MARION, Ind. - Indiana Wesleyan men's basketball defeated Kuyper 101-61 on Tuesday, with the home team recording 31 assists and eight blocks to open their season with a strong performance. Caedmon Bontrager lead the way with a double-double, and four new faces to the Wildcat lineup scored in double-digits. Impressively, the Wildcats surpassed the 100-point mark for the first time in a season-opener since 2020, when they beat #17 Olivet Nazarene.


THE ESSENTIALS

• Location: Marion, Ind. | Luckey Arena
• Records: IWU: 1-0  | KC 0-1
• NAIA Top-25 Rankings: IWU - #6 | KC - NR

• Indiana Wesleyan set the tone early with consecutive three-pointers from Millen McCartney and Crew Gibson, quickly establishing a 6-0 lead at 18:27.
• A balanced attack continued as Julius Gizzi and DJ Moore combined for several assists, helping the home team to a 13-point advantage midway through the half.
• The Cougars struggled with turnovers, committing several in the first 10 minutes, which the Wildcats capitalized on to extend their lead to 25 points.
• IWU's defensive effort was highlighted by four blocks and six steals, contributing to their 51-26 lead at halftime.

• Early in the half, the red and grey extended their lead with a series of layups and a 3-pointer from Millen McCartney, pushing the score to 58-32 at 18:16.
• The home team maintained momentum with key defensive plays, including blocks by Kevin Sacas and McCartney, stifling KC's scoring attempts.
• A strong offensive push by Indiana Wesleyan, highlighted by a fast-break layup from Caedmon Bontrager at 6:34, widened the gap further.
• IWU finished the half strong, with Sacas scoring a layup at 0:38 to secure a commanding lead. The side took a 101-61 lead into the final horn.

• Caedmon Bontrager: 21 points, 10-14 FG, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks
• Kevin Sacas: 21 points, 8-10 FG, 3-3 3FG, 3 blocks
• Crew Gibson: 13 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 steals
• Julius Gizzi: 14 points, 3-4 3FG, 3 steals
• DJ Moore: 7 points, 7 assists, 1 steal
  
   

• The Wildcats travel to Michigan this weekend for the CL/WHAC Challenge. They will face Cornerstone on Friday at 7:30PM and #21 Indiana Tech on Saturday at 1:00PM.
• Links for video and stats will be available at IWUWildcats.com

• Indiana Wesleyan returns to Luckey Arena on November 5th against Florida Memorial at 3:00PM.
• Links for tickets, video, and stats will be available at IWUWildcats.com

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