2004-05 Previews, Articles & Notes
Randy Reinhardt stories courtesy of the Bloomington Pantagraph
Hanover hinders Titans
Host IWU suffers five-point loss in Div. III tourney
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
BLOOMINGTON -- The Hanover College basketball team apparently is going to wait until it crosses the Indiana border to blink.
With an unwavering focus and a cold-blooded, almost machine-like shooting efficiency, 12th-ranked Hanover shot No. 6 Illinois Wesleyan out of the NCAA Division III Tournament Saturday.
Firing in an amazing 74 percent of their second-half shots, the Panthers ousted IWU, 81-76, before a standing room only Shirk Center crowd of 2,850.
"They played better than we did," Wesleyan coach Scott Trost said. "Give them credit. They made plays. That's the mark of a good, experienced team."
Hanover, which was knocked out of last season's NCAA Tournament by IWU, moved to 25-5 and will meet Trinity (Texas) Friday in sectional competition.
"Generally speaking, that would be good enough to beat us," Panthers' coach Mike Beitzel said of the Titans' offensive output. "But we played real well the second half. We really passed the ball well and made a lot of shots, some tough shots."
IWU (21-5) lost its NCAA Tournament opener for the first time since a 1999 defeat at Ripon.
"The last couple weeks we haven't played well. Tonight wasn't much different. We played well in spurts, but we weren't consistent for 40 minutes," said Trost. "I'm disappointed because I thought we were better than this.
"Our guys have accomplished a lot and have a lot to be proud of, but it's disappointing when the season ends like it did."
Hanover extended a 33-29 halftime lead to 41-31 with the help of three quick Tommy Dennis baskets. Dennis would connect on 8 of 9 shots and finish with 18 points.
IWU scrapped back within 43-40 when a Chris Jones rebound of a missed Titan free throw led to an Adam Dauksas 3-pointer.
A Dauksas three-point play and a fast break basket by the Wesleyan point guard forged a 47-47 tie with 12:43 remaining and brought the Shirk Center crowd to its feet.
Keelan Amelianovich nailed a 3-pointer to give IWU its first lead since 23-22, and the Titans held a 53-49 margin after a 3-pointer from the inspired Dauksas.
Yet when the home crowd was at its loudest, Hanover was at its calmest.
"We thought we had the momentum and were going to go for the kill," said Dauksas, whose 27 points were one shy of a season high. "They definitely hit some big shots."
The Panthers received rapid-fire 3-pointers from Brian Chrin, Matt Moore, Nate Minyard and Ben Lye (his first of the season) to seize a 61-55 lead.
"It's very impressive that on one or two occasions when Illinois Wesleyan made their run and the joint was jumping, we just came down and made baskets and answered," Beitzel said. "We had both our center (Dennis) and power forward (Lye) make threes. We haven't done that all year."
The Titans got back to a 61-61 tie on six straight Amelianovich points before Hanover surged ahead once again. Dennis' fifth 3-pointer of the season capped an 11-1 spurt for a 72-62 lead with 3:45 remaining.
IWU did not get closer than the final score the rest of the way.
"They do a lot of things well," said Amelianovich, who scored 23 points. "You could tell they're well coached and disciplined. They find the open man. It seemed like they made bigger shots than we did."
Eight of 10 from the field, Chrin joined Dennis with 18 points. Lye chipped in 16 and Moore 11.
The Titans outrebounded the rugged Panthers, 33-26, behind eight boards from Cory Jones and seven from Dauksas.
"They made plays. That's what you've got to do to pull it out," Cory Jones said. "We didn't all the time."
Hanover's 17 of 23 second-half shooting gave the Panthers a 54 percent mark for the game (28 of 52). The visitors' nine turnovers were four less than Wesleyan.
"That's their team," Dauksas said. "They are not going to make a whole lot of mistakes."
Neither did Wesleyan. But it was still too many.
Titans hit right notes in 2nd half to grab win
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
----------
BLOOMINGTON -- Unbeknownst to the standing room only Shirk Center crowd of 3,000, the Illinois Wesleyan and Millikin basketball teams had secretly formed a gigantic boy band prior to Saturday's game.
"Out Of Sync" debuted in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin regular-season finale for both teams.
And while Millikin continued to warble hideously the entire evening, IWU located some sense of harmony in the second half to claim a decidedly weird 74-51 victory.
"The first half was a mess," said Titans' junior Keelan Amelianovich. "We didn't play hard and there was no flow to the offense. But sometimes you have to deal with what the game brings you and persevere through what happens."
IWU, which accepted the conference championship trophy after the game, moved to 21-4 overall and 12-2 in the CCIW. The Titans will be part of the NCAA Division III Tournament pairings announced this evening.
"It was an ugly first half. We couldn't get any flow. It was foul after foul," IWU coach Scott Trost said.
"We played with a little better tempo and rhythm the second half. We certainly have to play better in the tournament."
With lone senior Steve Jeretina contributing an early basket in his first career start on Senior Nigh, IWU led 7-0 and 17-9 before hitting the offensive skids.
The Titans would hit just one shot -- a Zach Freeman dunk -- in the final 11:45 of the first half.
Remarkably, and with the help of 12 of 19 free throw shooting, IWU led 31-28 at the break despite a season-worst first-half shooting percentage of 33.3.
Millikin (12-13, 4-10 in the CCIW) was 44 percent from the field in the first half but committed 11 turnovers and 16 fouls.
"We just had trouble," Big Blue coach Tim Littrell said. "We struggled offensively all night, and that's a tough thing against Wesleyan. You usually have to outscore them. Wesleyan had a wonderful year. They are well deserving of the conference championship."
IWU led 37-35 when junior center Chris Jones nailed just his second 3-pointer of the season. Jones followed with two more baskets to extend the Titans' lead to 44-35.
"We just came out absolutely sluggish and not focused," said Jones, who scored all 11 of his points in the second half. "I wanted to try to do whatever I could to give the team a spark. We were flat."
"Chris is a high intensity player," Amelianovich said. "That's what he can do."
Wesleyan led 46-37 when official John Hodel left the court to confront a fan who had apparently been yelling at him from the first row behind the west basket. Hodel went nose-to-nose with the spectator before fellow official Trent Eshleman intervened and ejected the fan.
Adam Dauksas nailed a 3-pointer and Freeman dunked again at the 5:57 mark for a 57-41 Titan advantage.
Millikin was an abysmal 7 of 32 from the field (22 percent) in the second half and finished at 31.6 percent. Jason Fisher was the lone Big Blue player in double figures with 13 points. Millikin had 20 turnover to just six assists.
Amelianovich paced IWU with 18 points, while Freeman chipped in 16 points and nine rebounds. Cory Jones contributed nine points and 11 rebounds.
"Sometimes we have a lack of respect for opponents," Trost said. "We can't do that."
Dauksas had five assists to match Paul Petersen for fourth on the IWU career list with 377.
The Titans shot 58.6 percent in the second half and 47 percent overall.
