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Karlo Colak driving vs. North Park
Jimmy Naprstek/Kodiak Creative
70
North Park NPU 16-11,8-8 CCIW
80
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 22-4,13-3 CCIW
North Park NPU
16-11,8-8 CCIW
70
Final
80
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
22-4,13-3 CCIW
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
North Park NPU 29 41 70
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 35 45 80

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men’s Hoops Moves on to CCIW Title Game

Titans down North Park, 80-70

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - A career-night from senior Karlo Colak (Glencoe, Ill.-New Trier) pushed the top-seeded Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team into the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Tournament Championship game as the No. 12 Titans (22-4) turned away fourth-seeded North Park University, 80-70, Friday night, Feb. 27, inside the Shirk Center. 

Colak went off for a career-high 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting, going a perfect 5-for-5 at the charity stripe. The senior pulled in five rebounds and dished out three assists. Joining him in double-figures was the junior duo of Mason Funk (Normal, Ill.-University High) and Casen Lawrence (St. Louis, Mo.-Westminster Christian Academy). Funk notched 13 points and a team-high three blocks, while Lawrence tacked on 15 points with a team-leading three steals.

The Green and White made 28-of-53 shot attempts, shooting 52.8 percent for the night. IWU was good on seven three-pointers, with Lawrence knocking down four himself. Illinois Wesleyan was strong from the free throw line, going 17-of-24 (70.8 percent). North Park (16-11) drained 9-of-21 three-point attempts to stay within striking distance, while finishing 20-for-50 overall (40 percent). NPU was incredible from the stripe, making 21-of-22.

The Titans rejected eight shots on the night, moving within one of the all-time single-season record set by the 1987-88 squad. IWU now has 172 on the year. 

IWU pieced together advantages in points in the paint (36-18), second-chance scoring (4-3), and bench scoring (18-7). NPU led in fastbreak points (14-6), while each team tallied 18 points off turnovers. The Titans won the turnover battle, 17-15, but the Vikings had the edge on the glass, 30-29.

Illinois Wesleyan struggled to find a rhythm as North Park pieced together a 13-4 run over a three and a half minute span to seize control, 19-11, with 11:30 to play in the first half. The run saw the Vikings go 3-for-4 from the field, with one three-pointer alongside six free throws.

After a much needed three-pointer out of the hands of Lawrence, Colak cashed in on a pass from sophomore Anthony Kemp (Bourbonnais, Ill.-Bradley-Bourbonnais) before knocking down a triple off an assist from junior Jackson Niego (Western Springs, Ill.-Lyons Township) to level the score at 19 all.

NPU scored on back-to-back possessions to climb back ahead, but Colak found senior Nathan Boldt (Deer Park, Ill.-Barrington) for a three-ball to cut the deficit to two, 24-22, with six minutes left to play in the opening half. IWU's defense came through with a stop, and Lawrence buried a three on the ensuing possession, making it a one point lead for the home team, 25-24. 

Up one, Lawrence bated North Park on a wing three, and buried all three attempts from the charity stripe. The freebies put the Green and White up four, 30-26, with 2:32 remaining in the first half. Illinois Wesleyan would stay in front the rest of the half, as a tough layup by senior David Williams (Peoria, Ill.-Peoria Notre Dame) with three seconds on the clock put the home team up 35-29.

Three-pointers kept the Vikings within striking distance early in the second half. A triple banked in off the glass made it a three-point game, 38-35, with 18:16 to go, but the Titans responded to break the game open. Lawrence slipped a heady pass to junior Brady Kuehl (St. Louis, Mo.-Parkway West) and Funk followed with back-to-back buckets. After hitting his signature roll to the basket, Funk knocked a deep three-ball for a 45-37 IWU lead.

Lawrence, Kemp, Colak, and Funk scored over the next few minutes to push the lead to double-digits, 59-48, but NPU connected on a contested three-pointer to bring about a timeout with 9:19 to go. 

Leading by eight out of the reset, Colak knocked down free throws before sinking a putback to extend the cushion to a dozen, 63-51.

Illinois Wesleyan racked up a series of blocks to keep North Park off balance and put an end to the Vikings' championship pursuit. 

The Titans will face off against third-seeded Elmhurst University tomorrow, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. inside the Shirk Center. 


 
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