McLean County Times

In Bloomington, Illinois, the 16th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team claimed victory in their season opener against No. 24 California Lutheran University with a score of 93-81. This match was part of the 2024 Sikma Hall of Fame Invitational held at the Shirk Center on Friday night, November 8. The Titans, now holding a record of 1-0, will advance to the championship game scheduled for tomorrow. Meanwhile, the Kingsmen will compete in the consolation game at 5 p.m.

The Titans showcased a balanced scoring effort with six players reaching double figures. Senior Hakim Williams from Round Lake led the team by matching his career-high with 17 points. Junior Karlo Colak and sophomore Jackson Niego contributed career-best scores of 13 and 12 points respectively. Sophomore Mason Funk tied his career-high with an additional 11 points. Senior Trey Bazzell added 14 points while senior Harrison Wilmsen scored 10 points and achieved a career-best nine rebounds.

Seniors Nick Roper and Marko Anderson each added eight points to the team's tally.

Illinois Wesleyan demonstrated impressive shooting skills by achieving a field goal percentage of 56.7 percent (34-for-60) and making eight out of fourteen three-point attempts. Cal Lu managed to convert only 40.6 percent of its shots (26-for-64), including nine successful three-pointers out of thirty-two attempts.

The Titans capitalized on turnovers and dominated in several areas such as points off turnovers (29-23), points in the paint (52-30), fastbreak scoring (15-3), and bench scoring (35-24).

California Lutheran started strong by securing the first seven points before Mason Funk's three-pointer reduced their lead to four at the beginning of the game. Despite early turnovers that allowed Cal Lu to lead briefly, Illinois Wesleyan regained momentum through strategic plays involving key players like Williams, Colak, Wilmsen, Anderson, and Bazzell.

Heading into halftime with a significant lead after several successful plays, Illinois Wesleyan maintained control throughout most of the second half until they secured their win.

The Titans are set to face either second-ranked University of Wisconsin-Platteville or No.9 Calvin University in tomorrow’s game at 7 p.m.