Millikin @ #7 Illinois Wesleyan
February 26, 2005 - 7:30pm
Probable Starters:
|
||
G |
Adam Dauksas (6-3/185, JR) 14.9 pts, 3.6 reb, 5.7 assists |
Chuck Williams (6-0 SR) 17.2, 2.7 reb, 2.9 assists |
G |
Matt Arnold (5-11/160), JR) 6.2 pts, 1.4 reb |
Jason Fisher (6-2 SR) 15.2 pts, 2.5 reb |
F |
Keelan Amelianovich (6-6/210, JR) 17.7 pts, 4.8 reb |
Adam Russell (6-0 SR) 4.2 pts, 2.3 reb |
F |
Zach Freeman (6-7/205, SOPH) 14.4 pts, 6.9 reb |
Mike Gavic (6-4 SOPH) 5.5 pts, 4.0 reb |
C |
Steve Jeretina (6-7/230, SR) 0.7 pts, 0.8 reb |
Quintin Howard (6-5 JR) 9.4 pts, 5.3 reb |
Reserve 1 |
Steve Schweer, F (6-6/205, JR) 4.4 pts, 3.5 reb |
Bryon Graven, G (6-2 SOPH) 4.7 pts, 1.9 reb |
| Reserve 2 | Cory Jones, C (6-6/225, JR) 6.2 pts, 3.8 reb |
Tyler Nohren, F (6-6 FR) 3.9 pts, 3.3 reb |
Team Averages
|
Illinois Wesleyan (20-4, 11-2) |
Millikin (9-6, 1-3) |
Points Scored Per Game |
77.6 |
73.6 |
Points Allowed Per Game |
65.3 |
71.0 |
Field Goal % Avg FG Attempts Per Game |
.513 54 |
.456 57 |
Opponent's Field Goal % |
.403 |
.456 |
3-point % Avg 3-pt FG Att/Game |
.433 16 |
.400 17 |
Opponent's 3-point % |
.348 |
.325 |
Free Throw % |
.712 |
.674 |
Rebounds Per Game |
36.3 |
32.4 |
Rebounds Allowed Per Game |
31.0 |
34.3 |
| Assist to 1 T.O Ratio | 1.10 | .80 |
| Opponent's Assist to 1 T.O. Ratio | 1.00 | .80 |
Titans earn share of 3rd consecutive CCIW title
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
CHICAGO -- Second place is a noteworthy accomplishment in a quality Division III basketball league such as the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin.
For the third straight season, Illinois Wesleyan has absolutely no idea how that feels.
Second place was not an option for a Titan team unanimously picked in the preseason to win the CCIW title, and IWU made certain it was not the final outcome Wednesday at North Park Gymnasium.
Keelan Amelianovich scored a career-high 29 points as Wesleyan survived uncommonly hot North Park shooting to claim a 98-89 victory and clinch a share of its third straight CCIW championship before a crowd of 1,239.
"These kids have a lot to be proud of," said IWU coach Scott Trost of the first CCIW team to win three straight titles in 25 years. "It's quite a tribute to them and their work ethic. It's a great accomplishment."
Ranked No. 7 nationally, Wesleyan (20-4, 11-2 in the CCIW) hit the 20-win plateau for the eighth time in the past 11 seasons.
"To clinch a share feels awesome," Amelianovich said, "but it's not as good as an outright title."
The Titans can sew up that outright championship and the CCIW's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament Saturday in the regular-season finale against Millikin at Shirk Center. A loss by Wheaton (9-3 in the CCIW) either today at Augustana or Saturday at Carthage also would do the trick.
"Everyone says smile," said a still reserved Trost. "I'll smile after Saturday if we get a win."
IWU enjoyed a collective grin after scoring 20 points in the first 6:13 of the second half to assume a 67-46 advantage. Wesleyan led 79-53 when North Park (4-20, 0-13) started tossing in 3-pointers from the suburbs.
The Vikings connected on 9 of 12 second-half shots from beyond the arc and finished an uncanny 14 of 22 (63.6 percent) on 3-point attempts.
"They shot the living daylights out of it," Trost marveled. "And they hit tough shots."
Senior Lamar Townsend scored a career-high 29 points in his final home game. Cory Wilks also nailed four 3-pointers and finished with 16 points.
The Vikings rallied within 83-69 with 5:57 remaining. And even after the decision was sealed, North Park made three 3-pointers in the final minute to tidy up a final margin that stood at 97-80 with just over a minute to go.
"Give North Park all the credit in the world," said IWU center Chris Jones, who totaled 10 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. "We had them down and they kept fighting the whole game."
The Titans reached a season-high point total with the help of 19 from junior point guard Adam Dauksas, who pushed his career total to 1,005 points and became the 35th member of IWU's 1,000-point club.
"It feels great, but we're not done," said Dauksas, who also had six assists, five rebounds and three steals. "We were picked first and we want to finish that out."
Zach Freeman added 13 points and Matt Arnold 12 as all five Wesleyan starters reached double figures. Freeman also grabbed eight rebounds as the taller, more muscular Titans controlled the boards, 32-22.
"Coach wanted us to take advantage of that from the beginning and play physical," Jones said of IWU's size advantage.
That became a bit difficult in the first half because Amelianovich seemingly couldn't miss from the perimeter.
The junior forward connected on 8 of 10 first-half shots, including 5 of 7 from 3-point range, for 22 points as the Titans took a 47-37 lead into the break.
"The guys did a great job setting screens and that left me wide open," said Amelianovich. "It feels great to finally get in a good rhythm."
Wesleyan shot just under 70 percent (16 of 23) in a wild second half that saw 103 points and finished at 61 percent (33 of 54) while making 24 of 27 free throws for 89 percent.
North Park, which also received 20 points from Brett Mathisen, shot 60.6 percent in the second half and 54 percent overall. The Vikings stayed within range aided by 10 assists and just one turnover in the opening half.
The last CCIW team to capture three consecutive league titles was North Park from 1978 to '80.
#7 Illinois Wesleyan @ North Park
February 23, 2005 - 7:30pm
Probable Starters:
|
||
G |
Adam Dauksas (6-3/185, JR) 14.7 pts, 3.5 reb, 5.7 assists |
Cory Wilks (5-10/170, SOPH) 6.6 pts, 1.7 reb, 1.7 assists |
G |
Matt Arnold (5-11/160), JR) 5.9 pts, 1.5 reb |
Matt Lindahl (6-0/195, SR) 5.1 pts, 1.2 reb |
F |
Keelan Amelianovich (6-6/210, JR) 17.2 pts, 5.0 reb |
Lamar Townsend (6-3/185, SR) 11.9 pts, 2.5 reb |
F |
Zach Freeman (6-7/205, SOPH) 14.5 pts, 6.8 reb |
Brett Mathisen (6-5/210, JR) 11.6 pts, 6.3 reb |
C |
Chris Jones (6-6/210, JR) 6.5 pts, 6.3 reb |
Jay Alexander (6-6/175, FR) 4.0 pts, 4.6 reb |
Reserve 1 |
Steve Schweer, F (6-6/205, JR) 4.4 pts, 3.7 reb |
Eric Samuelson (6-5/185, JR) 4.6 pts, 2.3 reb |
| Reserve 2 | Cory Jones, C (6-6/225, JR) 6.4 pts, 6.1 reb |
Mike Peterson (6-5/185, JR) 5.4 pts, 1.9 reb |
Team Averages
|
Illinois Wesleyan (19-4, 10-2) |
North Park (4-19, 0-12) |
Points Scored Per Game |
76.7 |
65.0 |
Points Allowed Per Game |
64.3 |
74.8 |
Field Goal % Avg FG Attempts Per Game |
.509 54 |
.413 59 |
Opponent's Field Goal % |
.396 |
.488 |
3-point % Avg 3-pt FG Att/Game |
.420 15 |
.319 17 |
Opponent's 3-point % |
.336 |
.356 |
Free Throw % |
.702 |
.669 |
Rebounds Per Game |
36.5 |
31.9 |
Rebounds Allowed Per Game |
31.3 |
35.1 |
| Assist to 1 T.O Ratio | 1.10 | .80 |
| Opponent's Assist to 1 T.O. Ratio | .90 | .90 |
Free throws save Titans
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
-----
NAPERVILLE -- For 39 minutes, 58 seconds, Monday's basketball game at Merner Fieldhouse was just like the North Central baton twirler's instrument of entertainment.
Up in the air.
Yet when the final shot -- unlike the expertly handled baton -- hit the floor, Illinois Wesleyan retained what had looked like a slippery grip on sole possession of first place in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin.
Matt Arnold cooly connected on four free throws in the final 20 seconds, and IWU survived a Ray Vicario last-ditch 3-point attempt to escape with a tense 73-70 victory before a crowd of 450.
