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Josh Fridman brings the ball up vs. Carthage 12/04/24
77
Winner Carthage CARTH 5-2,1-0 CCIW
68
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 6-1,0-1 CCIW
Winner
Carthage CARTH
5-2,1-0 CCIW
77
Final
68
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
6-1,0-1 CCIW
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Carthage CARTH 35 42 77
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 34 34 68

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men’s Hoops Tripped Up in League Opener

Titans drop first game of the season, sit at 6-1

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The fifth-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team suffered a 77-68 loss to the Firebirds of Carthage College in its College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin opener Wednesday night, Dec. 4 inside the Shirk Center. IWU's six-game win stream was snapped as the Titans fall to 6-1 and 0-1 in CCIW play. Carthage moves to 5-2 as the Firebirds claim their first CCIW win of the season.

Senior Nick Roper (St. Louis, Mo. Priory) led the Titans with 24 points while also adding five rebounds, two steals, and an assist. Freshman Josh Fridman (Northbrook, Ill.-Glenbrook North) shot 100 percent across the board, totaling 13 points, going four-for-four for field goals, two-for-two from beyond the arc, and three-for-three at the charity stripe. 

On the defensive front, senior Hakim Williams (Round Lake, Ill.-Round Lake) had a team-high six steals and two blocks while adding six points. 

Carthage led in most statistical categories including field goal percentages (42.1-32.8), rebounds (45-39), and assists (13-8) but IWU led in steals (11-8) and blocks (5-0) while the Green and White's bench squad put up 29 points to the Firebirds' 16. 

IWU spotted Carthage an 8-0 lead before Roper put the Titans on the board with a layup.

Fridman converted a driving layup and Roper followed with a triple to bring Illinois Wesleyan within one, 14-13. Junior Karlo Colak (Glenview, Ill.-New Trier) turned a defensive rebound in for a layup to give IWU an 18-17 edge with 12:02 on the clock.

Colak would later close the half with four points, a layup off sophomore Mason Funk's (Normal, Ill.-University High) assist and a pair of free throws, to bring the Titans within one, 35-34, at the break.

The Titans opened up the second half with Roper on the charity stripe for a free throw to tie it up at 35-35. Three more ties followed from there, but a four-point spurt put the Firebirds on top, 45-41, five minutes into the period.

Illinois Wesleyan clawed its way back within two a few times, but ultimately could not pull off the comeback in a 77-68 setback.

Illinois Wesleyan will head north to Waukesha, Wis. for its next CCIW contest against Carroll University Saturday, Dec. 7. Tipoff at the Van Male Fieldhouse is set for 4:15 p.m. and will follow the IWU women's 2 p.m. game against the Pioneers.
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