MARION, Ind. – No. 4 Indiana Wesleyan men's basketball secured a 66-59 victory over No. 22 Huntington in a closely contested Crossroads League Tournament semifinal on Saturday. Every basket proved to be golden as the team recorded their second lowest point total of the season. The Wildcats led by as many as eight points early in the second half, capitalizing on nine steals and 15 assists to maintain their edge. Huntington remained competitive, narrowing the gap to five points at halftime, but Indiana Wesleyan's depth with a 20-2 bench point advantage proved decisive in their win. The win marks only the second time IWU has advanced to the championship game in the last six years.
THE ESSENTIALS
- Location: Marion, Ind. | Luckey Arena
- Records: IWU 26-4, 14-4 CRL | HU 22-8, 12-6 CRL
- NAIA Top 25 Rankings: IWU – #4 | HU – #22
- CRL Tournament Seeding: IWU - #2 | HU - #3
FIRST HALF
- The Wildcats opened the game with a three-pointer by Jake Smith at 19:06, assisted by Caedmon Bontrager, setting an early tone.
- HU built a five-point lead at 7:50 with Kaden Johnson's layup, marking its largest advantage of the half.
- DJ Moore sparked a rally for the red and grey at 5:52 with a three-pointer, followed by Marcus Ankney's fast-break layup, reclaiming the lead 19-18.
- Indiana Wesleyan closed the half on a 7-0 run, capped by a Millen McCartney's three-pointer to take a 26–21 lead into the break.
SECOND HALF
- IWU opened the second half with a strong start, building an 8-point lead at 18:59 with a layup from Bontrager.
- The Foresters responded with a 7-0 run, taking a 37-34 lead with 12:24 remaining after a Kaden Johnson layup.
- The teams exchanged leads multiple times down the stretch, with Indiana Wesleyan regaining control at 11:50 with a three-pointer from Isaac Andrews, bringing the score to 37-37.
- In the final minutes, the Wildcats got key defensive stops and capitalized on free throws and secured the 66-59 victory.
KEY WILDCATS
- Caedmon Bontrager: 24 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals (11th double-double)
- Julius Gizzi: 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
- Marcus Ankney: 9 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds
- DJ Moore: 7 points, 5 assists, 2 steals
NEXT TIME OUT
- The Wildcats will play in the Crossroads League Tournament Championship on Tuesday at No. 2 Grace at 7:00 p.m.
- Links for tickets, video, and stats are available at IWUWildcats.com.
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