"We were resilient down the stretch and hit some clutch free throws," IWU coach Scott Trost said. "Championship teams find a way to win on the road when they don't play their best."
No. 9-ranked Wesleyan (19-4 overall) is one win away from sewing up a share of its third straight CCIW championship. The Titans (10-2 in the CCIW) moved a full game ahead of second-place Wheaton (9-3) and meet league cellar dweller North Park in Chicago Wednesday.
After two Adam Dauksas free throws at the 33-second mark, North Central (14-10, 4-9) got back within 69-67 on a Daniel Walton shot.
Two Arnold free throws extended the IWU margin to 71-67 before Vicario tossed in a 3-pointer with 13 seconds showing to shave the Titan lead to one.
Arnold again converted two foul shots with 10 seconds left. Vicario's 3-point attempt bounced off the mark with two seconds left, and Cory Jones' rebound sealed the Wesleyan victory.
"You have to go up with confidence. I know I'm a good free throw shooter," Arnold said. "I like to be in those spots. Opportunity is what it's all about.
"We showed a lot of maturity at the end. A win here, if it's three or 20 points, is a good win. They play really well here."
Playing without junior guard Mike Wilson, who scored 34 points earlier this season against IWU at Shirk Center, because of an ankle injury, North Central did not surrender the lead until a Zach Freeman three-point play with 5:59 left gave IWU a 59-58 edge.
"Our kids played hard. We had kids make plays for 37 minutes, they had it for 40," said Cardinals' coach Todd Raridon. "Give Illinois Wesleyan credit. They didn't panic and 22 (Dauksas) and 30 (Freeman) stepped up and made plays when they had to."
Freeman scored 14 of his team-high 20 points in the second half. It was the sophomore's first 20-point game since Dec. 4.
"I challenged Zach at halftime and he responded real well," Trost said. "He played more inspired the second half."
Keelan Amelianovich added 13 points and Jones and Dauksas chipped in 10 each. Jones led Wesleyan to a 32-21 rebounding advantage with a game-high nine boards. The Titans committed just seven turnovers.
The Cardinals showed from the beginning that despite having lost eight of their last nine, they weren't going to roll over for the league leaders.
North Central shot out to a 13-5 lead on a Walton 3-pointer. IWU closed its deficit to 22-19 before another Cardinals' spurt saw an Adam Krumtinger basket push the North Central lead at 30-22.
Two Freeman free throws brought Wesleyan within 32-30, but a driving basket from Vicario with three seconds showing sent North Central into the locker room with a 34-30 lead.
It marked just the fifth time all season IWU trailed at the half.
"I don't really know how to explain why we keep playing like that, but we can't keep doing it," Freeman said of IWU's slow start. "It's frustrating individually and as a team."
Walton finished with a career-high 24 points, while Anthony Simmons scored 17 and Vicario 14. North Central hit 26 of 47 shots from the field (55 percent) to become the first IWU opponent all season to exceed 50 percent.
"We turned the ball over the last two minutes at two key times," said Raridon. "They took advantage both times. That's what good teams do."
Krumtinger, a Normal Community High School teammate of Zach and Andrew Freeman, had four points and four rebounds off the bench.
# 9 Illinios Wesleyan @ North Central
February 21, 2005 - 7:30pm, Gregory Arena
Probable Starters:
|
||
G |
Adam Dauksas (6-3/185, JR) 14.9 pts, 3.5 reb, 5.9 assists |
Ray Viccario (6-0/170, JR) 9.3 pts, 2.2 reb, 2.7 assists |
G |
Matt Arnold (5-11/160), JR) 5.8 pts, 1.5 reb |
Mike Wilson (6-4/170, JR) 14.3 pts, 5.1 reb |
F |
Keelan Amelianovich (6-6/210, JR) 17.4 pts, 5.1 reb |
Patrick Flanagan (6-3/170, SR) 5.2 pts, 3.3 reb |
F |
Zach Freeman (6-7/205, SOPH) 14.2 pts, 6.8 reb |
Daniel Walton (6-5/180, SOPH) 12.8 pts, 6.2 reb |
C |
Chris Jones (6-6/210, JR) 6.6 pts, 6.5 reb |
Anthony Simmons, F/C (6-6/225, SOPH) 14.8 pts, 6.1 reb |
Reserve 1 |
Steve Schweer, F (6-6/205, JR) 4.5 pts, 3.8 reb |
Adam Krumtinger (6-7/220, SOPH) 8.6 pts, 3.8 reb |
| Reserve 2 | Cory Jones, C (6-6/225, JR) 6.0 pts, 3.6 reb |
Adam Teising, G (5-11/160, JR) 4.0 pts, 2.1 reb |
Team Averages
|
Illinois Wesleyan (18-4, 9-2) |
North Central (14-9, 4-8) |
Points Scored Per Game |
76.9 |
73.7 |
Points Allowed Per Game |
64.0 |
68.3 |
Field Goal % Avg FG Attempts Per Game |
.508 54 |
.521 51 |
Opponent's Field Goal % |
.391 |
.421 |
3-point % Avg 3-pt FG Att/Game |
.436 16 |
.387 13 |
Opponent's 3-point % |
.331 |
.352 |
Free Throw % |
.706 |
.681 |
Rebounds Per Game |
36.7 |
33.7 |
Rebounds Allowed Per Game |
31.8 |
30.1 |
| Assist to 1 T.O Ratio | 1.10 | 1.30 |
| Opponent's Assist to 1 T.O. Ratio | .90 | .90 |
Titans pick up defense, victory
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
-----
ELMHURST -- Scott Trost did the math and quickly decided the only thing adding up was the Elmhurst College point total.
After a switch in defense and a strongly encouraged switch in mindset of his Illinois Wesleyan basketball team, Trost is suddenly extremely fond of the numbers that make up the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin standings.
IWU held Elmhurst to 20 second-half points and seized firm control of the CCIW championship race Saturday with a 75-59 victory before a season-high Faganel Hall crowd of 1,780.
"I told them (his players) defense was going to win us some games and it did," Trost said. "It was a big win, a complete team victory."
The No. 9-ranked Titans moved to 18-4 overall and 9-2 in the CCIW, while dropping Elmhurst (16-7, 8-4) two games back in the loss column.
With Wheaton (9-3 in league play) in second, IWU needs two wins in its final three games to clinch a share of the conference championship and the CCIW's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
Elmhurst held a 25-19 lead with 9:33 left in the first half. Noting the Bluejays were nearly on pace for 100 points, Trost switched to a man-to-man defense.
"We went man and our kids fought back," said Trost. "Maybe it made the kids a little more aggressive."
"Defend. We had to get out there and defend," Wesleyan junior center Cory Jones said. "We played defense the second half much better than the first half. I felt they played harder the first half."
Elmhurst coach Mark Scherer felt the fact IWU rallied to take a 40-39 halftime lead was critical.
"Our kids really needed to believe they could beat Wesleyan," Scherer said. "It was only a one-point lead, but it really shook our confidence. The second half we pressed and missed shots we were making against Wheaton (in a key win Wednesday)."
The Titans extended their edge to 53-43 on a Jones basket with 12:24 left. Jones also scored the next six IWU points and finished with a season-high 15 points off the bench.
"That's the Cory we know from last year," said Trost, who started Chris Jones in place of Cory after Cory did not score Wednesday at Carthage. "That's the mark of a junior leader and captain. He responded in a positive way."
"I felt like I was due," Cory Jones said. "I was thinking too much. I just played the way I know how to play."
The Bluejays pulled within 55-52 on a Nick Michael 3-pointer with 7:38 left. But a 12-3 IWU run that featured an Adam Dauksas 3-pointer from the corner was capped by a Keelan Amelianovich three-point play that produced a 67-55 margin at the 2:46 mark.
The second of two straight Steve Schweer inside baskets pushed the Wesleyan advantage to 71-55 and brought a triumphant fist pump from Trost.
