McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team secured a decisive 82-52 victory over Augustana College in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) game at the Shirk Center. This win keeps Illinois Wesleyan in strong standing within the CCIW, with a record of 7-1 and an overall record of 15-2. Augustana's record fell to 10-7, with a conference record of 3-5.

Illinois Wesleyan saw contributions from multiple players, with twelve Titans scoring during the game. Senior Nick Roper led with 14 points and seven rebounds. Senior Harrison Wilmsen added 11 points, making all five of his shots. Seniors Hakim Williams and Trey Bazzell each contributed ten points.

The Titans were efficient offensively, making 30 out of their 55 shot attempts. They succeeded on seven out of twenty three-point attempts and converted fifteen out of twenty-one free throws. In contrast, Augustana struggled offensively, shooting only 30.6% from the field and hitting just five out of twenty-two three-point attempts.

Illinois Wesleyan dominated in several areas: they scored more points off turnovers (11-4), second-chance points (11-0), bench points (32-27), fastbreak points (9-3), and points in the paint (42-12). They also controlled the rebounding battle with a margin of 39 to Augustana's 25.

Sophomore Mason Funk opened scoring for Illinois Wesleyan with a three-pointer. Despite an early response from Augustana, IWU quickly took control following contributions from Williams and Bazzell, eventually leading by six at halftime.

In the second half, Illinois Wesleyan widened their lead significantly by outscoring Augustana by twenty-four points over that period. The Titans started strong after halftime with an eight-point run initiated by Wilmsen's layup.

Illinois Wesleyan will host Wheaton College on Saturday, January 25th at Shirk Center as part of a doubleheader event which includes recognition for its Academic All-America honorees from the previous academic year.