UPLAND, Ind. – Indiana Wesleyan men's basketball fell to Grant County rival Taylor 80-77 in a closely contested matchup in Odle Arena. The Wildcats led by seven points early in the second half, but the Trojans overtook them with a late surge, aided by a 40.0% shooting performance from beyond the arc. IWU's offense was bolstered by 23 points from the free-throw line, but it was not enough to secure the victory. Notably, the Wildcats recorded their lowest rebound total of the season, which played a critical role in their narrow defeat.
THE ESSENTIALS
- Location: Upland, Ind. | Odle Arena
- Records: IWU 7-1, 1-1 CRL | TU 5-3, 1-1 CRL
- NAIA Top 25 Rankings: IWU – #1 | TU – Unranked
FIRST HALF
- The red and grey established early momentum, opening with a 7–2 lead early, highlighted by free throws from DJ Moore's.
- TU responded, tying the game at 11 with a jumper by Pete Combs.
- Indiana Wesleyan's Crew Gibson capped a critical run with a 3-pointer midway through the half, extending the lead to 21-15.
- Both teams exchanged blows, but a late 7-0 run gave the Wildcats a 41–36 lead at the half.
SECOND HALF
- Indiana Wesleyan scored the first basket in the final frame with a jumper by DJ Moore.
- The Trojans overtook the lead 46-43 with a 10-0 run, fueled by a layup from Anthony McGhee at 16:47.
- A Keven Sacas gave IWU a 60-53 lead with 8:54 remaining.
- Taylor went on a 24-9 run over the next seven minutes, aided by four three's, to take a 77-69 lead under 2:00.
- Despite a late push by the red and grey, Taylor held on to win 80–77.
KEY WILDCATS
LOOKING AHEAD
- The Wildcats will be back in Luckey Arena on December 3 at 7:00PM against the University of Saint Francis (Ind.).
- Color theme is WHITE OUT!
- Links for tickets, video, and stats will be available at IWUWildcats.com.
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