FORT WAYNE, Ind. – No. 5 Indiana Wesleyan men's basketball turned in one of its most efficient offensive performances of the season on Friday, knocking off Saint Francis (Ind.) 87-73 on the road for their fifth-straight win. The Wildcats finished the night shooting 58.2 percent from the field, marking their second-highest team field goal percentage this season, while Caedmon Bontrager continued his dominant stretch with his second-straight game of 26. Jake Smith also delivered a breakout performance, recording a season-high 12 points on a perfect 5-5 from the field in the victory.
THE ESSENTIALS
- Location: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Hutzell Athletic Center
- Records: IWU 19-3, 9-3 CRL | USF 8-13, 3-9
- NAIA Top 25 Rankings: IWU – #5 | USF – Unranked
FIRST HALF
- The IWU defense held USF to 1-6 from the field and 4 turnovers for a 6-2 lead through the opening five minutes.
- Caedmon Bontrager scored 10 points through 10 minutes of play and the Wildcats held a 14-6 advantage.
- Indiana Wesleyan extended their lead to 21-13 with five minutes left in the opening half.
- Back-to-back three's from Jake Smith helped IWU take a 34-29 lead at halftime.
SECOND HALF
- Millen McCartney went a perfect 3-3 from deep to start the second half as the red and gray extended their lead to 45-37.
- A dunk from Bontrager gave him 19 points and a 58-46 lead with 10 minutes remaining.
- Marr Avance knocked down USF's sixth three-pointer of the second half with five minutes remaining, to narrow the Wildcat lead to 71-64.
- IWU shot 8-9 from the free-throw line in the final stretch of the game to secure an 87-73 win on the road.
KEY WILDCATS
- Caedmon Bontrager: 26 points, 11-16 FG, 7 rebounds, 4 assists
- Julius Gizzi: 14 points, 3 rebounds
- Jake Smith: 12 points, 5-5 FG, 6 rebounds
- Millen McCartney: 11 points, 3-4 3FG 4 rebounds
- DJ Moore: 10 points, 8-10 FT, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals
LOOKING AHEAD
- 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.
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