MARION, Ind. – No. 5 Indiana Wesleyan men's basketball claimed The Battle for Grant County on Wednesday night, defeating No. 24 Taylor 72-63 inside Luckey Arena. The Wildcats fed off a loud home crowd of nearly 650 fans, using a strong second half to pull away and secure the rivalry victory.

Indiana Wesleyan trailed by two at halftime but flipped the momentum after the break, outscoring Taylor 43-32 over the final 20 minutes to defend home court.


THE ESSENTIALS

• Location: Marion, Ind. | Luckey Arena
• Records: IWU 18-3, 8-3 CRL | TU 16-5, 8-3 CRL
• NAIA Top 25 Rankings: IWU – #5 | TU – #24

• Taylor opened the game with early energy through the opening five minutes, jumping out to a 19-7 lead after shooting 5-5 from deep.
• Indiana Wesleyan stayed within striking distance and trimmed the deficit to 23-15 midway through the half.
• A Caedmon Bontrager layup with 2:18 remaining capped off a 11-0 run that held TU scoreless for nearly seven minutes of action.
• Taylor carried a 31-29 advantage into halftime after closing the opening period with late scoring.

• Indiana Wesleyan began with a strong start, scoring four consecutive baskets, including two 3-pointers by Caedmon Bontrager, to take a 39–31 lead.
• Taylor responded with back-to-back buckets by Pete Combs, but IWU maintained their lead, extending it to 45–40 with 13:18 remaining after a layup from Jake Smith.
• Defensive stops fueled momentum as IWU began to create separation midway through the period.
• The Wildcats closed the game with composure, maintaining control down the stretch to secure the nine-point win.

• Caedmon Bontrager: 26 points, 10-17 FG, 5 rebounds
• Millen McCartney: 10 points, 4 rebounds
• Isaac Andrews: 9 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals
• DJ Moore: 8 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals

• The Wildcats travel to take on Saint Francis (Ind.) on Saturday at 3:00 PM.
• Links for video and stats will be available at IWUWildcats.com.

• IWU will be back in Luckey Arena on Wednesday to take on Huntington at 7:00 PM.
• Links for tickets, video, and stats will be available at IWUWildcats.com.
• Fans are encouraged to bring a stuffed animal to participate in the second-annual Teddy Bear Toss at halftime.

• Follow Athletics (@IWUWildcats): Instagram | X | Facebook
• Follow Men's Basketball (@IWUHoops): Instagram | X | Facebook

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