MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Gregory Sager]

Ed McGhee was interviewed by Dave McHugh on Hoopsville this evening. The interview starts at the 19:00 mark.

[Gregory Sager]

Illinois Wesleyan 79
North Park 59

Kolden Vanlandingham: 18 pts, 9 rebs, 6:0 a:to, 4 stls
Marquis Vance: 10 pts, 9 rebs
Mike Vuckovic: 10 pts

Mason Funk: 24 pts, 10 rebs
Karlo Colak: 15 pts, 7 rebs
Casen Lawrence: 15 pts (5-8 trey)
Noah Cleveland: 12 pts, 10 rebs, 4 blks

North Park played the worst half of its season in the opening stanza. It's not a coincidence that Illinois Wesleyan likewise played what's probably its best half of the season in that same half. NPU looked too scared by the length of the Titans to go into the paint, and as a result their offense never got started, while at the other end of the floor they were late on closeouts and the Titans made them pay for it. They were down by as much as 25 in the first half, and trailed by 20 at the intermission.

Still behind by 21 with under a dozen minutes to go, the Vikings finally got the run started that everyone was waiting for them to showcase, cutting the deficit to 11 with multiple chances to get it into single digits. Two problems with that run, though: One, Kolden Vanlandingham was doing all of the heavy lifting with little support. Two, the Vikings couldn't hit a shot from deep to save their lives. NPU attempted more than half of its field goal attempts from beyond the arc, and shot a hideous 5-29 (.172) from there. You're not going to come back against Maranatha Baptist shooting like that, let alone a ranked team in its own gym. The Vikings had to start gambling all over the floor, and the Titans with their trademark efficiency took what was given to them and built the lead back up.

The Vikings are a much better team than they looked today, but they fell flat on their faces with a lot of eyes on them, what with IWU being ranked and the Vikings knocking on the door of the Top 25. They need to put this game out of their minds immediately, however, because on Wednesday they're going to have just as stern as test as the one they had today, as they travel north to Tarble to take on league-leading Carthage.

[Gregory Sager]

Wow. Two buzzer-beaters today! Michael McNabb dropped in a putback off an Evan Bland miss to enable Carroll to top Millikin, 67-65, at Van Male, and Wheaton's Soren Richardson hit a trey off of a Carson Grier offensive rebound and kickout to drop North Central in the hangar, 72-71, a game in which Wheaton had the lead for only 46 seconds.

Elmhurst had a fairly easy time of it in beating Augie at Faganel, 77-64.

[iwu70]

Greg has covered it well.  I need not repeat.  IWU over NPU 79-59, holding the Vikings 30 points below their per game average. 

NPU at 32%, 17% from three/ and 73% from the line.
IWU at 49%, 46% from three/ and 65% from the line.

Lawrence is hitting his threes and playing much better defense.

Mason Funk continues to amaze defensively and with his intermediate range game off the dribble. 
Niego always key to a win like this, 3:1 ATO and running the show most of the night.

Vanlandingham had a great game, (see Greg, I can spell it!), but as Greg said, not enough around him to really challenge IWU in this one. 

A good win, IWU to 12-3, 4-2.

'70

[iwu70]

Get to 78, win the game. . .

'70