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Mason Funk floater vs. NPU
© AshtinElder
59
North Park NPU 10-4,3-2 CCIW
79
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 12-3,4-2 CCIW
North Park NPU
10-4,3-2 CCIW
59
Final
79
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
12-3,4-2 CCIW
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
North Park NPU 28 31 59
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 48 31 79

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men’s Hoops Bests North Park

Titans win sixth straight

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The No. 18 Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team never trailed in a 79-59 win over North Park University Saturday, Jan. 10, inside the Shirk Center. The Titans climb to 12-3 with the win and jump to 4-2 in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin action, while the Vikings slip to 10-4 on the season, 3-2 in league play.

Junior Mason Funk (Normal, Ill.-University High), who scored 14 points in the opening half, finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds. It was his sixth 20-point game of his career and marked his third double-double as a Titan. Sophomore Noah Cleveland (Normal, Ill.-Normal Community) added his 10th double-double of the season at 12 points and 10 rebounds, while senior Karlo Colak (Glencoe, Ill.-New Trier) poured in 15 points alongside seven boards. 

Despite cooling off in the second half, the Titans shot 49.1 percent for the game (27-for-55). The Green and White went for 12 three-pointers on 26 tries and hit 13-of-20 free throws. The Vikings were held in check as NPU finished 19-of-59 from the floor (32.2 percent) and 5-for-29 (17.2 percent) from distance. North Park made 22 trips to the line, converting 16.

IWU finished with a 40-37 edge on the glass, but in second-chance scoring finished even, 7-7. The home team tallied leads in points off turnovers (18-16) and points in the paint (26-22). NPU corralled the advantage in transition (16-11) and bench scoring (14-11).

Illinois Wesleyan rode a 12-3 run over five minutes to take control midway through the opening half. Funk began the spurt with a pull-up jumper and senior David Williams (Peoria, Ill.-Peoria Notre Dame) followed with a free throw. Cleveland stretched the lead to eight, 15-7, on a layup. After two NPU free throws, Nathan Boldt (Deer Park, Ill.-Barrington) found Brady Ruggles (Wheaton, Ill.-Danville) for a three-pointer and Funk drained back-to-back jumpers to give IWU a 22-10 cushion.

The Titans rattled off 13 straight points later in the period as David Williams and Cleveland each scored four, while Lawrence knocked down a three and Funk was pure on a jumper. Illinois Wesleyan claimed its largest lead of the first half, 40-15, with 4:20 to go.

Leading 48-28 out of the break, Illinois Wesleyan weathered a scoring drought and a second-half push by the Vikings. North Park came all the way back within 11, but triples from Lawrence and Colak quickly reclaimed a 15-point advantage for the home team, 68-53.

The Green and White kept the game in hand from that point on, using balanced scoring to sink the Vikings, 79-59.

Illinois Wesleyan returns to action following a midweek bye with a trip to Wheaton College Saturday, Jan. 17. Tipoff is on tap for 7:15 p.m. at King Arena. 

 
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