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Illinois Wesleyan bench celebrating
© AshtinElder
68
Wheaton (IL) WHEIL 3-15,0-9 CCIW
90
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 16-2,8-1 CCIW
Wheaton (IL) WHEIL
3-15,0-9 CCIW
68
Final
90
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
16-2,8-1 CCIW
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Wheaton (IL) WHEIL 35 33 68
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 43 47 90

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men’s Hoops Topples Thunder

Roper goes for game-high 23 points

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The fifth-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team powered past Wheaton College, 90-68, inside the Shirk Center Saturday evening, Jan. 25. The Titans (16-2, 8-1 CCIW) won their sixth straight, while the Thunder (3-15, 0-9 CCIW) dropped their 12th in-a-row.

Senior Nick Roper (St. Louis, Mo.-MICDS) scored a game-high 23 points, while adding seven rebounds, a block, and a steal. Sophomore Mason Funk (Normal, Ill.-University High) added 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting, while senior Harrison Wilmsen (St. Louis, Mo.-Priory) went for 14 points and a team-high nine boards. Senior Hakim Williams (Round Lake, Ill.-Round Lake) was IWU's top distributor, dishing out a career-high 10 assists to go along with six points and six boards. 

Illinois Wesleyan shot 42.9 percent from the field in the game, connecting on 30-of-70 shot attempts. The Titans converted 10-of-38 three-pointers and 20-of-25 free throws. Wheaton finished 21-for-52 from the field, 10-of-31 from distance, and 16-for-22 at the charity stripe.

The Green and White posted leads in points off turnovers (22-12), second-chance scoring (31-9), bench scoring (27-8), points in the paint (38-14), and fastbreak scoring (17-2). The Titans dominated the glass, outrebounding the Thunder, 50-28. IWU also won the turnover tally, 15-10.

Three-point shooting lifted Wheaton to a five-point lead, 13-8, just over five minutes into the game, but free throws by Roper got IWU on track.

After Roper knocked down a pair at the line, sophomore Jackson Niego (Western Springs, Ill.-Lyons Township) swiped the ball and laid it in for two. Senior Trey Bazzell (Fairbury, Ill.-Prairie Central) followed with a jumper off another Thunder turnover to push IWU ahead, 14-13, with 13:11 to go in the half.

Wilmsen scored Illinois Wesleyan's next five points, drilling a three-pointer off an assist from freshman Josh Fridman (Northbrook, Ill.-Glenbrook North) and then two free throws to drive the home team ahead, 19-16.

Williams found Bazzell and Fridman for three-pointers on back-to-back trips down the floor to stretch the Titan lead to six, 27-21, with six and a half left in the period.

Junior Karlo Colak (Glencoe, Ill.-New Trier) knocked down a three-pointer to up the lead to double-digits, 40-30, before Funk's and-one sent IWU into the half leading, 43-35.

In the second half, Williams' jumper kicked off an IWU run. The senior floor general then found senior Marko Anderson (Park Ridge, Ill.-Maine South) for a layup and Niego for a triple to break the game open, 61-44, at the 14:46 mark. 

A dunk from Roper had the Shirk Center rocking as Illinois Wesleyan's lead grew to a game-high 26, before the Titans closed out a 90-68 win with a tip-in from freshman Alec Schmidts (Barrington, Ill.-Barrington).

Illinois Wesleyan finishes out a three-game homestand Wednesday night, Jan. 29, as host to Carroll University. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside the Shirk Center.

 
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