BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - For the first time since its historic 2021 trip, the Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team will return to New York City over winter break for a pair of games at Yeshiva University, Dec. 29-31. The Titans will face the Maccabees Monday, Dec. 29, at 7:30 p.m. ET before tangling with Hamilton Wednesday, Dec. 31, at noon ET. Both games will take place inside the Max Stern Athletic Center on the campus of YU.
    Illinois Wesleyan makes the 899-mile trip carrying a 7-3 standing. The Titans most recently bounced back from a pair of losses with a crucial, 78-76, win at No. 4 WashU, Dec. 18. The Macs, which have seen an up and down start to the year, find themselves at 3-6 on the year. Yeshiva has won its past two outings including a, 79-67, win against Manhattanville University, Dec. 13. Hamilton has its eyes set on snapping a seven-game skid when it battles IWU on New Year's Eve. The Continentals hold a 2-8 overall record.
    Both games will be live streamed on the Macs Live. Eric Stock accompanied by Bob Quillman will have an audio only broadcast of the action that will simulcast to WESN and the CCIW Network, while live stats will also be available. Links can be found on the men's basketball page of iwusports.com.

BEAR DOWN: In the 46th all-time meeting between IWU and WashU, the visiting Titans secured a 78-76 win. A buzzer-beating tip-in by Mason Funk lifted Illinois Wesleyan to the victory as IWU improved to 26-20 in the series all-time. It is the third straight win over the Bears dating back to Nov. 22, 2023 and marks the Titans' longest win streak against WashU since controlling nine in-a-row from 1990 to 2000.

BACK TO THE MSAC: Illinois Wesleyan will travel to the Max Stern Athletic Center for just the second time in program history this winter break. IWU's first trip to Yeshiva's home arena proved to be a historic one as the Titans snapped the No. 1 ranked Macs' 50-game win streak, 73-59, Dec. 30, 2021 in front of a packed house. D3hoops.com contributor Ryan Scott recapped the high-profile game along with its greater impact as part of Around the Nation. The story can be read here.

BIG APPLE FOES: The Green and White have an undefeated record against its NYC opponents as IWU holds 3-0 mark against Yeshiva and Hamilton all-time. Illinois Wesleyan is 2-0 against YU, winning once in New York and another in Bloomington. The Titans are 1-0 against Hamilton.
    IWU won the inaugural meeting with Yeshiva, 73-59, in New York Dec. 30, 2021. More recently, the Titans downed the Macs, 76-71, in the 2022 Sikma Hall of Fame Invitational, Nov. 12.  The first bout saw Matthew Leritz go for 14 points and a program-record 25 rebounds as one of five double-digit scorers for the Green and White. Harrison Wilmsen's 19-point, seven-rebound showing powered the Titans to a five-point win inside the Shirk Center a year a later. Wilmsen's seven rebounds, which tied for the team-high alongside Ryan Sroka and Cody Mitchell, led to a 44-23 lead in rebounding.
    Illinois Wesleyan's lone meeting with Hamilton came as part of the 25th annual Lopata Classic hosted by WashU in St. Louis, Mo. Leading 38-25 at the break, IWU never looked back in a 70-55 triumph. Sean Johnson paced the Titans with 16 points, while Jordan Zimmer and John Koschnitzky added 15 and 14 points, respectively.

CLEVELAND ROCKS: Sophomore Noah Cleveland erupted for a career-high 36 points on 13-of-20 shooting in a thrilling come-from-behind win at No. 4 WashU in the latest chapter of the greatest non-conference rivalry in D3hoops, Dec. 18. Cleveland collected his sixth double-double of the season as he rounded out his stat line with 12 boards, one block, and one assist.
    His 36-point effort marks the second 30-point game by a Titan this season and is the highest scoring game since Bryce Dolan put up 37 versus Ohio Wesleyan Nov. 18, 2015. Cleveland's performance came 15 days after Mason Funk put up 35 points at Carthage, Dec 3. Prior to this season, IWU saw a 720-day gap between 30-point games by different Titans. Brady Rose, who posted 30+ points several times throughout his career, notched his first Nov. 17, 2017 with 35 points in a win against Alma. His point total marked IWU's first 30-point game since Dolan's 37 two season prior.
    Furthermore, it marks the first time two different Titans have notched 30-point games in the same season since the 2010-11 campaign. Sean Johnson put up 34 points in an 83-70 win over Dominican, Nov. 27, 2010 and Doug Sexauer later posted two 30+ point showings in OT in conference play. He scored 34 in a 103-94 double-overtime triumph against Carthage Jan. 29, 2011 and then scored 32 in a 78-76 OT loss at Wheaton Feb. 12, 2011.

JAXED UP: Jackson Niego has started each of the past four games at point guard for the Green and White. Since assuming the role as IWU's starting floor general to begin December, Niego has led the team with an average of 35.1 minutes per game played. He has put up 6.3 points, 5.0 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per content over four games.
    Moreover, Niego has served as a steady hand with 34 assists to 6 turnovers. His 5.67 assist-to-turnover ratio leads the CCIW and is FOURTH-best across Division III.

BUCKET, DENIED!: The Titans have made it hard on opponents to score this season as IWU is limiting opponents to 66.3 points per game, good for 42nd-best across Division III. Illinois Wesleyan's stingy defense has come behind the most blocks per game (7.1) and the 10th-best field goal percentage defense (37.2) in the country.
    Individually, Noah Cleveland leads the CCIW and is 15th nationally with 23 blocks. Mason Funk is second in the league, 34th nationally, with 18 rejections, while Brady Kuehl's 11 swats are fourth-most in the CCIW (142nd nationally).

KEYS TO VICTORY: Through 10 games, IWU has established several keys to victory. Illinois Wesleyan is 7-0 when scoring 60+ points, and also boasts a 2-0 mark when limiting opponents to no more than 59 points. Additionally, the Green and White is 5-1 when taking a lead into the half compared to 2-2 when trailing or tied at the break.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS: With 10 collegiate games under his belt, sophomore Noah Cleveland has established himself as one of the great bigs in NCAA Division III this season. The Normal, Ill. product leads the team in both scoring and rebounding with his averaged of 18.6 points and 11.4 rebounds per contest. He is shooting 59.8 percent from the field on the year and has added a team-high 23 blocks with 17 steals and 11 assists.
    Nationally, Cleveland is eighth with six double-doubles, while he is also top-15 in rebounds (11th - 11.4 rpg), blocks (15th - 22), and total rebounds (11th - 114).

BENCH BOSS: In his 20th season leading his alma mater, Ron Rose has compiled a 356-167 overall record. His career mark includes 188 CCIW wins, the most of any active CCIW head coach.
    The Titans won the 2013, 2014, 2022, and 2024 CCIW titles outright and shared the 2018 regular season championship with Augustana. Illinois Wesleyan claimed the 2021 CCIW Championship in a COVID-shortened season as well as the 2025 CCIW Tournament title.

ON THE HORIZON: With non-conference play in the rearview mirror, the Titans will turn their attention to 13 straight CCIW contests. The first of the string comes Saturday, Jan. 3, as Carroll University visits the Shirk Center for a 4:15 p.m. tipoff.