McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team claimed their first College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Tournament Championship with a victory over Carthage College. The game took place on March 1 at Tarble Arena in Kenosha, Wisconsin. This win grants the Titans an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Illinois Wesleyan, ranked 16th nationally, ended the season with a 22-5 record. The victory marked their first traditional CCIW tournament title since the conference began holding one in 2003. Previously, they won the CCIW Regular Season Championship in 2021 when all nine teams participated due to COVID-19 adjustments.

Senior Nick Roper led the Titans with 27 points, going 11-for-16 from the floor and hitting three out of four three-point attempts. Sophomore Mason Funk and junior Karlo Colak each contributed 12 points. Roper, along with senior Hakim Williams and freshman Josh Fridman, provided two assists each.

Funk nearly achieved a double-double by adding nine rebounds to his scoreline and leading the team with two blocks. Junior Nathan Boldt secured a career-best eight rebounds, while Roper added seven.

The Titans' shooting was efficient at 50 percent overall and 46.7 percent from beyond the arc. They also succeeded in making 87.5 percent of their free throws. Defensively, Illinois Wesleyan limited Carthage to just over 31 percent shooting from the field.

Illinois Wesleyan's scoring started quickly with Funk's layup just seconds into the game, setting an early lead that they maintained throughout. By halftime, they were ahead by ten points at 37-27.

As they look forward to participating in the NCAA Division III Tournament, Illinois Wesleyan awaits further developments during the selection show scheduled for March 3 at noon ET on ncaa.com.