MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[iwu70]

IWU at Elmhurst Saturday 4:15 p.m. -- weather permitting.  Fridman still out with his shoulder injury.  Boldt back now and back into the rotation.  IWU needs to get back on track, shoot the three better, and improve defense on the perimeter.  This is an IWU team that blocks a lot of shots. They have struggled to guard good quick guards on the perimeter.

IWU'70

[Stertorous Thunder]

This is an IWU team that blocks a lot of shots.

So... just like every single IWU team in every single season? 

[iwu70]

Thunder, actually no, the Titans have rarely been a good shot blocking team.  This year seems to be different, especially with Cleveland, Boldt, Funk and Kuehl all blocking more shots than usual.  The difference so far this year, too, is that this team does not seem to be a very good three point shooting team . . . so far.  That's different than in the past too. 

We'll see how they pull it back together tomorrow vs. Elmhurst.  Of course, you can win games all sorts of ways. 

IWU'70

[Stertorous Thunder]

Thunder, actually no, the Titans have rarely been a good shot blocking team.  This year seems to be different, especially with Cleveland, Boldt, Funk and Kuehl all blocking more shots than usual.  The difference so far this year, too, is that this team does not seem to be a very good three point shooting team . . . so far.  That's different than in the past too. 

We'll see how they pull it back together tomorrow vs. Elmhurst.  Of course, you can win games all sorts of ways. 

IWU'70

I root for Wheaton, so I think anyone listed at 6'3" or taller is an elite shot blocker. 

[Gregory Sager]

North Park 95
North Central 84

Mike Vuckovic: 26 pts (9-14 FG, 5-7 trey), 6 rebs, 7:0 a:to
Julian Campbell: 16 pts, 6 rebs, 4:1 a:to
Kolden Vanlandingham: 14 pts, 7 rebs, 6:1 a:to, 4 stls
Marquis Vance: 13 pts
William Bates: 10 pts

Sean Molloy: 15 pts, 4:2 a:to
Tyler Swierczek: 13 pts
James Bullock 12 pts
Alejandro Diaz: 10 pts, 8 rebs, 6:1 a:to, 3 stls
Justin Sveiteris: 10 pts

The Vikings chipped away at a 10-point Cardinals lead at the 16:23 mark and then burst out with an 11-0 run galvanized by steals and treys, closing it out at the end at the FT line. Mike Vuckovic, who ended up posting an all-around fantastic game, scored all 26 of his points in the second half. In the postgame show Ed McGhee said that he considers Vuckovic and Kolden Vanlandingham to be the best backcourt in the league -- and while that's open to debate, the numbers thus far this year back him up.

With Millikin beating Augustana, every team in the league has now lost a CCIW game -- and North Park is tied atop the standings with Carthage and Millikin at 2-1.

[Gregory Sager]

Other scores:

Carthage 77, Wheaton 59 up at Tarble
Elmhurst 67, Illinois Wesleyan 66 at Faganel
Millikin 85, Augustana 77 at the Griz

Carroll is at UW-Whitewater this evening.

As I said, NPU, Carthage, and Millikin are tied atop the standings at 2-1 going into the new year -- and NCC, Wheaton, and Illinois Wesleyan are all in last place at 1-2, a game back, with the three bye teams, Augustana, Elmhurst, and Carroll, knotted up in the middle at 1-1.

You can't ask for more parity than that.

[GoPerry]

Wheaton 59
Carthage 77

This season, holding an opponent to 77 pts would typically spell a victory for the Thunder.  But not when the shooting is well below average, 23-58 39.7%, 4/19 21% three.  That combined with the Redman shooting lights out 30-62 48% and 10-21 47.6% three spells a loss where Wheaton wasn't really in it in the 2nd half.

Richardson led Wheaton with 19 pts. Grier w 14 and 4.  VanderWoude with 10 and 8. 

AJ Johnson led Carthage w 22 pts followed by Ryan Johnson with 17 and 11.

[Gregory Sager]

Watching the Carroll @ UWW game, and it is so weird in 2026 to watch a game played by a WIAC or CCIW team in its own gym in which there is no play-by-play broadcaster calling the game. At least they left the camera mic on so that I can hear the Williams Center P.A. and the crowd.

[Gregory Sager]

Millikin led for the final 36 minutes at home against Augustana, but couldn't build a lead bigger than ten. No matter, as the Big Blue managed to keep Augie in the rear-view mirror until the final buzzer of their 85-77 win. Nate Straughter led the way with 24 (including 6-10 from deep), while Ian Winkler pumped in 22 and Lane Thomann had 21 and 7. McGrady Noyes pulled down 8 rebounds to lead the glass crew in the winning cause. Augie was paced by Cam Atkinson's 23, while Marieon Anderson and Andre Klaver had 17 and 16, respectively.

In a nip-and-tuck battle in the western suburbs, Jack Cherry hit a trey with 31 seconds left that proved to be the game-winner in Elmhurst's victory over Illinois Wesleyan. The Titans had their chances, but Casen Lawrence missed a trey with 14 seconds left, EU's Luke Smith was fouled after grabbing the defensive rebound, and, after Smith had missed the front end of a one-and-one and IWU's Karlo Colak had rebounded the ball, Bluejay forward Vinnie Adjahoungbeta stole it before Colak could get the shot off just before the final buzzer. Dom Trelenberg paced the winners with 13, and he was joined in double figures by Adjahoungbeta with 12 and Smith with 10. Noah Cleveland had another strong effort in the losing cause with 24 on 8-10 FG shooting, plus 8 rebounds, while Mason Funk had a 15 and 12 double-double and Lawrence chipped in a dozen points off the bench.

The non-con game in Wisconsin was a grind-it-out affair with no flow, interrupted by constant whistles and lengthy stoppages, and in the end UW-Whitewater outlasted a late Carroll comeback to win, 64-60. Lamar Smith was the man for the Pios with 22 and 12 (albeit with seven turnovers), while Jacob Naber and Michael McNabb each added 13.

CCIW overall: 33-19 (.635)
Home: 13-10
Away: 16-7
Neutral: 4-2

vs. ARC: 0-2
vs. C2C: 0-1
vs. CCS: 0-1
vs. HCAC: 2-0
vs. MIAA: 3-1
vs. MIAC: 4-0
vs. MWC: 8-0
vs. NACC: 9-1
vs. NCAC: 2-0
vs. SLIAC: 1-0
vs. UAA: 1-1
vs. UMAC: 1-0
vs. WIAC: 2-12

Monday's game:
Greenville (2-7) @ North Park (6-2), 4 pm