MARION, Ind. (Box Score) -- In a clash of ranked opponents the Indiana Wesleyan University men's basketball team overwhelmed visiting Indiana University-Southeast 89-73 on Thursday night in Luckey Arena.

Indiana Wesleyan was ranked No. 14 and IU-Southeast No. 19 in the NAIA Division II preseason poll. The teams came together for the first contest of the Caleb Dimmich Memorial Games.

The contest featured a back and forth affair in the early goings. In the first 13 minutes of action, there were seven ties and five lead changes. With the Grenadiers (0-1) holding onto a 22-20 advantage with 12 minutes to play, freshman guard Derrick Troyer and senior center Landon Adler connected on back-to-back field goals to give the Wildcats a 24-22 advantage. IWU never relinquished the lead again.

Indiana Wesleyan (2-0) led 31-29 with 5:13 to go in the opening stanza but exploded for 12 of the next 16 points before halftime to enter the locker room with a 43-33 lead.

Junior forward Zach Coverstone hit one free throw to extend the IWU lead to 11 as the second half of play began. IU-Southeast's Charlie Gonzalez scored a bucket to cut the Wildcat lead to single digits at nine points.

But Indiana Wesleyan responded with a 12-0 run to earn a 56-35 advantage. The IWU lead never dipped below 17 points the rest of the night until less than a minute remained.

A trio of Wildcats poured in 18 points in the winning effort. Adler, Coverstone and senior guard Antonio Murrell led the team in scoring while Troyer added 15 points.

Indiana Wesleyan shot 52.8-percent (28 of 53) from the field. IWU also got to the line a lot in the contest as the Wildcats overpowered the Grenadiers in the paint. Indiana Wesleyan finished the evening 28-of-38 (73.7-percent) from the charity stripe.

Indiana Wesleyan returns to the hardwood at 3 p.m. on Saturday, November 8, as the Wildcats host Indiana University-South Bend in game two of the Caleb Dimmich Memorial Games in Luckey Arena.