MARION, Ind. -- No. 5 Indiana Wesleyan University men’s basketball returns to the Crossroads League Tournament Championship game for a second straight year following a 104-91 victory over No. 13 Bethel (Ind.) in the semifinals. With the victory and a Saint Francis (Ind.) win in the other semifinal game, Indiana Wesleyan has secured the second Crossroads League automatic bid to the NAIA DII National Championship.

Game Vitals

• Score:  Indiana Wesleyan - 104   |   Bethel - 91
• Records:  Indiana Wesleyan 28-4   |   Bethel 23-9
• NAIA Top- 25 Rank:  Indiana Wesleyan - No. 5   |   Bethel - No. 13
• Location:   Luckey Arena   |   Indiana Wesleyan University   |   Marion, Indiana 
• Brief:  No. 5 Indiana Wesleyan University men’s basketball returns to the Crossroads League Tournament Championship game for a second straight year following a 104-91 victory over No. 13 Bethel (Ind.) in the semifinals. With the victory and a Saint Francis (Ind.) win in the other semifinal game, Indiana Wesleyan has secured the second Crossroads League automatic bid to the NAIA DII National Championship.
   

What Went Down

• Indiana Wesleyan and Bethel had three ties and three lead changes in the first four minutes of the game.
• Grant Evans (SO/Selma, Ind.) drained a 3-pointer with 15:20 left in the first half for a 15-12 lead. It was the fourth and final lead change of the game.
• The Wildcats slowly increased their lead over the remaining 15 minutes of the half. The lead grew to a high of 13 points twice in the final two minutes before IWU took a 57-46 lead into halftime.
• Both teams shot over 60-percent in the half as they combined for 15-of-27 shooting from beyond the arc.
• Bethel came out of the locker room and connected on their first nine shots to close to 69-66. After their first miss in the second half, Bethel scored again to close to within one at 69-68. It would be the closest they got.
• The Wildcats responded with an 11-2 run to extend their lead to 80-70 with 12 minutes remaining. Capping that run was a four-point play by Bob Peters (JR/Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio).
• Gage Ott scored for Bethel to close their deficit to 95-89 with under five minutes to play.
• Indiana Wesleyan answered with nine straight points for a 104-89 lead. The 15 point cushion was their largest of the game. During the stretch, Bob Peters scored his second four-point play in 10 minutes.
• Indiana Wesleyan hit on 62.5-percent (35 of 56) from the field and 63.0-percent (17 of 27) from 3-point range. Bethel shot 66.7-percent (26 of 54) and 56.3-percent (9 of 16) from 3-point range.
• The 17 3-pointers for Indiana Wesleyan is the second most in program history. They set the record of 20 3-pointers earlier this season vs. Rocky Mountain (Mont.).
• Bob Peters scored a game-high 32 points. He poured in 24 points during the second half. He was 10-of-13 from the floor and 7-of-9 from beyond the arc. Peters connected on six 3-pointers during the second half.
• Jonny Marlin (SR/Greenwood, Ind.) finished with 15 points and 8 assists while Lane Mahurin (JR/Rockville, Ind.) and Josh Mawhorr (SR/Muncie, Ind.) each added 14 points
  
   

Coach’s Corner

• “Obviously we were playing well and so were they. It was a fast paced game. We were trying different things to get stops but we were able to keep scoring on our end to maintain that lead. And that was a big-time game from Bob Peters. He hit so many big shots in the game.”  -- IWU head coach Greg Tonagel
   

Extra! Extra!

• Saint Francis (Ind.) clinched the first Crossroads League automatic bid to the NAIA DII National Championship by winning the regular season championship. With Saint Francis advancing to the tournament championship game, Indiana Wesleyan secures the second automatic bid by facing Saint Francis in the title game.
• It was the 11th time that Indiana Wesleyan and Bethel have met in the Crossroads League Tournament which began in 1994. IWU improves to 4-7 in those meetings but have won four of the last five.
• This is the third consecutive season that the two schools have met in the Crossroads League Tournament. Indiana Wesleyan won the past two years, including the championship game last year.
• The Wildcats have won four straight games vs. the Pilots.
  
   

Crossroads League Championship Game Set!

• Top seeds Indiana Wesleyan and Saint Francis (Ind.) will clash in the Crossroads League Tournament Championship game on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Fort Wayne, Indiana. No. 1-seed Saint Francis defeated No. 4-seed Goshen (Ind.) 80-76 in the other semifinal game on Saturday.