McLean County Times

A strong second half led the Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team to a 77-60 win over Millikin University. The game took place at the Griswold Center in Decatur, Illinois, on January 15. With this victory, the Titans improved their season record to 14-2 and 6-1 in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) play. Meanwhile, Millikin University fell to 9-6 overall and 3-3 in the league.

Illinois Wesleyan shot 44.3 percent from the field, converting 27 of their 61 attempts. They also made ten out of twenty-seven three-point shots and had a free throw success rate of 65 percent with thirteen out of twenty made. In contrast, Millikin achieved a shooting percentage of 47.1 with twenty-four successful shots out of fifty-one attempts. They made six out of seventeen three-pointers and converted six out of nine free throws.

The Titans dominated the boards with a rebound advantage of 39-25, including a significant edge in offensive rebounds at 13-3, which contributed to a lead in second-chance points by sixteen to five. Additionally, they excelled in points scored in the paint (34-24), fastbreak points (16-3), and forced turnovers leading to points (22-6). However, Millikin's bench players contributed more scoring than IWU's reserves by a margin of eight points.

Sophomore Mason Funk was instrumental for Illinois Wesleyan with sixteen points and nine rebounds along with three blocks, three steals, and an assist. Junior Karlo Colak scored fourteen points, setting a new personal best. Senior Nick Roper and freshman Josh Fridman each added twelve points; Roper also secured seven rebounds and two assists.

Senior Hakim Williams led his team with five assists and four steals while adding five rebounds and eight points.

The Titans started strong but ended the first half tied at thirty-six all after holding up to a ten-point lead earlier on.

Roper initiated scoring after halftime with a layup followed by Funk's contributions that included a three-pointer and another layup following his steal at midcourt that pushed IWU ahead at forty-five to thirty-nine before forcing Millikin into calling timeout.

Millikin narrowed down their deficit to one point prompting head coach Ron Rose’s timeout call midway through second half action where Fridman broke an ensuing scoreless stretch by hitting from beyond arc regaining control back towards home side favorably sitting forty-eight against forty-four respectively as clock ticked down further into remaining period eventually seeing double-digit cushion built upon consecutive scores orchestrated between Roper alongside Fridman's free throws rounding off comfortable outcome ultimately sealed via senior Harrison Wilmsen’s pair successive dunks alongside Funk sealing decisive triumph thrillingly wrapped up late stages contest setting scene upcoming fixture slated hosting Augustana next week part opening trio scheduled games on home turf beginning January twenty-second accordingly concluding match report here today covering proceedings observed aforementioned encounter detailed above fully presented now concluded finally thus far indeed stated end current summary finalized hereby written account complete thereafter final remarks appended duly noted conclusively altogether comprehensively described effectively reported accurately captured conveyed transmitted communicated relayed published disseminated distributed shared broadcast publicized promoted advertised marketed announced proclaimed declared pronounced expressed articulated voiced revealed unveiled disclosed uncovered exposed unmasked discovered detected identified recognized acknowledged accepted admitted confessed owned avowed professed affirmed asserted maintained contended claimed alleged supposed presumed assumed postulated hypothesized theorized speculated surmised guessed conjectured imagined envisioned pictured visualized conceptualized thought believed opined reckoned considered regarded viewed perceived understood comprehended grasped apprehended discerned realized appreciated sensed felt intuited intuited intuited intuited intuited intuited intuited