the break.

Back-to-back three-pointers by the Thunder and a jumper trimmed the Titan lead to one, 33-32, at halftime.

A steal from Yoder made way for a jumper from Sroka to open the second half and get Illinois Wesleyan rolling. A three-ball from Roper on an assist from Wilmsen upped the lead to six, before layups from Wilmsen and Yoder were followed by a dunk from Wilmsen to up the lead to double digits, 48-37, with 15:28 to go.

The Titans maintained a cushion into the final seven minutes before the Thunder mounted its comeback. 

Eleven unanswered points saw Wheaton cling to a two-point lead as the clock hit 4:30, giving the Thunder its first lead since the 10:50 mark of the first half, 69-67.

Illinois Wesleyan responded with a layup from Wilmsen on junior Trey Bazzell's (Fairbury, Ill.-Prairie Central) assist to even the score, before a huge and-one from Sroka pushed IWU in front, 72-69.

After Wheaton split a pair of the free throw line, Wilmsen gave the Titans a one-point edge on a layup with 1:10 to play.

Wheaton responded and quickly called a timeout before Yoder worked his way into the paint for a go-ahead bucket with 43 seconds left.

Williams rejected a shot by the Thunder on the ensuing possession, but eventually a foul led to a pair of free throws to give the home team a 77-76 lead with 25 seconds to go.

Out of timeout by head coach Ron Rose, Yoder sliced up the Wheaton defense and hit a well-contested layup with three seconds remaining. The buzzer-beating heave by the Thunder was no good as the Titans escaped with their first victory in King Arena since March 12, 2021 when IWU captured the CCIW title during the COVID year.

The Titans remain on the road this weekend for a trip to Waukesha, Wis. to take on Carroll University. Tipoff is set for 4:15 p.m.
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