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Mason Funk NCAA Regional Championship cele
Kodiak Creative
75
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 24-5,12-4 CCIW
73
Saint John's (MN) SJU 25-4,15-1 MIAC
Winner
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
24-5,12-4 CCIW
75
Final
73
Saint John's (MN) SJU
25-4,15-1 MIAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 35 40 75
Saint John's (MN) SJU 34 39 73

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Colak’s Putback Powers Men’s Hoops into Sweet Sixteen

Colak hits go-ahead bucket with 0.3 seconds left

CHICAGO - The ninth-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team punched its ticket to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament for the first time since 2022 in a game for the ages. The game saw four lead changes in the final three minutes as the Titans (24-5) edged St. John's University (25-4), 75-73, Saturday night, March 8, at the Ratner Athletic Center on the campus of the University of Chicago.

In all, the game featured 12 ties and 17 lead changes, living up to the billing of a top-10 matchup. 

Junior Karlo Colak (Glencoe, Ill.-New Trier) put the Titans up five, 66-61, with 5:03 to play as he finished a driving layup, but the Johnnies cut it to two, 68-66, with 3:16 on the clock.

Illinois Wesleyan responded with free throws by senior Harrison Wilmsen (St. Louis, Mo.-Priory) to get it back to four-point cushion, 70-66. SJU blocked an IWU shot attempt moments later and cashed in with a turnaround jumper to make it a one-possession game as Ron Rose called a timeout with 1:50 on the clock.

The Johnnies hit a bucket out of the reset to move ahead by one, 71-70. The Titans forced a jump ball on a missed shot to regain possession with 59 seconds left and turned to senior Nick Roper (St. Louis, Mo.-MICDS). Roper drove and created enough space to elevate for a shot from the paint, drawing the foul on the make. A free throw pushed the Green and White in front, 73-71, with 47 seconds left, but the game was far from over.

St. John's took the ensuing inbounds the length of the floor, but the shot was met by the outstretched arm of Roper. A whistle marked Roper's fifth foul of the game as SJU went to the line trailing by two. 

The Johnnies took full advantage, knocking down both freebies, to level the score at 73 all with 33 seconds left. Ron Rose called a timeout to draw up a play with just over a full shot clock left. 

Coming out looking for the winning bucket, freshman Josh Fridman (Northbrook, Ill.-Glenbrook North) dribbled down the clock before taking off towards the right side of the lane and firing a shot. The attempt bounced off the iron and was pulled in by Colak, who fought through two defenders before sinking the putback with 0.3 seconds to play. The bucket sealed the win, 75-73.

The Green and White converted 28-of-61 shot attempts, while also knocking down 16-of-19 free throws with a 100 percent showing in the second half (12-for-12). 

The Titans dominated the stat lines, leading in points off turnovers (13-10), second chance points (22-12), bench points (27-19), and points in the paint (44-34). 

Wilmsen led the Titans with 17 points while also totaling four rebounds and went five-for-five at the free throw line. Colak was next with 16 points and senior Marko Anderson (Park Ridge, Ill.-Maine South) rounded out the Green and White's double-digit scorers with 10 while also recording three rebounds and a rejection. Senior Hakim Williams (Round Lake, Ill.-Round Lake) and Roper tied the team-lead six rebounds apiece, while Williams was also good for eight points, a pair of blocks, and two steals. Roper also scored eight points and two assists. 

Illinois Wesleyan will meet University of Wisconsin La-Crosse in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.
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