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Men's Basketball Sikma Hall of Fame Invite Champions 2025
68
Wis.-Oshkosh UWO 2-1,0-0 WIAC
75
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 2-0,0-0 CCIW
Wis.-Oshkosh UWO
2-1,0-0 WIAC
68
Final
75
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
2-0,0-0 CCIW
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Wis.-Oshkosh UWO 31 37 68
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 33 42 75

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men’s Hoops Tops UW-Oshkosh for Sikma Title

Cleveland & Funk named to all-tournament team

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The No. 16 Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team won its third Sikma Hall of Fame Invitational Championship Saturday, Nov. 15, in a 75-68 win over the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh inside the Shirk Center. Illinois Wesleyan remains unbeaten, 2-0, on the season, while UW-Oshkosh falls to 2-1. 

Sophomore Noah Cleveland (Normal, Ill.-Normal Community) was named the tournament's most valuable player following his second double-double performance in as many games, posting team-highs of 16 points and 14 rebounds. Junior Mason Funk (Normal, Ill.-University High) joined him on the all-tournament team, matching a team-high 16 points. Sophomore Josh Fridman (Northbrook, Ill.-Glenbrook North) was close behind with 15 points behind a perfect nine-of-nine performance from the charity stripe. 

Senior Karlo Colak (Glencoe, Ill.-New Trier) led Illinois Wesleyan in helpers with six, headlining the Green and White advantage in assists (15-11). IWU also led in points in the paint (40-20), with UWO grabbing leads in points off turnovers (20-5), second-chance scoring (17-2) and bench scoring (28-17). 

IWU shot 44.4 percent from the field, going 24-for-54, but hit just 3-of-18 three-point tries. The home team went 24-for-35 at the free throw line. Defensively, the Green and White stymied UWO to a 28.4 field goal percentage (21-of-74) and an 11-of-43 effort from beyond the arc (25.6 percent). UW-Oshkosh knocked down 15-of-23 free throws.

Three-pointers by the visitors kept the game tight before Colak's floater sparked a nine-point scoring run. After Cleveland converted from the charity stripe, Colak found junior Jackson Niego (Western Springs, Ill.-Lyons Township) for a wing triple to stretch the lead to six, 19-13. 

UWO battled back within two, 25-23, to force an IWU timeout before staking a 26-25 edge late in the opening half. 

Colak glided to the basket for a bucket and hit the and-one to reclaim a three-point, 31-28, edge. UW-Oshkosh responded with a three-ball, but Funk converted a layup before the break to send IWU to the locker room with a 33-31 advantage.

Funk kept the home team in front with a strong start to the second period. After an and-one off a Cleveland assist, Funk came through with his signature finger roll. IWU's run continued with a fastbreak bucket by junior Brady Kuehl (St. Louis, Mo.-Parkway West) off a Neigo assist to force a UWO timeout at the 16:12 mark with the Green and White leading, 44-36.

Colak found junior Brady Ruggles (Wheaton, Ill.-Danville) for a three-pointer in front of the IWU bench to give the home team its largest lead of the night, 50-39 with 13:41 to play.

UW-Oshkosh trimmed the Illinois Wesleyan lead to three with 6:32 remaining, but free throws from Fridman gave the home team a seven-point cushion. 

The Green and White withstood one more push from UWO behind free throws from Fridman, senior David Williams (Peoria, Ill.-Peoria Notre Dame), and Colak to secure the victory and the tournament title.

Illinois Wesleyan will remain at home for a midweek clash with the University of Chicago Wednesday night, Nov. 19. The game, which is set for a 7 p.m. tipoff, will see four-year IWU letterwinner and two-time All-CCIW pick Nick Roper return to the Shirk Center as a graduate student for the Maroons. Coincidentally, the game will take place on Bob Quillman's birthday.


 

 
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