GOSHEN, Ind. – No. 11 Indiana Wesleyan men's basketball earned an 82-73 overtime victory at Goshen on Saturday afternoon. After trailing by three at halftime, the Wildcats responded with a strong second half and closed the game on an 11-2 run in overtime to secure the road win.
The overtime victory highlighted Indiana Wesleyan's continued emphasis on ball movement, as the Wildcats recorded at least 16 assists for the third straight game. The red and gray also forced eight steals on the defensive end, including a season-high four from DJ Moore, while the bench provided a spark with 26 points.
THE ESSENTIALS
- Location: Goshen, Ind. | Ruth Gunden Gymnasium
- Records: IWU 17-3, 7-3 CRL | GC 7-13, 0-10 CRL
- NAIA Top 25 Rankings: IWU – #11 | GC – Unranked
FIRST HALF
- Indiana Wesleyan opened the scoring with a three-point play by Julius Gizzi.
- Goshen responded with a series of 3-pointers, including a shot by Kamren Williams at to tie the score.
- DJ Moore added two free throws at the midway through the half following a technical foul on GC, narrowing the gap to 19–17.
- Gizzi's late 3-pointer with 7 seconds remaining brought the Wildcats within three points, with Goshen leading 40–37 at the end of the half.
SECOND HALF
- Indiana Wesleyan gained momentum early with Crew Gibson's 3-pointer at 19:19, followed by Caedmon Bontrager's putback to take the lead at 18:39.
- Isaac Andrews extended the lead with a series of scores, including a 3-pointer at 13:50, contributing significantly to IWU's offense.
- Goshen fought back with Marcus Northern's 3-pointer at 9:06, narrowing the gap, but the Wildcats responded with a strong defensive effort, including Moore's steal at 10:08.
- Two free throws by Julius Gizzi gave IWU a 71-69 lead with 0:09 left, but Goshen had enough time to earn two free throws of their own to tie the game and send it to overtime.
OVERTIME
- Indiana Wesleyan opened the extra period with sharp execution on both ends, quickly creating separation.
- The Wildcats limited Goshen to just two points in the final minutes of overtime.
- An 11-2 run sealed the road win as IWU controlled the glass and tempo late.
KEY WILDCATS
LOOKING AHEAD
- The Wildcats will be back in Luckey Arena on January 28 to take on Taylor at 7:00 PM.
- Links for tickets, video, and stats will be available at IWUWildcats.com.
- Wildcat fans are encouraged to wear red for Hoops for Hope. IWU and Taylor are partnering to raise money and awareness for World Hope International. Participate in the Red Out (and purple out) by ordering your shirt today by clicking HERE. All proceeds will go to World Hope!
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