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2025 Men's Basketball CCIW Tournament Champions
© AshtinElder
79
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 22-5,12-4 CCIW
60
Carthage CARTH 21-6,14-2 CCIW
Winner
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
22-5,12-4 CCIW
79
Final
60
Carthage CARTH
21-6,14-2 CCIW
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 37 42 79
Carthage CARTH 27 33 60

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men’s Basketball Hoists CCIW Tournament Crown

First CCIW Tournament Championship in program history

KENOSHA, Wis. - The 16th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team secured the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Tournament Championship for the first time in program history Saturday night, March 1, with a nearly wire-to-wire win over top-seeded Carthage College inside Tarble Arena. The Titans boosted their record to 22-5 and earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Firebirds saw a seven-game win streak snapped as their record slid to 21-6.

The tournament championship is IWU's first traditional title since the conference began holding one in 2003. The Titans won the 2021 bracket to earn the CCIW Regular Season Championship, where all nine teams participated in it due to COVID-19.

Illinois Wesleyan was led by senior Nick Roper's (St. Louis, Mo.-MICDS) 27-point showing. The senior went 11-for-16 from the floor and 3-of-4 from deep. Sophomore Mason Funk (Normal, Ill.-University High) and junior Karlo Colak (Glencoe, Ill.-New Trier) each added 12 points to round out the double-digit scorers for the Titans. Roper, senior Hakim Williams (Round Lake, Ill.-Round Lake), and freshman Josh Fridman (Northbrook, Ill.-Glenbard North) dished out two assists apiece. 

Funk narrowly missed a double-double performance, as he finished with a team-high nine rebounds, and added a team-leading two blocks. Junior Nathan Boldt (Deer Park, Ill.-Barrington) grabbed a career-best eight boards, and Roper finished with seven. 

The Titans finished with a 29-of-58 (50-percent) showing on the court, and made seven of their 15 three-point attempts, shooting 46.7-percent from deep. IWU also sank 14 of its 16 free throw attempts (87.5 percent). In another lockdown defensive performance, the Green and White limited the Firebirds to a 18-of-57 (31.6-percent) night, going just 7-of-28 (25-percent) from deep, and 17-of-22 (77.3-percent) from the charity stripe. 

Funk cracked the scoreboard first for the Titans, as he made a layup 15 seconds into the contest to take an early, 2-0, lead. Carthage responded with a bucket of its own, but it would be the only time the game was tied, as Illinois Wesleyan seized control and never relinquished it.

Just under the halfway mark in the opening half, Roper sent a pass to Colak, who drained a three to put IWU ahead, 20-13, with 9:24 on the clock. Carthage hit its free throw in response, but Funk tracked the second attempt down, giving the Green and White possession. Senior Marko Anderson (Park Ridge, Ill.-Maine South) tipped in an offensive board. Roper quickly followed with a jumper of his own, sending IWU ahead 24-14 at the 7:43 mark.

The Titan defense held Carthage scoreless for two and a half minutes, and capitalized on buckets from Williams, and three points from Boldt via a fast-break layup and a free throw, to go ahead 31-18 late in the first half. The Firebirds managed to cut the deficit to 10, as AJ Johnson made two free throws to end the half at 37-27 in favor of Illinois Wesleyan.

Opening the second half, Fridman snagged an offensive rebound and found Roper for a layup. Senior Harrison Wilmsen (St. Louis, Mo.-Priory) scored on the Titans' next possession, as he hit a layup in after grabbing an IWU miss, sending the Titans ahead 41-27 with 18:22 remaining in the title game. 

With 14:55 on the clock, the Titans scored the next seven points to go ahead 21 and never looked back.

Illinois Wesleyan now looks ahead to the NCAA Division III selection show set for Monday, March 3, at 12 p.m. ET. The show will air on ncaa.com.


 
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