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Marko Anderson goes up for a layup against WashU
68
WashU WU 9-1,0-0 UAA
84
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 9-1,2-1 CCIW
WashU WU
9-1,0-0 UAA
68
Final
84
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
9-1,2-1 CCIW
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
WashU WU 31 37 68
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 42 42 84

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

No. 9 Men’s Hoops Hands No. 2 WashU First Loss of Season

Titans improve to 9-1

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - In a top-10 battle, the ninth-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team led from start to finish in a 84-68 win over No. 2 WashU inside the Shirk Center Thursday night, Dec. 19. With the win, the Titans boosted their record to 9-1 overall, while the Bears (9-1) were sacked with their first loss of the season. It marked IWU's second win over a No. 2 ranked team this season, both coming by double-digits.

Sophomore Mason Funk (Normal. Ill.-University High) put up 20 points on 7-of-16 shooting, tying his career-best which he set earlier this week. Funk added five rebounds, two assists, and tied for the team lead with two blocks. Freshman Josh Fridman (Northbrook, Ill.-Glenbrook North) tallied a career-high 18 points to go along with four boards, two assists, and a steal.

Illinois Wesleyan big-men Harrison Wilmsen (St. Louis, Mo.-Priory) and Marko Anderson (Park Ridge, Ill.-Maine South) also put together strong performances in the win. Wilmsen scored 10 points with six boards, while Anderson put up nine points and led the team with seven rebounds.

The Green and White dominated in all facets of the game, holding one of the most efficient offenses across Division III well below the Bears' season average of 51.4 percent. WashU, which entered the night ranked fifth nationally in field goal percentage, was limited to 39.7 percent (27-of-68) on the night and 30.8 percent (8-of-26) from three-point range. WashU converted 6-of-7 free throws. Meanwhile, the Titans went 32-for-64 from the field, 50.0 percent, and knocked down 13-of-29 three-point tries (44.8 percent). IWU finished 7-of-10 at the charity stripe.

The Titans held leads in points off turnovers (18-8), points in the paint (34-32), fastbreak points (18-6), and bench scoring (26-19). IWU won the rebounding battle, 38-37, and the turnover tally, 11-8.

The St. Louis, Mo. natives and senior duo of Wilmsen and Nick Roper (St. Louis, Mo.-MICDS) got Illinois Wesleyan started from the get-go. After Roper won the tip and hit a pair of free throws, Wilmsen nailed a three-ball from the top of the key to give IWU a 5-0 edge.

Back-to-back three-pointers from Funk off assists from Roper and sophomore Jackson Niego (Western Springs, Ill.-Lyons Township) stretched the lead to nine, 18-9, before Funk fed Anderson to push IWU ahead, 21-11.

The Bears battled back to trim the Titan lead to one, 25-24, but Fridman assisted on Wilmsen's second three-ball of the night to provide a bit of a cushion. Funk followed with a three-ball from senior Trey Bazzell (Fairbury, Ill.-Prairie Central). Senior Hakim Williams (Round Lake, Ill.-Round Lake) forced a turnover and turned a steal into a Niego three-pointer in transition. The wing three forced a WashU timeout with 6:25 on the clock and the Titans leading, 34-24.

Coming out of the half in front 42-31, the Green and White showed no signs of slowing down in the second 20 minutes. The Titans led by as many as 22 points in the half as a Fridman triple lifted Illinois Wesleyan to a 72-50 lead before closing out the 84-68 win.

IWU is back in action Sunday-Monday, Dec. 29-30, at the Cru Classic hosted by University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. The Titans will take on LeTourneau University Sunday, Dec. 29, at 2 p.m. before battling UMHB Monday, Dec. 30, at 4 p.m.

 
 
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