"It was basically just intensity. We picked up the intensity and it paid off," Schweer said. "It was a pretty pivotal game for us."
Amelianovich matched Cory Jones with 15 points. Dauksas added 13 and Zach Freeman contributed 11 points and eight rebounds for IWU, which shot 61 percent in the second half and 55 percent overall.
Michael scored a game-high 18 points for Elmhurst. The Bluejays slumped badly to 34 percent shooting from the field after hitting 10 of their first 16 shots.
"We missed open shots. I didn't feel like Wesleyan did anything different other than they locked down on me a little more," said Elmhurst junior and CCIW top scorer Chris Martin of Eureka. "I feed off my defense and I wasn't necessarily getting that the second half."
Martin scored just two of his 13 points in the second half. Evan Patchett added 12 and David Gershenzon 10 for the Bluejays.
"It's a good win against a good team, but it's one win," Trost said. "We have a big game Monday, and we don't need to give this one back."
IWU travels to Naperville Monday to meet North Central in the makeup of a contest that was postponed Jan. 22 because of inclement weather.
#9 Illinois Wesleyan @ Elmhurst
February 19, 2005
Probable Starters:
|
||
G |
Adam Dauksas (6-3/185, JR) 15.0 pts, 3.5 reb, 6.0 assists |
Craig Schau (6-1/190, SR) 4.2 pts, 1.8 reb, 2.0 assists |
G |
Matt Arnold (5-11/160), JR) 5.7 pts, 1.5 reb |
Chris Ihlenfeldt (6-1/185, JR) 5.4 pts, 1.8 reb |
F |
Keelan Amelianovich (6-6/210, JR) 17.5 pts, 5.2 reb |
Chris Martin (6-6/205, JR) 17.7 pts, 8.6 reb |
F |
Zach Freeman (6-7/205, SOPH) 14.4 pts, 6.8 reb |
Jay Bizzolara (6-3/210, SOPH) 4.9 pts, 1.9 reb |
C |
Chris Jones (6-6/210, JR) 6.6 pts, 6.6 reb |
Nick Michael (6-10/220, SOPH) 12.4 pts, 4.7 reb |
Reserve 1 |
Steve Schweer, F (6-6/205, JR) 4.5 pts, 4.6 reb |
David Gershenzon, G (6-2/180, JR) 11.7 pts, 1.5 reb |
| Reserve 2 | Andrew Freeman, F (6-6/200, JR) 5.3 pts, 2.8 reb |
Andrew Mohney, C (6-7/200, JR)
2.0 pts, 3.3 reb |
Team Averages
|
Illinois Wesleyan (17-4, 8-2) |
Elmhurst (16-6, 8-3) |
Points Scored Per Game |
77.0 |
71.7 |
Points Allowed Per Game |
64.2 |
67.5 |
Field Goal % Avg FG Attempts Per Game |
.506 54 |
.474 54 |
Opponent's Field Goal % |
.393 |
.468 |
3-point % Avg 3-pt FG Att/Game |
.440 16 |
.379 16 |
Opponent's 3-point % |
.332 |
.384 |
Free Throw % |
.709 |
.731 |
Rebounds Per Game |
36.9 |
32.1 |
Rebounds Allowed Per Game |
31.8 |
28.2 |
| Assist to 1 T.O Ratio | 1.10 | .84 |
| Opponent's Assist to 1 T.O. Ratio | .90 | .81 |
Titans grab lead and don't let go
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
-----
KENOSHA, Wis. -- The Illinois Wesleyan basketball team is back where it wants to be and four games from getting where it wants to go.
The Titans pulled away with a 10-0 second-half spurt and held tight for a 76-68 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin victory over Carthage on Wednesday night before a Physical Education Center crowd of 1,375.
"We were not losing this game," said junior guard Adam Dauksas, who missed a career high by one with 28 points. "We needed to have it and we need the rest of them. We found a way. That's the most important part."
The No. 9-ranked Titans (17-4, 8-2 in the CCIW) snapped a two-game losing streak and moved back into first place in the conference. Elmhurst's victory over Wheaton on Wednesday left both teams at 8-3 ahead of IWU's showdown Saturday at Elmhurst.
"It was not always pretty, but we gutted it out," IWU coach Scott Trost said. "Anytime you win it's a confidence builder. I hope this will help us get our confidence back. But it's still not the team I saw out there two weeks ago."
Carthage (11-11, 5-6) had the tempo in its favor and trailed just 55-54 after a Navarro Thompson basket with 7:04 remaining.
"I don't think we could ask for any more," Redmen coach Bosko Djurickovic said. "But we're a closer short. We had some good individual efforts, but we can't quite finish."
Dauksas started the pivotal run with a bank shot, and Chris Jones put back a rebound basket.
After two Zach Freeman free throws, Jones took a charge that led to two Dauksas free throws. Two more Freeman free throws gave IWU a 65-54 lead at the 3:42 mark.
"Chris really gave us a big lift," said Trost. "He was aggressive and played well down the stretch."
Jones scored all 10 of his points and grabbed six of his eight rebounds in the second half.
"I was a lot more aggressive," Jones said. "Coach got into us at halftime about the posts playing harder. I took it personally and gave it my all. I'm happy to help the team win."
Carthage did rally within 72-66 in the final minute. But Dauksas, who was 8 of 9 from the field and 12 of 13 from the free throw line, kept Wesleyan in control with four free throws in the final 52 seconds.
"It's Dauksas' team like it was McDaniel's team," Djurickovic said of Antoine McDaniel, his former standout point guard. "We won 94 games in four years, but now the shoe is on the other foot."
Carthage was effective at all but eliminating the IWU fast break. However, the Titans shot 52 percent from the field and outrebounded the Redmen, 32-19.
"They were playing some junk defenses and slowing us down," said Trost. "But we maintained our poise and made sure we got good shots every time down."
Matt Arnold added 15 points on 5 of 8 3-point shooting for IWU. The junior guard ran into a pick and was knocked unconscious with 3:19 remaining and did not return. IWU trainer Bill Kauth said Arnold suffered a mild concussion.
"I don't know. All of a sudden I'm on my back," Arnold said. "Everything went blind. I've got a headache, but that's it."
Titan junior forward Keelan Amelianovich was held to a season-low five points, just the second time all season he didn't reach double figures. Freeman chipped in 11 points.
Mike Hart paced the Redmen with 23 points, while Kevin Menard added 13 and Kyle Jeffery 10. Carthage's leading scorer and rebounder, Pat Kalmatas, started but left the game in the opening minute because of a hip injury and did not return.
The Titans, who made 21 of 24 free throws, led by as much as 32-25 in the first half as Arnold connected on one of his four 3-pointers before the break.
Carthage responded with seven straight points for the fifth tie of the half. Five Dauksas points over the final two minutes sent Wesleyan into the locker room with a 39-35 halftime lead.
