BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Less than a week removed from its regular season finale, the 22nd-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team will square off against North Central College inside the Shirk Center for the second time in six days. Tipoff of the College Conference Tournament semifinal is set for 7:15 p.m. between the top-seeded Titans and fourth-seeded Cardinals.
    Illinois Wesleyan closed out the regular season with an 18-7 overall record, highlighted by a league-leading 14-2 CCIW mark. The Titans overcame a three-point halftime deficit to defeat North Central, 67-55, Feb. 17. Meanwhile, NCC punched its ticket into the semifinal with a gutsy 58-54 win over Carroll University, Feb. 20, in the quarterfinal round. The Cardinals enter Friday night with a 10-16 overall record after finishing the CCIW season 7-9.
    Live stats and a live stream of the game will be provided, while Eric Stock will also have the call on WESN. Links on how to follow the game can be found on the men's basketball schedule page of iwusports.com.

LEAGUE LEADERS LEAD THE LEAGUE: Illinois Wesleyan saw a league-best four players recognized on the All-CCIW teams released by the conference earlier this week, Feb. 19. Nick Roper and Luke Yoder garnered First Team All-CCIW, while Hakim Williams and Harrison Wilmsen reeled in Second Team All-CCIW status. Yoder earned first team recognition for the first time in his career after receiving a second team nod in 2022. Roper, Williams, and WIlmsen secured postseason honors for the first time in their careers.

HOLY SHIRK: For the fourth time since the inaugural CCIW Tournament in 2006, the league championship will be held in Bloomington, Ill. No. 1 seeds in the tournament are 21-9 overall since the first CCIW Tournament, however, Illinois Wesleyan has never won a league title as a No. 1 seed. In fact, the Titans have only won the CCIW Tournament once, during the 2020-21 season, when no NCAA Tournament was held.

IWU IN THE CCIW TOURNAMENT: Illinois Wesleyan has made 15 CCIW Tournament appearances since the league began holding a tournament in 2006. Over that time, the Titans have gone 11-14 in CCIW Tournament games.
    Not included in those totals is the 2020-21 season's league tournament, which featured all nine teams due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. IWU went 3-0 in the 2021 tournament, defeating North Park (75-55), Elmhurst (75-65), and Wheaton (71-58) en route to the CCIW Championship.

TALE OF THE TAPE: Saturday's contest will serve as the 174th all-time meeting between the Titans and Cardinals. Illinois Wesleyan holds a 124-49 lead in the all-time series.
Illinois Wesleyan swept the regular season, stymying North Central en route to 66-43 and 67-55 victories. Most recently, three scored in double figures for IWU to lead the Titans to a 67-55 Senior Night win over NCC, Feb. 17.

CCIW TOURNAMENT CLASHES WITH THE CARDINALS: Since the CCIW Tournament was introduced in 2006, the Cardinals and Titans have matched up four times, including in the semifinals in 2022. NCC holds a  1-3 advantage over IWU in the tournament tilts.
    In the inaugural conference tournament, IWU dropped the championship game to North Central in heartbreaking fashion as the Titans were defeated 51-49. In 2011, the Titans traveled to Naperville and won, 69-57, on North Central's home court before losing to Augustana in the championship game. In the 2018 CCIW Tournament, the Cardinals avenged their postseason loss from seven years prior, defeating the Titans, 70-64, in a semifinal contest. North Central went on to the championship game where they were defeated by Augustana.
    Just two years ago, the Cardinals stunned the top-seeded Titans, 81-74, inside the Shirk Center Feb. 25, 2022. Cory Noe led the Titans with 21 points, while Matthew Leritz added 16. Luke Yoder and Cody Mitchell tallied 15 points apiece in the setback.

HOME AWAY FROM HOME: The junior duo of Nick Roper and Harrison Wilmsen have seemingly found a second home inside the Shirk Center this season. The St. Louis, Mo. natives have accounted for 279 of IWU's 802 points scored at home this season, good for 35 percent. Not only have the two posted plenty of points, they have done so at an incredibly efficient rate. Together, they have combined to go 103-of-184 (56.0 percent) from the floor and 19-of-43 (44.2 percent) from three-point range.  In 11 home games, Roper leads the team with 14.0 points per contest, while Wilmsen is second with 11.4 points per game.

HOME SWEET HOME: The Titans enjoy one of the greatest athletic venues in NCAA Division III. The Shirk Center has been home to more than 700 Titan basketball games between both the men and women. The men hold a 306-66 record on their home floor (.823 win pct.).

DIALED IN ON DEFENSE: The Titans have been one of the top defensive teams in Division III this season. In fact, IWU is limiting opponents to a field goal percentage of 38.6, the 21st-best nationally. The Green and White is giving up just 64.3 points per game (24th nationally).

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN W AND L: Illinois Wesleyan's record can be boiled down to its ability to take care of the ball. Through 25 games, IWU holds a 14-1 record when committing fewer than 15 turnovers. Conversely, when racking up 15-or-more miscues, Illinois Wesleyan is 4-6.