McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team secured a victory over Wheaton College on January 24, maintaining their lead in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin regular season race. The game, held at the Shirk Center, ended with a score of 73-64 in favor of the Titans. This win brings Illinois Wesleyan's record to 13-6 overall and 9-1 in conference play, while Wheaton falls to 4-15 for the season and 3-7 in league games.

Harrison Wilmsen led the Titans' scoring with 16 points. Ryan Sroka followed closely with 12 points, shooting five out of eight from the field. Nick Roper and Hakim Williams contributed 11 points each. Roper also achieved a double-double by securing ten rebounds. Luke Yoder provided seven assists, while Mason Funk set a personal best with three blocks.

Illinois Wesleyan improved its shooting accuracy significantly from the first half (37.9%) to the second half (55.6%). In contrast, Wheaton shot at a rate of 40% in the first half but dropped to 35.7% after halftime. The Titans also had advantages in several categories: bench points (16-10), fast break points (13-0), and points in the paint (36-12).

The game began with Illinois Wesleyan taking an early lead thanks to scores by Sroka and Roper. However, Wheaton responded with a strong run that put them ahead midway through the first half. Despite trailing at halftime, Illinois Wesleyan mounted a comeback during the second half, highlighted by an eight-point run that gave them their first lead.

A significant factor was another scoring surge later in the second half that extended their lead further. Although Wheaton narrowed it down to seven points towards the end, Illinois Wesleyan maintained control to secure their win.

Illinois Wesleyan will face Augustana College next on Saturday at home inside Shirk Center as part of a doubleheader event featuring both men's and women's teams.