Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content
Waukesha, WI - December 07 - NCAA Men's Basketball - #5 Illinois Wesleyan at Carroll (Photo by Jimmy Naprstek/Kodiak Creative)
Kodiak Creative
74
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 18-4,10-3 CCIW
85
Winner Carthage CARTH 16-5,10-2 CCIW
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
18-4,10-3 CCIW
74
Final
85
Carthage CARTH
16-5,10-2 CCIW
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 38 36 74
Carthage CARTH 40 45 85

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men’s Hoops Falters at Carthage

Titans stumble to 18-4, 10-3 in CCIW

KENOSHA, Wis. - The second-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team could not keep pace with Carthage College Saturday evening, Feb. 8, at Tarble Arena. The Titans were handed their second straight loss and fell to 18-3 (10-3 CCIW). Carthage climbed into sole possession of first in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin standings at 10-2 alongside a 16-6 overall record.

Four players scored in double figures with senior Harrison Wilmsen (St. Louis, Mo.-Priory) leading the charge with 18 points. Seniors Nick Roper (St. Louis, Mo.-MICDS) and Hakim Williams (Round Lake, Ill.-Round Lake) tallied 15 and 11, respectively. Sophomore Mason Funk (Normal, Ill.-University High) registered 10 points. 

Roper was IWU's top rebounder, completing a double-double with 11 rebounds. Wilmsen followed with eight and junior Karlo Colak (Glencoe, Ill.-New Trier) finished with nine points and seven rebounds. 

Illinois Wesleyan compiled a field goal percentage of 41.5 percent, and went 8-for-25 (32 percent) from beyond the arc. The Titans made 12-of-21 free throw attempts. Carthage shot at higher clips across all three categories posting percentages of 46.7, 34.8, and 80.8. 

IWU pulled in 42 rebounds to Carthage's 34, but finished with just a 9-6 edge in second-chance scoring. The Firebirds tallied leads in points off turnovers (13-5) and won the turnover battle, 11-6. Carthage also led in fastbreak scoring (10-7), while Illinois Wesleyan had the upperhand in points in the paint (34-24) and bench scoring (13-11).

The Green and White struck first as Roper hit a layup, but the Firebirds jolted out to a 14-8 advantage with 12:34 left in the first half. 

Colak's free throw sparked a five-point Titan run as Roper and Wilmsen followed with buckets to pull within one, 14-13, but a three-ball pushed the difference back to four. 

IWU responded though as Roper kicked to Fridman for a corner three. A minute later, Funk splashed in a triple off a pass from senior Trey Bazzell (Fairbury, Ill.-Prairie Central) to knot the game at 19 all.

After a triple from Williams tied the game, Colak hit a floater to lift IWU to a 27-25 advantage into a Carthage timeout with 5:38 to go in the half.

The two teams traded buckets for the next few minutes as a pair of free throws from Williams held the two-point advantage in favor of the Titans with 2:36 on the clock. The Firebirds used a 7-1 run to reclaim the lead, but freshman Josh Fridman (Northbrook, Ill.-Glenbrook North) finished a crafty reverse layup to cut Carthage's lead to two, 40-38, at halftime.
Just 12 seconds into the second half, Funk converted a jumper to tie the score at 40, but the Firebirds regained control, 47-40, behind seven straight points. 

Williams ended a two-minute scoring drought with a layup off the dish from sophomore Jackson Niego (Western Springs, Ill.-Lyons Township) and Wilmsen drilled a triple to kickstart a 11-3 run. After a Carthage three-ball, Colak hit another floater. Free throws from Williams, Niego, and senior Marko Anderson (Park Ridge, Ill.-Maine South) had the Titans back within one, 60-59, as the under-eight media.

An 11-point run spanning nearly two and half minutes allowed the Firebirds to seize control and drive ahead 14 as the clock approached a minute. Wilmsen and Roper hit three-pointers late, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit.

The Titans are back in action at home in one week as they play host to Millikin University Saturday, Feb. 15, for Senior Day. Tipoff is set for 4:15 p.m.
 

 
Print Friendly Version