GLENDALE, Ariz. – No. 6 Indiana Wesleyan men's basketball picked up a huge ranked victory over No. 2 Arizona Christian on the road on Tuesday, 73-69. This marked their first win against a team ranked in the Top-2 since 2021. The Wildcats overcame a one-point halftime deficit by shooting 50 percent from the field and hitting 12 three-pointers. Millen McCartney was on fire from beyond the arc, going 6-8 for a career-high 22 points. Crew Gibson set the tone defensively with season-high 5 blocks.
THE ESSENTIALS
- Location: Glendale, Ariz. | ACU Events Center
- Records: IWU 11-2 | ACU 10-3
- NAIA Top 25 Rankings: IWU – #6 | ACU – #2
FIRST HALF
- The Wildcats shot 85% from the field through the opening five minutes and took an early 17-11 lead.
- A 9-5 run for ACU cut the lead to four points, but a three-pointer by Kevin Sacas made it 27-20 with 9:37 left.
- Millin McCartney went a perfect 4-4 from beyond the arc, and the red and gray maintained a 38-32 lead with 5:00 remaining.
- The Firestorm used a 14-2 run to end the half and took their first lead of 41-40 into the locker room.
SECOND HALF
- IWU overcame the early deficit with bucket by Crew Gibson with 15:25 remaining, narrowing the score to 47-48.
- The Wildcats continued to build momentum with more three's from McCartney, establishing a 53–50 lead with 10:00 left.
- The top-ranked teams traded blows down the stretch and the game was tied at 69-69 with 1:37 remaining.
- Crew Gibson's fade away jumper at 1:11 helped the Wildcats take the lead.
- Caedmon Bontrager soared for a clutch block on the following play and chased down the ball to convert a fast-break dunk for the final dagger.
KEY WILDCATS
LOOKING AHEAD
- The Wildcats will take the court in Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the home of the Indiana Pacers, for a thrilling matchup against Madonna University on New Year's Eve.
- Anticipated tip-off is set for 8:30 PM.
- Links for tickets, video, and stats will be available at IWUWildcats.com.
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