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Trey Bazzell shooting vs. NPU 02.19.25
ASHTIN ELDER PHOTO
81
North Park NPU 14-11,9-7 CCIW
87
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 20-4,12-3 CCIW
North Park NPU
14-11,9-7 CCIW
81
Final
87
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
20-4,12-3 CCIW
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
North Park NPU 46 35 81
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 50 37 87

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men’s Hoops Wins Shootout with North Park

Five Titans score in double figures

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The 11th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team closed out the home portion of its 2024-25 regular season slate with an 87-81 win inside the Shirk Center over North Park University Wednesday night, Feb. 19. The Titans advance to 20-4 on the season and 12-3 in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin with the win, while the Vikings fall to 14-11 (9-7 CCIW).

Seniors Harrison Wilmsen (St. Louis, Mo.-Priory), Trey Bazzell (Fairbury, Ill.-Prairie Central), and Nick Roper (St. Louis, Mo.-MICDS) led the Titans. Wilmsen went for a team-high 17 points and also paced the team with seven rebounds, while Bazzell popped off for 16 points behind four three-pointers. Roper posted 12 points, including a highlight-worthy dunk, alongside four rebounds and a career-high seven assists. Sophomore Mason Funk (Normal, Ill.-University High) and freshman Josh Fridman (Northbrook, Ill.-Glenbard North) contributed 10 points apiece. Funk was credited with team-highs of three steals and two blocks.

The Titans and Vikings found themselves in a shootout as both teams finished above 50 percent from the field. IWU went 32-for-63 overall (50.8 percent) and 10-for-27 from three-point range (37 percent), while finishing 13-of-17 at the free throw line. North Park converted 32-of-61 shot attempts (52.5 percent) and went 8-for-24 beyond the arc (33.3 percent). NPU went 9-of-10 at the charity stripe.

North Park used a seven-point run to regain the lead midway through the first half, but Bazzell broke up the momentum with a three-ball to pull Illinois Wesleyan within four, 17-13.

Roper found senior Hakim Williams (Round Lake, Ill.-Round Lake) for a layup before continuing to feed the hot-handed Bazzell for his third three-pointer of the game to lift IWU to a 20-18 advantage.

NPU came back for a one-point lead but it was Fridman who knocked down back-to-back three's to make it 30-27 in favor of IWU. Powered by three-balls by Bazzell and sophomore Jackson Niego (Western Springs, Ill.-Lyons Township), the Titans used an 8-2 run to charge ahead, 40-33. 

With under five to play in the half, Funk dished to junior Karlo Colak (Glencoe, Ill.-New Trier) on a fastbreak to maintain a seven-point cushion, 42-35. North Park made a strong push to close the half with IWU leading, 50-46.

Layups from Roper and Fridman extended the Titan lead to double-digits, 58-48, before Bazzell found Funk for a triple to force an NPU timeout with the Illinois Wesleyan up, 65-52.

The Shirk Center erupted as Williams blocked a fastbreak layup attempt by the Vikings and the Titans cashed in for a highlight-worthy baseline dunk with 12:17 to go.

The Vikings put together one last comeback attempt, pulling within six with 1:41 to play. North Park used its press to draw within four with less than 30 seconds left, but Fridman closed out the game with a pair from the free throw line to finish off the 87-81 win.

Illinois Wesleyan will close out its regular season schedule on Saturday, Feb. 22 in Rock Island, Ill. as they take on Augustana College and will serve as the latter half of a doubleheader with the IWU women's basketball team.
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