McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team faced a setback in their College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin opener, losing 77-68 to Carthage College. The game took place on December 4 at the Shirk Center in Bloomington, Illinois. This defeat ended IWU's six-game winning streak, leaving them with a record of 6-1 overall and 0-1 in conference play. Meanwhile, Carthage improved to 5-2 and secured their first CCIW win.

Senior Nick Roper from St. Louis led the Titans with an impressive performance, scoring 24 points alongside five rebounds, two steals, and an assist. Freshman Josh Fridman from Northbrook also contributed significantly by scoring 13 points while maintaining a perfect shooting percentage.

Defensively, senior Hakim Williams from Round Lake recorded six steals and two blocks for the Titans. Despite these efforts, Carthage dominated several statistical categories including field goal percentages (42.1% compared to IWU's 32.8%), rebounds (45-39), and assists (13-8). However, IWU outperformed in steals (11-8) and blocks (5-0), with their bench contributing 29 points against Carthage's 16.

Carthage started strong with an early lead of 8-0 before Roper scored for the Titans with a layup. A series of plays brought Illinois Wesleyan close to taking control; however, they trailed by one point at halftime with a score of 35-34.

In the second half, both teams exchanged leads until Carthage pulled ahead five minutes into the period. Despite multiple attempts by Illinois Wesleyan to close the gap, they ultimately fell short.

Looking ahead, Illinois Wesleyan will travel to Waukesha for their next conference game against Carroll University on December 7 at Van Male Fieldhouse. The match is scheduled for a tipoff at 4:15 p.m., following the women's game at 2 p.m.