#9 Illinois Wesleyan @ Carthage
February 16, 2005 - 7:30pm
Radio - Broadcastmonsters.com (Carthage broadcast)
Probable Starters
|
||
G |
Adam Dauksas (6-3/185, JR) 14.4 pts, 3.5 reb, 6.1 assists |
Navarro Thompson (5-8/140, SOPH) 3.5 pts, 1.7 reb, 1.9 assists |
G |
Matt Arnold (5-11/160), JR) 5.3 pts, 1.5 reb |
Kevin Menard (6-6/205, SR) 13.1 pts, 4.7 reb |
F |
Keelan Amelianovich (6-6/210, JR) 18.1 pts, 5.3 reb |
Kyle Jeffery (6-6/225, FR) 6.8 pts, 4.2 reb |
F |
Zach Freeman (6-7/205, SOPH) 14.6 pts, 6.9 reb |
Brian Schlemm (6-7/235, SOPH) 10.0 pts, 3.4 reb |
C |
Cory Jones (6-6/225, JR) 5.6 pts, 3.8 reb |
Pat Kalamatas (6-5/220, SR) 13.1 pts, 8.3 reb |
Reserve 1 |
Steve Schweer, F (6-6/205, JR) 4.5 pts, 3.8 reb |
Malik Imani, G (6-2/210, FR) 7.3 pts, 3.3 reb |
| Reserve 2 | Jason Fisher, G (6-2/206, JR) 5.5 pts, 1.7 reb |
Mark Morrison, F (6-6/230, JR) 8.8 pts, 4.0 reb |
Team Averages
|
Illinois Wesleyan (16-4, 7-2) |
Carthage (11-10, 5-5) |
Points Scored Per Game |
77.0 |
72.4 |
Points Allowed Per Game |
64.1 |
69.8 |
Field Goal % Avg FG Attempts Per Game |
.505 56 |
.428 59 |
Opponent's Field Goal % |
.389 |
.444 |
3-point % Avg 3-pt FG Att/Game |
.437 16 |
.355 21 |
Opponent's 3-point % |
.332 |
.356 |
Free Throw % |
.700 |
.646 |
Rebounds Per Game |
37.1 |
37.2 |
Rebounds Allowed Per Game |
32.4 |
35.3 |
| Assist to 1 T.O Ratio | 1.10 | 1.10 |
| Opponent's Assist to 1 T.O. Ratio | .90 | .90 |
Augustana deals top-ranked IWU 2nd straight loss
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
ROCK ISLAND -- The Illinois Wesleyan basketball team has gone from ranked No. 1 in the nation to second in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin in two games.
The No. 1-ranked Titans sparred with a determined Augustana team all evening and could not land the final blow as IWU dropped a heartbreaking 77-76 game before a suddenly enthusiastic Carver Center crowd of 1,804.
Adam Dauksas' driving shot bounced off the back of the rim in the final seconds, and IWU lost its second game in four days to slip to 16-4 overall and 7-2 in the CCIW, one half-game behind 8-2 Wheaton.
"They wanted it more and fought harder than we did," IWU coach Scott Trost said. "Turnovers and offensive rebounds, those two things (hurt us)."
Augustana outrebounded Wesleyan, 18-12, in the second half with nine off the offensive glass while improving to 14-7 and 6-4 in the CCIW.
"They came to play and beat us mentally, physically and in every single aspect," Titans' forward Steve Schweer said. "We didn't come to play and they took it from us."
IWU finds itself in a similar position to last season when the Titans lost back-to-back games to Wheaton and North Park. Wesleyan responded by winning their final 10 CCIW games and advancing to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
"We're still tied for first (in the loss column)," said Trost. "These guys (his players) have to decide."
In a second half that featured 11 ties and saw neither team lead by more than five points, Augustana's Rick Harrigan capitalized on an IWU defensive breakdown for an uncontested layup to give the Vikings a 77-74 lead with 1:16 remaining.
A Dauksas drive at the 45-second mark pulled Wesleyan within a point.
After an Augustana miss, IWU's Cory Jones went to the free throw line with eight seconds left. Jones' one-and-bonus free throw danced around the rim before dropping off.
Jay McAdams-Thornton then missed a free throw, giving IWU one final chance. But Dauksas, who had kept the Titans in the game with his slashing drives, could not get the final shot to drop.
"We played with a lot of energy and we're pretty good at home," said Vikings' coach Grey Giovanine. "We had to make tough shots and get loose balls to beat a team of this caliber. It's a great win for us."
Harrigan topped Augustana with 23 points. Among his five 3-pointers was a crucial shot with 2:45 remaining and the shot clock at three that gave the Vikings a 73-72 edge they would not relinquish.
The Titans lost despite shooting 68 percent from the field in the second half (19 of 28) and 58 percent overall (32 of 55).
"We will not win a single game if we turn the ball over like that," Schweer said of IWU's 18 turnovers. "I don't feel we had a team full of guys who played their hardest. We have to figure that out."
Dauksas led Wesleyan with 23 points, while Keelan Amelianovich added 16, Zach Freeman 13 and Cory Jones 11. Jones pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds.
Drawing energy from a crowd that dwarfed the 153 people who witnessed their loss to Elmhurst Wednesday, the Vikings stormed to an 11-3 lead. Wesleyan regrouped quickly with 14 straight points for a 17-11 margin in a spurt capped by an Amelianovich dunk.
Harrigan's 12 first-half points helped Augustana rally for a 33-33 halftime tie.
"We made some adjustments to attack their zone that helped us get better looks than the last two times we played them," said Giovanine, whose team lost to IWU, 67-52, Jan. 19 in Bloomington. "We played great defense a number of times, and they still made baskets. That's why they're so good."
Joe Baumann contributed 13 points, and McAdams-Thornton 12 points and nine rebounds. Drew Wessels had eight points and six of the Vikings' 10 steals.
IWU plays the second of five straight road games Wednesday against Carthage in Kenosha, Wis.
#1 Illinois Wesleyan @ Augustana
February 12, 2005 - 7:30pm, Carver P.E. Center
Probable Starters (CCIW-only stats):
|
||
G |
Adam Dauksas (6-3/185, JR) 14.0 pts, 2.8 reb, 5.9 assists |
Drew Wessels (6-0/160, SOPH) 7.6 pts, 2.4 reb, 3.8 assists |
G |
Matt Arnold (5-11/160), JR) 9.9 pts, 4.3 reb |
Rick Harrigan (6-3/210, JR) 12.0 pts, 3.4 reb |
F |
Keelan Amelianovich (6-6/210, JR) 17.8 pts, 5.5 reb |
Jay McAdams-Thorton (6-3/210, JR) 15.3 pts, 6.0 reb |
F |
Zach Freeman (6-7/205, SOPH) 16.0 pts, 6.3 reb |
Matt Salisbury (6-4/220, SR) 6.8 pts, 4.0 reb |
C |
Cory Jones (6-6/225, JR) 7.5 pts, 3.5 reb |
Travis Hoyt (6-6/220, SR) 7.8 pts, 4.2 reb |
Reserve 1 |
Chris Jones, C (6-6/210, JR) 7.3 pts, 6.4 reb |
Joe Baumann, G (6-3/210, JR) 5.7 pts, 2.4 reb |
| Reserve 2 | Steve Schweer, F (6-6/205, JR) 4.1 pts, 3.0 reb |
Shaun Rose, F (6-5/200, SOPH) 6.8 pts, 3.4 reb |
| Reserve 3 | Jason Fisher, G (6-2/206, JR) 4.0 pts, 1.2 reb |
Joe Caricato (6-9/237, SOPH) 3.6 pts, 3.3 reb |
| Reserve 4 | Andrew Freeman, F (6-6/200, SOPH)
9.9 pts, 4.3 reb |
Jordan Delp (6-0/165, FR) 2.6 pts, 1.3 reb |
Team Averages (CCIW-only stats)
|
Illinois Wesleyan (16-3, 7-1) |
Augustana (13-7, 5-4) |
Points Scored Per Game |
79.0 |
71.0 |
Points Allowed Per Game |
66.4 |
68.0 |
Field Goal % Avg FG Attempts Per Game |
.541 55 |
.456 58 |
Opponent's Field Goal % |
.416 |
.433 |
3-point % Avg 3-pt FG Att/Game |
.513 14 |
.396 13 |
Opponent's 3-point % |
.408 |
.364 |
Free Throw % |
.718 |
.724 |
Rebounds Per Game |
33.8 |
35.0 |
Rebounds Allowed Per Game |
31.1 |
34.4 |
| Assist to 1 T.O Ratio | 1.2 | .80 |
| Opponent's Assist to 1 T.O. Ratio | .90 | .80 |
Wheaton shoots past No. 1 Titans
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
-----
BLOOMINGTON -- The race for the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin basketball championship could have been all but over.
