HUNTINGTON, Ind. - No. 5 Indiana Wesleyan men's basketball gained their 18th win of the season after defeating Huntington in overtime with a final score of 93-91. Javan Buchanan was the top performer for the Wildcats tonight with a double-double, scoring 26 points on 15 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block. IWU will return to Luckey Arena to face No. 1 Grace College on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. 

 

THE ESSENTIALS

• Location: Huntington, Ind. | Platt Arena
• Records: IWU: 18-2, 9-1 CRL | HU: 13-7, 6-4 CRL
• NAIA Top-25 Rankings: IWU - #5 | HU - RV

WHAT HAPPENED

• With a back-and-forth start to the game, IWU found a 10-point lead with seven minutes to go before Huntington brought it back to tie the game at halftime.
• Another very close half saw the Wildcats go back and forth once again with the Foresters for the majority of the game.
• Nolan Mader hit a layup with a minute and a half to go, before Huntington's Zach Goodline scored to tie the game and send it to overtime with a score of 81-81.
• Griffin Kliewer hits a crucial layup in overtime to put IWU up two possessions before the Wildcats sealed the victory with free throws, 93-91. 

NOTABLE NUMBERS

• 90.5%: IWU shot 19-21 from the free throw line at 90.5%; their highest percentage when shooting 20+ attempts.
• 55: The Wildcats grabbed a season-high 55 rebounds on the day.
• 24: 24 of IWU's points were scored off second-chance buckets. 
• 20: Indiana Wesleyan grabbed 20 offensive rebounds; the most in a game since Oct. 2021.

KEY WILDCATS

• Javan Buchanan: 26 points, 9-17 FG, 15 rebounds, 1 blocks, 1 steal
• Griffin Kliewer: 21 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
• Noah Smith: 16 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists

TONAGEL PERSPECTIVE

• "At times it was ugly," said Head Coach Greg Tonagel. "Other times we looked out a sink, but we were always tough. Proud of this team to get a tough win on the road."

NEXT TIME OUT

• IWU will return to Luckey Arena to face No. 1 Grace College on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.
• Links for tickets, video, and stats will be available at IWUWildcats.com.

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