McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team secured a comeback victory against the University of Chicago, overcoming a significant deficit to win 80-74. The game took place at the Ratner Athletic Complex on Wednesday evening, November 27.

Illinois Wesleyan, ranked fourth and holding a record of 6-0, trailed by as many as 16 points before turning the tide in the second half. The Titans' bench played a crucial role, outscoring Chicago's bench 37-14. Senior players Trey Bazzell and Marko Anderson each contributed 12 points from the bench, while freshman Josh Fridman added 11 points and led with four assists.

Senior Nick Roper was the top scorer for Illinois Wesleyan with 18 points, achieving a near-perfect performance from the free throw line with nine successful attempts out of ten. Harrison Wilmsen also made significant contributions with 14 points.

The Titans managed to maintain a slight edge in scoring within the paint but faced challenges with turnovers and fast-break opportunities where Chicago held advantages. Both teams ended up committing an equal number of turnovers, totaling fifteen each.

In terms of shooting accuracy, Illinois Wesleyan finished at 51 percent from the field and made eight out of twenty three-point attempts. Meanwhile, Chicago shot slightly lower at 47.1 percent from the field.

A slow start saw Illinois Wesleyan falling behind quickly as Chicago established an early lead of 14-0 within the first four minutes. However, Illinois Wesleyan found momentum through its bench players who sparked an eventual comeback.

Fridman's assist to Bazzell marked Illinois Wesleyan's first score of the game and initiated their fight back into contention. Despite trailing by double digits in the first half, they managed to close it with only a two-point deficit at halftime after capitalizing on a technical foul called on Chicago's head coach Mike McGrath.

The second half witnessed an immediate impact as Roper tied the game with an emphatic dunk right off the bat. A seesaw battle ensued until both teams were tied again at 65-all with just over five minutes remaining.

Illinois Wesleyan then executed an important eight-point run which proved decisive in establishing their lead for good towards the end stages of play despite Chicago's late attempts to rally back into contention through three-pointers and offensive rebounds.

Free throws by Roper helped seal their seven-point advantage in closing moments ensuring their sixth consecutive win this season ahead of facing Carthage College next week when they begin conference play at home on December 4th.