Wheaton College emphatically declared Wednesday at Shirk Center that it has only begun.
Exhibiting superior marksmanship from beyond the 3-point arc and at the free throw line, the No. 9-ranked Thunder pulled within a half-game of No. 1 Illinois Wesleyan in the CCIW with an 86-74 victory before a crowd of 2,750.
"We've given everybody else in this league hope," IWU coach Scott Trost said. "We're still in the lead. We've got to play six teams we've beaten, and we're done playing Wheaton."
The Titans dropped to 16-3 overall and 7-1 in the CCIW with their first loss since December. Second-place Wheaton is 17-3 and 7-2 in conference play after its seventh straight victory.
IWU had a nine-game winning streak snapped. Wesleyan also had won 17 consecutive CCIW games overall, 20 games in a row at Shirk and 21 straight conference contests at home.
"I look at it this way, it was a wake up call," said Titans' junior Cory Jones. "It showed us we're not invincible. I'm not saying our guys thought that, but sometimes you need that loss. We've got to improve on what our mistakes were tonight. But it's a loss. It still hurts."
Wheaton was 13 of 25 from 3-point range and connected on 23 of 25 free throws while handing Wesleyan just its 11th loss overall (133-11) and its seventh CCIW loss (66-7) in nearly 11 full seasons at Shirk.
"We maintained the poise," Thunder coach Bill Harris said. "Last year here we were up nine with seven minutes left and we just lost our poise. This year we made our free throws. That's critical against great teams."
IWU led 56-53 after a Cory Jones basket with 11:43 remaining. Wheaton responded with the game-deciding run.
The Thunder reeled off 14 straight points for a 67-56 lead in a stretch that included a controversial call and a technical on Trost.
With Wheaton leading 62-56, Wesleyan's Steve Schweer drove hard to the basket and hit the shot. From near mid court, official Eric Anderson overruled a call from another official under the basket. The shot was nullified and Schweer was instead called for a charge.
"The official underneath the basket had a block," Trost said. "They didn't even talk about it. It was a big call, that's all I'll say."
After a three-point play by Jonathan Steven, Anderson whistled Trost for a technical. The resulting two Kent Raymond free throws put Wheaton ahead 67-56.
An Adam Dauksas driving basket and one Cory Jones free throw brought the Titans within 78-72 with 1:19 left. But Wheaton's free throw shooting kept IWU at bay.
"They are a really good team and they played really hard," said Wesleyan junior guard Adam Dauksas. "We got the momentum and they got it right back with a three or a drive to the basket. We didn't get out and defend the ball like we should, and they hit some open shots."
Dauksas scored 24 points and handed out six assists, while fellow junior Keelan Amelianovich had 23 points and a game-high eight rebounds.
Raymond was perfect on 11 free throws and led the Thunder with 23 points. Jon Nielson and Steven added 18 each, Trimiew had 12 and Andrew Lettinga contributed a key 11 points off the bench.
"Our shot selection was disciplined," Harris said. "They have a hard time guarding us man (to man) because of the matchups."
The Titans, who had not given up more than 73 points in a game all season, shot 54.5 percent from the floor and outrebounded Wheaton, 32-25.
"They shot the ball well and we didn't execute against their pressure," said Trost. "Rather than look at what we didn't do, I would rather look at what they did do. And they played very, very well."
Another large momentum swing came near the end of the first half. After IWU's Chris Jones missed an uncontested layup, Steven tossed in a 24-foot 3-pointer with one second remaining for a 43-38 Wheaton margin.
The Titans begin a stretch of five consecutive road games Saturday at Augustana.
"You better believe when we get into practice (Thursday) everybody will be focused," said Cory Jones, who had nine points. "We all hate to lose. Hate to lose."
#8 Wheaton @ #1 Illinois Wesleyan
February 9, 2005 - 7:30pm, Shirk Center
Probable Starters (CCIW-only stats):
|
||
G |
Adam Dauksas (6-3/185, JR) 12.6 pts, 3.0 reb, 5.9 assists |
Jon Nielson (6-0/185, SR) 13.5 pts, 2.5 reb, 5.6 reb |
G |
Matt Arnold (5-11/160), JR) 10.9 pts, 1.9 reb |
Kent Raymond (6-2/185, FR) 19.1 pts, 2.9 reb |
F |
Keelan Amelianovich (6-6/210, JR) 17.0 pts, 5.1 reb |
Jonathan Steven (6-5/220, SR) 11.9 pts, 6.9 reb |
F |
Andrew Freeman (6-6/200, SOPH) 10.1 pts, 4.4 reb |
Martin Trimiew (6-3/210, SR) 9.4 pts, 6.0 reb |
C |
Chris Jones (6-6/210, JR) 7.7 pts, 6.6 reb |
Jim Fortosis (6-8/220, SR) 7.6 pts, 4.9 reb |
Reserve 1 |
Steve Schweer, F (6-6/205, JR) 4.4 pts, 2.9 reb |
Tony Bollier, G (6-2/180, JR) 5.0 pts, 1.5 reb |
| Reserve 2 | Jason Fisher, G (6-2/206, JR) 4.6 pts, 1.0 reb |
Andrew Lettinga, F (6-7/200, JR)
5.6 pts, 3.3 reb |
| Reserve 3 | Cory Jones, C (6-6/225, JR) 4.4 pts, 2.9 reb |
Michael Fiddler, F (6-6/190, SOPH)
1.5 pts, 1.5 reb |
Team Averages (CCIW-only stats)
|
Illinois Wesleyan (16-2, 7-0) |
Wheaton (16-3, 6-2) |
Points Scored Per Game |
79.7 |
75.2 |
Points Allowed Per Game |
63.6 |
72.8 |
Field Goal % Avg FG Attempts Per Game |
.541 54 |
.465 55 |
Opponent's Field Goal % |
.409 |
.466 |
3-point % Avg 3-pt FG Att/Game |
.535 14 |
.425 21 |
Opponent's 3-point % |
.389 |
.376 |
Free Throw % |
.730 |
.752 |
Rebounds Per Game |
34.0 |
32.4 |
Rebounds Allowed Per Game |
32.0 |
33.1 |
| Assist to 1 T.O Ratio | 1.3 | 1.0 |
| Opponent's Assist to 1 T.O. Ratio | .80 | .70 |
Titans answer coach's prayers
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
-----
BLOOMINGTON -- Scott Trost has been preaching.
And when the Illinois Wesleyan basketball coach opened his locker room door after Saturday's game against Carthage, he heard from the choir.
"FORTY MINUTES," the Titans yelled in unison, their voices clearly heard well beyond the room's confines.
Trost was in total agreement that his team had delivered that coveted "40 minutes" of fine play after IWU thrashed Carthage, 91-67, before a standing room only Shirk Center crowd of 2,900.
"I challenged them that we hadn't played 40 minutes in awhile," Trost said. "We were searching, and we found it. The challenge now is to keep it there."
The No. 1-ranked Titans withstood an early Carthage 3-point barrage and matched a season high with 12 3-pointers of their own while improving to 16-2 overall and 7-0 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin.
"That's probably the closest to a good 40 minutes we've had all year," said junior Keelan Amelianovich. "It's a great feeling to put a game together. The team is happy, and I'm sure Coach is happy to be 7-0 in the league."
The Titans have won nine straight games, 17 consecutive CCIW games and 20 home contests in a row.
"They are as good as anybody in the country at the offensive end. They have a chance to have a special season," Carthage coach Bosko Djurickovic said. "We do have some talented kids. This was a benchmark for us. We wanted to see where we're at and we found out. We're not very good. We got our butt kicked."
Amelianovich scored 19 of his 27 points in the second half to fall one short of a season and career high. The 6-foot-6 forward was 9 of 15 from the field, 5 of 7 from 3-point range and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
"He showed tonight why he's an All-American," Trost said. "He has a quick release and he can shoot over people inside. He's developing his game."
