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Karlo Colak
© AshtinElder
57
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 6-2,1-1 CCIW
68
Winner North Central (IL) NCC 2-4,1-1 CCIW
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
6-2,1-1 CCIW
57
Final
68
North Central (IL) NCC
2-4,1-1 CCIW
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 33 24 57
North Central (IL) NCC 29 39 68

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men’s Hoops Slowed at North Central

Titans held to season-low 24 points in second half

NAPERVILLE, Ill. - The 10th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team stumbled on the road at North Central College Saturday, Dec. 6, as the Titans (6-2, 1-1 CCIW) dropped the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin contest, 68-57. The Cardinals upped their record to 2-4 overall (1-1 CCIW) with the win.

Sophomore Noah Cleveland (Normal, Ill.-Normal Community) and junior Mason Funk (Normal, Ill.-University High) each finished in double figures. Cleveland led IWU with 18 points and 10 rebounds along with three blocks, three assists, and two steals. Cleveland was whistled for just one foul and went 8-for-8 at the free throw line as well as 5-for-10 from the floor. Funk, who also went 5-of-10 from the field, scored 11 points. He added five boards, three blocks, and two swipes. Senior Karlo Colak (Glencoe, Ill.-New Trier) added a near double-double with eight points and nine boards, while junior Jackson Niego (Western Springs, Ill.-Lyons Township) dished out a game-high seven assists.

In a defensive battle that saw both teams held below 35 percent shooting for the contest, the Cardinals used 10 three-pointers to down the Titans. IWU shot 34.5 percent from the floor (20-of-58) and knocked down 4-of-26 attempts from long distance. The Green and White finished 13-for-18 at the free throw line. Meanwhile, NCC was limited to 18-for-61 shooting on the night. The Cardinals made the most of their effort from beyond the arc, knocking down 10-of-25 three-point tries and used a 22-for-28 showing at the stripe to overcome the nationally-ranked Titans. 

Illinois Wesleyan finished with leads in rebounding (44-39), blocks (9-2), points in the paint (22-8), and fastbreak scoring (13-5). North Central notched leads in bench points (28-11), second-chance scoring (15-8), and points off turnovers (22-8).

After leading by as many as 13 in the first half, a dunk from Cleveland and a jumper from Funk put the Green and White in front, 37-29, with 17:34 left in the game. 

The Titans were held scoreless for nearly four minutes before a free throw from junior Casen Lawrence (St. Louis, Mo.-Westminster Christian) maintained a 40-37 IWU lead, but North Central ripped off a run to seize control, 51-46, with 7:45 left on the clock. 

Colak knocked down a jumper around the 6:15 mark, but another Illinois Wesleyan scoring drought paired with back-to-back NCC triples turned the tables. Tre Davis' three-pointer pushed the Cardinals ahead by nine with just over four minutes to play. 

The Green and White's slow offensive night persisted as Illinois Wesleyan's only production for the remainder of the game came from four Cleveland free throws and five points from junior Brady Ruggles (Wheaton, Ill.-Danville). North Central stretched its lead to as many as 14 before IWU fell, 68-57.

Illinois Wesleyan dips back into action Saturday, Dec. 13, following the conclusion of final exams. The Titans travel to R.A. Faganel Hall for a bout with Elmhurst University. Tipoff is set for 4:15 p.m. and will be the back end of a doubleheader with the IWU women's basketball team.
 
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