McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team is set to face Wheaton College in a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin matchup at the Shirk Center in Bloomington, Illinois. The game will take place on Wednesday, January 24, with a scheduled tipoff at 7 p.m.

Currently leading the CCIW standings, the Titans hold a 12-6 overall record and an 8-1 mark in conference play. Their latest victory was an 86-72 win against Carroll University on January 20. Wheaton College has struggled this season with a 4-14 record and is 3-6 in league games, having recently lost to North Central College, 61-47.

Fans can access live streams and stats for the game through links available on the men's basketball schedule page of iwusports.com. Eric Stock and Joel Swanson will provide commentary for the match.

Historically, Illinois Wesleyan leads the all-time series against Wheaton with an 86-53 advantage since their first meeting in the 1946-47 season. Despite this lead, Wheaton has won eight of their last twelve encounters. In their most recent clash on January 17, Illinois Wesleyan narrowly defeated Wheaton with a final score of 78-77 thanks to Luke Yoder's decisive shot.

Harrison Wilmsen played a pivotal role in that game by scoring a career-high of 21 points. This season, when Wilmsen scores over 15 points, IWU boasts a strong record of 6-1. Over his career, they are 9-1 under similar circumstances.

The Shirk Center has been a formidable venue for the Titans' home games with a winning percentage of .821 from more than 650 games hosted there.

Illinois Wesleyan's defense ranks among the top in Division III basketball this season, limiting opponents to just under a field goal percentage of 39% and conceding only about 65 points per game.

Ball control has been crucial for IWU's success; they have achieved a record of 9-1 when committing fewer than fifteen turnovers but fall to a record of three wins against five losses when exceeding that number.

Looking ahead, Illinois Wesleyan will host Augustana College on January 27 as part of their annual PinkZone event at the Shirk Center.