Carthage (11-9, 5-4) led 18-15 with all of the Redmen points coming on six 3-pointers in 11 tries.
"We knew they would hit some. They're good players," said Trost. "But could they continue that the whole game?"
They could not. The Redmen cooled down considerably to finish at 11 of 31 from beyond the arc.
IWU scored 13 straight points to extend a one-point lead to 39-25 and led 43-31 at the half.
"Coach gets on us about playing 40 minutes and we got pretty close," junior point guard Adam Dauksas said. "We did it together. That's the best part. We were running, sharing the ball and making the extra pass. It all clicked."
Dauksas celebrated his 21st birthday a day late with 12 points, seven assists, six rebounds and two blocks.
Wesleyan led 53-33 after an Amelianovich steal and layup and enjoyed a 73-46 margin after an Andrew Freeman alley oop dunk on a Dauksas feed.
"You have to stop their transition game and that's impossible," Djurickovic said. "And you have to make them work to get harder shots. We didn't do either one."
The Titans made two-thirds of their second-half shots (18 of 27) and finished at 58.3 percent from the field (35 of 60) while reaching the 90-point mark for the fourth time this season.
"We were solid in all areas," Trost said. "I didn't think they could guard us in transition. We were quicker at almost every spot."
Kevin Menard was 6 of 11 from 3-point range and led Carthage with 24 points. Brian Schlemm added 16 points and Pat Kalamatas 11.
The Redmen shot 30 percent in the second half and 32 percent overall.
Carthage @ #1 Illinois Wesleyan
February 5, 2005 - 7:30pm, Shirk Center
Radio - Broadcastmonsters.com (Carthage broadcast)
Probable Starters
|
||
G |
Adam Dauksas (6-3/185, JR) 12.7 pts, 2.5 reb, 5.7 assists |
Navarro Thompson (5-8/140, SOPH) 3.7 pts, 1.8 reb, 1.8 assists |
G |
Matt Arnold (5-11/160), JR) 10.5 pts, 1.5 reb |
Kevin Menard (6-6/205, SR) 12.8 pts, 4.6 reb |
F |
Keelan Amelianovich (6-6/210, JR) 15.3 pts, 4.8 reb |
Kyle Jeffery (6-6/225, FR) 7.6 pts, 4.2 reb |
F |
Andrew Freeman (6-6/200, SOPH) 10.2 pts, 4.3 reb |
Brian Schlemm (6-7/235, SOPH) 9.9 pts, 3.4 reb |
C |
Chris Jones (6-6/210, JR) 8.0 pts, 6.8 reb |
Pat Kalamatas (6-5/220, SR) 12.7 pts, 8.4 reb |
Reserve 1 |
Steve Schweer, F (6-6/205, JR) 4.3 pts, 3.3 reb |
Malik Imani, G (6-2/210, FR) 6.9 pts, 3.4 reb |
| Reserve 2 | Cory Jones, C (6-6/225, JR) 7.5 pts, 4.0 reb |
Mark Morrison, F (6-6/230, JR) 8.8 pts, 4.1 reb |
Team Averages
|
Illinois Wesleyan (15-2, 6-0) |
Carthage (11-8, 5-3) |
Points Scored Per Game |
76.4 |
72.6 |
Points Allowed Per Game |
61.8 |
68.3 |
Field Goal % Avg FG Attempts Per Game |
.493 54 |
.431 58 |
Opponent's Field Goal % |
.385 |
.435 |
3-point % Avg 3-pt FG Att/Game |
.432 16 |
.356 21 |
Opponent's 3-point % |
.314 |
.339 |
Free Throw % |
.702 |
.655 |
Rebounds Per Game |
37.7 |
37.2 |
Rebounds Allowed Per Game |
32.4 |
35.4 |
| Assist to 1 T.O Ratio | 1.10 | 1.10 |
| Opponent's Assist to 1 T.O. Ratio | .80 | .90 |
IWU finds success in numbers
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
-----
BLOOMINGTON -- Illinois Wesleyan had no defense for North Central junior forward Mike Wilson Wednesday.
Fortunately for IWU, the Titans had several more players than the Cardinals who required defending.
No. 1-ranked Wesleyan overcame Wilson's 34 points with four players in double figures in an 81-67 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin victory over North Central before a Shirk Center crowd of 2,400.
"It was nice to see Mike step up and play with his A game. But we need seven or eight guys to come with their A game against a team like Illinois Wesleyan, and we didn't have that tonight," North Central coach Todd Raridon said. "They have so many weapons offensively. It's hard to cover everybody, and we really didn't do a good job defensively all night."
Sophomore Andrew Freeman scored a career-high 17 points in his second start as the Titans (15-2, 6-0 in the CCIW) reeled off their eighth straight victory and their 19th consecutive win at Shirk Center.
"Andrew played well. He's doing a lot of good things," said IWU coach Scott Trost. "That's what good teams have. Guys who are given opportunities take advantage of them. That's what he's done."
The Titans led 38-22 at the half and enjoyed a 46-24 cushion after a Keelan Amelianovich reverse layup with 16:33 remaining.
North Central (13-7, 3-6) rallied within 51-40 on a Wilson 3-pointer at the 9:46 mark. Amelianovich, who matched Freeman with 17 points, responded with a three-point play.
"It should naturally progress. Take whatever you're up the first half and double it. But you can't always do that," Amelianovich said. "You can't complain, but championship teams don't give up that many points (45) in the second half."
The Cardinals cut IWU's lead back to 11 again at 55-44. But Freeman started a 9-2 Titans' spurt with a 3-pointer and Matt Arnold capped it with a layup off a steal for a 64-46 margin.
"Every game I get more comfortable out there," said Freeman, whose twin brother Zach is sidelined with a lower leg injury. "I'm not afraid to step up and take the shots anymore like I used to be. That's contributing to my success."
While scoring more than half of his team's points, Wilson's 34 was the third highest by an opponent in Shirk history. He was 13 of 19 from the field and 7 of 11 from 3-point range.
"He had 31 against us here last year," said Trost. "The kid can score. I'm not surprised by what he does."
Adam Dauksas and Chris Jones added 12 points each for the Titans, who shot 56.6 percent from the field. Jones added eight rebounds and two blocks.
"Hey, I'm ecstatic we won by 14 against a team that beat Wheaton. They've struggled, but you can see they've got some players," Trost said. "The first half was fine. But the No. 1 team in the league defensively gives up 45 points the second half. I don't know how to explain that other than we didn't have the same sense of urgency we had the first half."
Running a deliberate offense against IWU's zone that had Titan students counting aloud the number of passes, North Central had six turnovers and five points midway through the first half. A Jason Fisher 3-pointer gave the Titans a 17-5 lead as the Cardinals were misfiring on 9 of their first 11 shots.
"That's how teams are going to try to beat us, slow down our pace. When we get into that flow of running up and down the court, we're pretty much unbeatable," Amelianovich said. "We kept our focus and tried to play defense for the full 35 seconds."
Anthony Simmons chipped in 14 points and Daniel Walton 12 rebounds for North Central, which has dropped its last six games. Adam Krumtinger, a Normal Community High School teammate of the Freemans, had six points off the bench for the Cardinals.
"It was like practice (at NCHS)," Krumtinger said. "Andrew played great tonight."
