McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team has advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament for the first time since 2022. The Titans, ranked ninth, narrowly defeated St. John's University with a score of 75-73 in a closely contested game at the Ratner Athletic Center on March 8.

The match was marked by its intensity, featuring 12 ties and 17 lead changes. Junior Karlo Colak from Glencoe, Illinois played a pivotal role, putting the Titans ahead by five points with just over five minutes remaining. However, St. John's quickly closed the gap to two points.

Senior Harrison Wilmsen from St. Louis helped maintain a four-point lead for Illinois Wesleyan with successful free throws, but St. John's continued to challenge their advantage. A timeout called by coach Ron Rose set up a critical play as the Johnnies moved ahead by one point.

In response, senior Nick Roper drove through the paint to regain the lead for Illinois Wesleyan after drawing a foul and completing a three-point play. Despite Roper fouling out shortly after, his efforts kept the Titans competitive as St. John's tied the game once more.

With less than a minute on the clock, freshman Josh Fridman attempted a shot that missed but was recovered by Colak who secured victory with a putback basket in the final seconds.

The Titans displayed strong shooting accuracy, converting 28-of-61 attempts and excelling at free throws with an impressive second-half performance. They led in several statistical categories including points off turnovers and second-chance points.

Wilmsen led his team with 17 points and perfect free throw shooting while Colak contributed significantly with 16 points. Marko Anderson added another double-digit score for Illinois Wesleyan alongside other key performances from teammates Hakim Williams and Nick Roper.

Illinois Wesleyan is set to face University of Wisconsin La-Crosse in their upcoming Sweet Sixteen matchup.