MARION, Ind. – No. 2-seed Indiana Wesleyan men's basketball used a stellar defensive effort to advance past No. 15-seed St. Francis (Ill.) 71-60 on Friday evening in the 2026 NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship First Round. The Wildcats pulled ahead with a strong second half, extending their lead to as much as 19 points. The home team converted 19 free throws, compared to just 8 for SFU and out-rebounded the Fighting Saints by a margin of 39-25. Caedmon Bontrager led the way offensively with 26 points on 9-13 from the field with 9 rebounds.


THE ESSENTIALS

• Location: Marion, Ind. | Luckey Arena
• Records: IWU 27-5 | SFU 23-8
• NAIA Top 25 Rankings: IWU – #4 | SFU – Unranked
• NAIA Tournament Seeding: IWU - #2 | SFU - #15

• Indiana Wesleyan opened strong with Caedmon Bontrager hitting back-to-back 3-pointers, assisted by Isaac Andrews and DJ Moore, to establish an early lead at 18:14.
• The red and grey extended their lead to 11 points at 11:47 with a layup and free throw by Bontrager.
• SFU responded with a series of layups, including a pivotal one from Dakoda Joachim at 8:51, chipping away at the deficit to make it 20-12.
• The Wildcats maintained their advantage, closing the half with a layup by Marcus Ankney at 2:03, leading 27-20 at the break.

• IWU opened with a strong defensive stand, converting multiple defensive rebounds into scoring opportunities to build early momentum.
• The home team established a commanding lead, highlighted by a 19-point advantage with a layup from Crew Gibson that capped a 7-0 run at 6:05.
• The Fighting Saints responded with a scoring push late in the period, including a 3-pointer by Justen Morgan with 42 seconds remaining.
• Indiana Wesleyan maintained their lead, closing out the second half with a 44-40 period score, securing an 71-60 victory.

• Caedmon Bontrager: 26 points, 9-13 FG, 9 rebounds
• Marcus Ankney: 12 points, 5-7 FG, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
• Crew Gibson: 8 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist

• The Wildcats will look to punch their ticket to Kansas City tomorrow against No. 10-seed Dalton State in Luckey Arena.
• IWU's final home game of the season will tip-off at 4:00PM.
• Links for tickets, video and stats can be found on the Tournament Central Page by clicking HERE.

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