Box Score MARION, Ind. -- Tuesday brought many reasons to celebrate inside Luckey Arena for the No. 6-ranked Indiana Wesleyan University men’s basketball team.
Tuesday night began with a celebration for the three player senior class of Garvin Haughey, RJ Mahurin, and Jordan Weidner with Senior Night festivities. The night concluded with a celebration of yet another Crossroads League regular season title.
Indiana Wesleyan (24-5, 14-3 CL) defeated visiting Goshen (Ind.) 89-67 and that coupled with a Saint Francis (Ind.) buzzer beater for a 62-60 win at home against Huntington (Ind.) gives Indiana Wesleyan the outright league championship. Indiana Wesleyan has won six consecutive league titles and the last five of those have been the outright variety.
“We have had some great players come through here,” said Indiana Wesleyan head coach Greg Tonagel. “You think of guys like Zach Coverstone, Antonio Murrell, Pat Hopkins, and now Jordan Weidner. Great players make plays and these guys have made a lot of them to win a lot of championships.”
The six straight league titles are tied for the third longest run in Mid-Central College Conference/Crossroads League history. Bethel (Ind.) also earned six straight trophies from 1994-99. Tri-State (Ind.) holds the record with 19 running from 1963-81 and Grace (Ind.) has the second longest stretch with seven in a row from 1982-88.
But Tonagel knows the championship is just the first step for his Wildcats.
“We’ve been here and done this,” Tonagel said. “Now let’s go deep into the postseason. Our guys are happy about this but nobody is satisfied. We still have a lot of work to do. If we are going to win three games in a row at home we need to continue to improve.”
Indiana Wesleyan will be the No. 1-seed in next week’s Crossroads League Tournament. The Quarterfinal game will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, February 26 in Luckey Arena versus an opponent still to be determined.
In a pre-game ceremony, Indiana Wesleyan held Senior Night as assistant coach David Dimmich spoke about each of the three seniors. Following the game, Tonagel shared his thoughts about the three seniors.
“Jordan Weidner has a heart bigger than anyone I’ve ever coached and a will to not only make himself better, but to make his teammates better. When he’s not here next year we are going to realize how many times he just put us on his back and carried us.”
Tonagel continued, “Garvin Haughey has been here four years and brings such a positive energy. He would be a great coach because he cares about people and his attitude is just infectious. He epitomizes the ‘I am Third’ way.”
“And for only being here a year, RJ Mahurin has sure fit in well. To come from the level he played to say what do you need me to do and not be selfish at all makes me proud of what he has done.”
As for the game, Indiana Wesleyan had struggled early against Goshen (5-24, 2-15 CL). The Maple Leafs opened the night on a 10-2 run and held a 17-8 lead early. The Wildcats then scored 14 unanswered points for a 22-17 lead and would take a 39-36 lead into halftime.
The second half was a different story for Indiana Wesleyan as they outscored Goshen 50-31. IWU committed just three turnovers in the half and led by as many as 23 points.
“We have tough matchups with Goshen and it’s never been as smooth as you’d like it to be,” said Tonagel. “But I was proud that we fought through a bad shooting night and found a way to get the ball inside and finish the game.”
Indiana Wesleyan held a mammoth 51-35 advantage on the boards, including 22 offensive rebounds. IWU also earned assists on 24 of the 34 field goals made.
“We are sharing the ball right now,” continued Tonagel. “It’s been the hallmark of this team. It doesn’t stop and just continues to move.”
Indiana Wesleyan will finish the regular season on Saturday at 3 p.m. against Marian (Ind.) in Indianapolis, Indiana. IWU returns to Luckey a week from Wednesday in the Crossroads League Quarterfinals.
