MARION, Ind. – No. 5 Indiana Wesleyan men's basketball defeated Marian 88-68 on Wednesday in Luckey Arena, marking a decisive conference victory in the final stretch of the regular season. The Wildcats shot an impressive 60% from both the field and beyond the arc, with 12 three-pointers. This marked just the third time this season that the team shot 60% from three. Despite just a five-point lead at halftime, Indiana Wesleyan built its largest lead of 23 points late in the second half to lock up the victory.
THE ESSENTIALS
- Location: Marion, Ind. | Luckey Arena
- Records: IWU 23-4, 13-4 CRL | MU 5-22, 2-15 CRL
- NAIA Top 25 Rankings: IWU – #3 | MU – Unranked
FIRST HALF
- Marian started strong, with Ron Rutland III hitting a 3-pointer at 19:46, quickly followed by an Aidan Franks jumper to establish a 5-point lead.
- The Wildcats responded with a 10- run to take a 17-12 lead with 12:36 remaining.
- Both teams traded baskets with seven lead changes and three ties over the next 10 minutes of play.
- In the closing minute, Smith's 3-pointer at 0:53 and a layup by Gibson at 0:04 helped Indiana Wesleyan secure a 37–32 lead at halftime.
SECOND HALF
- The red and grey extended its lead with a strong start, converting on two layups from Caedmon Bontrager and a three by Millen McCartney in the opening minutes.
- Moore's layup at 13:08 was part of a 10-5 run that created separation, pushing the score to 56-47.
- Julius Gizzi scored 12 of his 17 points in the second half off four three-pointers, increasing the IWU lead further.
- The Wildcats held the advantage, closing the game with an 88–68 victory.
KEY WILDCATS
NEXT HOME GAME
- IWU will be back in Luckey Arena on Saturday to close out the regular season against No. 11 Bethel at 3:00PM.
- Links for tickets, video, and stats will be available at IWUWildcats.com.
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