MARION Ind. – Evan Maxwell had a game he will never forget. His 3-point basket as time expired capped a 39-point effort and No. 3 Indiana Wesleyan University men’s basketball won an 89-86 classic vs. No. 13 Marian (Ind.). The Catalyst student section greeted Maxwell after the shot as they stormed the court to celebrate the win with the Wildcats.

THE MAXWELL GAME

Evan Maxwell hit the game-winning shot as time expired, tied a career-high with 39 points, and scored career point 1,000 in the opening half. He finished the afternoon shooting 15-of-22 from the field and 5-of-8 from 3-point range. Maxwell -- in his second season with the Wildcats -- has averaged 16.8 points during his 60 game career at Indiana Wesleyan and he joined Kyle Mangas who accomplished the same milestone earlier this season vs. Cincinnati Christian (Ohio).

GAME FLOW

Marian led 18-12 with 15 minutes left in the first half. Indiana Wesleyan used a 31-16 run to lead 43-34 with 3:44 remaining before halftime. MU answered with a 22-7 run to gain a 59-53 lead early in the second half. Directly proceeding that run was a 17-1 stretch by Indiana Wesleyan to build a 70-60 lead. Marian chipped away at the deficit and tied the game on a TJ Henderson 3-pointer with 19 seconds to play which set up the dramatic Maxwell bucket.

WHERE’S THE BENCH?

Indiana Wesleyan and Marian combined for three total points from bench players. Trevor Waite hit a 3-point basket with 7:51 remaining in the game that pushed the IWU lead to a game-high 11 points (73-62). Despite extended play from all 10 starters, the teams combined to shoot 54-percent from the field and 53-percent from 3-point range.

TONAGEL THOUGHTS

“What a great atmosphere today. I can’t wait to watch it later. In a game like this, our fans were +8 points so we need to thank them for what they gave us. The energy in the building was contagious so it was only fitting that they got to storm the court.”

“We have had some unbelievable finishes in this building, I can count three of four. Johnny Marlin to beat Saint Francis, Bob Peters to beat Saint Francis, and Grant Evans to beat Spring Arbor. Add this to the collective list of great finishes and great shots.”

NEXT FOR THE WILDCATS

Nothing gets easier for Indiana Wesleyan as they host No. 5 Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) on Tuesday in Luckey Arena. Tip is set for 7 p.m.