North Central @ #1 Illinois Wesleyan
February 2, 2005 - 7:30pm, Shirk Center
Probable Starters:
|
||
G |
Adam Dauksas (6-3/185, JR) 13.6 pts, 3.6 reb, 6.1 assists |
Ray Vicario (6-0/170, JR) 9.7 pts, 2.3 reb, 2.9 assists |
G |
Matt Arnold (5-11/160), JR) 4.7 pts, 1.1 reb |
Mike Wilson (6-4/170, JR) 13.6 pts, 4.3 reb |
F |
Keelan Amelianovich (6-6/210, JR) 17.4 pts, 5.2 reb |
Patrick Flanagan (6-3/170, SR) 5.4 pts, 3.6 reb |
F |
Andrew Freeman (6-6/200, SOPH) 4.5 pts, 2.8 reb |
Daniel Walton (6-5/180, SOPH) 13.9 pts, 6.2 reb |
C |
Chris Jones (6-6/210, JR) 6.6 pts, 6.8 reb |
Anthony Simmons, F/C (6-6/225, SOPH) 13.1 pts, 5.3 reb |
Reserve 1 |
Steve Schweer, F (6-6/205, JR) 4.9 pts, 4.5 reb |
Adam Krumtinger (6-7/220, SOPH) 9.1 pts, 4.2 reb |
| Reserve 2 | Cory Jones, C (6-6/225, JR) 3.8 pts, 2.5 reb |
Adam Teising, G (5-11/160, JR) 4.1 pts, 2.2 reb |
Team Averages
|
Illinois Wesleyan (14-2, 5-0) |
North Central (13-6, 3-5) |
Points Scored Per Game |
76.1 |
74.5 |
Points Allowed Per Game |
61.5 |
67.4 |
Field Goal % Avg FG Attempts Per Game |
.488 54 |
.522 52 |
Opponent's Field Goal % |
.381 |
.413 |
3-point % Avg 3-pt FG Att/Game |
.424 17 |
.389 13 |
Opponent's 3-point % |
.311 |
.338 |
Free Throw % |
.701 |
.680 |
Rebounds Per Game |
38.1 |
33.9 |
Rebounds Allowed Per Game |
32.4 |
30.3 |
| Assist to 1 T.O Ratio | 1.10 | 1.40 |
| Opponent's Assist to 1 T.O. Ratio | .80 | .90 |
'Sluggish' IWU good enough for CCIW win
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
-----
BLOOMINGTON -- Much to Illinois Wesleyan basketball coach Scott Trost's chagrin, his No. 2 nationally ranked team let the league cellar dweller hang close for much of Saturday's contest at Shirk Center.
Trost extracted some comfort from the fact the Titans managed not to hang themselves.
"We didn't play great," said a shrugging Trost after IWU led by a mere six points midway through the second half before inching away for a 73-58 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin victory over North Park.
"I sound like a broken record sometimes, but we're searching for 40 minutes. I'll never apologize for a 15-point win. But we have to get better if we want to get where we want to go. We need to be more consistent."
A crowd of 2,550 saw the Titans (14-2, 5-0 in the CCIW) complete a perfect January with their seventh straight victory, 15th consecutive CCIW triumph and 18th home win in a row.
"We came out pretty sluggish," said junior center Chris Jones, the scoring leader in IWU's balancing act with 12 points. "We picked it up, sort of, the second half. But you can't complain about a victory."
North Park (4-13, 0-6) would love to have a CCIW victory to complain about.
"Our kids battled for 40 minutes," Vikings' coach Paul Brenegan said. "We didn't like the outcome, but I'm happy with our intensity level."
North Park trailed just 48-44 after a Brett Mathisen basket with 10:52 remaining, stirring memories of the Vikings' 77-74 upset over Wesleyan last season in Chicago.
The Titans were breathing a bit easier after three straight Chris Jones baskets and an Andrew Freeman driving shot extended their lead to 62-47.
"At times we were too quick to shoot," Trost said. "We shared the ball a little better the second half."
Chris Jones grabbed a game-high eight rebounds while welcoming the return from a broken foot of his twin brother Cory, who had 11 points and five rebounds in his first action since Dec. 18.
"It felt great. All the frustrations went out the window," said Cory Jones, who played 15 minutes. "It's a great feeling to be out there and contribute to a victory. I felt like I belonged out there."
Missing sophomore starter Zach Freeman with a lower leg injury, Trost was happy to see both Joneses play and play well.
"Chris played with energy. He was playing by the rim, he got some big rebounds and he finished inside," said the IWU coach. "It was good to get Cory some minutes. We're going to need him. He's a physical presence in there."
Keelan Amelianovich added 11 points, Adam Dauksas 10 and Andrew Freeman and Matt Arnold nine each for Wesleyan, which shot 55 percent from the field in the second half and 48 percent overall.
North Park, which received 16 points from Mathisen and 12 from Lamar Townsend, frequently took the shot clock under 10 seconds.
"They are a very explosive offensive team," Brenegan said. "One of the ways for us to be in the game was to control the ball on offense. For the most part we were able to do that."
The Vikings held an early 6-4 lead before IWU reeled off 11 straight points. The Titans led 21-10, but North Park was able to carve its deficit to 31-25 by halftime.
A Jason Fisher 3-pointer pushed the Wesleyan lead to 42-30 at the 14:17 mark of the second half, but the Vikings would prove resilient.
Amelianovich pulled down seven rebounds as IWU held a 39-29 advantage on the boards.
The Titans play the second of four straight home games Wednesday in a 7:30 p.m. contest against North Central.
North Park @ #2 Illinios Wesleyan
January 29, 2005 - 7:30pm
Probable Starters:
|
||
G |
Adam Dauksas (6-3/185, JR) 13.9 pts, 3.8 reb, 6.3 assists |
Je'shawn Stevenson (5-10/160, SOPH) 10.2, 2.3 reb, 2.6 assists |
G |
Matt Arnold (5-11/160), JR) 4.4 pts, 1.1 reb |
Matt Lindahl (6-0/195, SR) 3.2 pts, 1.2 reb |
F |
Keelan Amelianovich (6-6/210, JR) 17.9 pts, 5.1 reb |
Lamar Townsend (6-3/185, SR) 12.7 pts, 2.6 reb |
F |
Andrew Freeman (6-6/200, SOPH) 4.2 pts, 2.7 reb |
Brett Mathisen (6-5/210, JR) 11.1 pts, 5.6 reb |
C |
Chris Jones (6-6/210, JR) 6.2 pts, 6.7 reb |
Mike Haehn (6-6/200, SOPH) 7.5 pts, 5.1 reb |
Reserve 1 |
Steve Schweer, F (6-6/205, JR) 4.7 pts, 4.3 reb |
Eric Samuelson (6-5/210, FR) 4.4 pts, 2.6 reb |
| Reserve 2 | Jason Fisher, G (6-2/206, JR) 6.0 pts, 1.7 reb |
Cory Wilks (5-10/170, SOPH) 7.0 pts, 1.8 reb |
Team Averages
|
Illinois Wesleyan (13-2, 4-0) |
North Park (4-12, 0-5) |
Points Scored Per Game |
76.3 |
65.4 |
Points Allowed Per Game |
61.7 |
73.4 |
Field Goal % Avg FG Attempts Per Game |
.489 54 |
.408 60 |
Opponent's Field Goal % |
.379 |
.473 |
3-point % Avg 3-pt FG Att/Game |
.420 17 |
.297 17 |
Opponent's 3-point % |
.309 |
.352 |
Free Throw % |
.698 |
.685 |
Rebounds Per Game |
38.1 |
33.1 |
Rebounds Allowed Per Game |
32.6 |
35.3 |
| Assist to 1 T.O Ratio | 1.10 | .80 |
| Opponent's Assist to 1 T.O. Ratio | .80 | .90 |
IWU digs out in big way
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
-----
DECATUR -- Defeating the No. 2-ranked Illinois Wesleyan basketball team is a long, arduous journey that must be completed and not merely begun.
Millikin stormed to a 17-point first-half lead Wednesday only to discover it was a cruel mirage.
IWU's other guard (Matt Arnold) and other Freeman (Andrew) turned in career-best scoring performances as the Titans overcame a dreadful start to blow past the stunned Big Blue, 82-66, before a Griswold Center crowd of 1,500.
"We were bad," said Arnold after Illinois Wesleyan scored just seven points in the contest's first 10:57.
"We dug ourselves an awfully big hole, but we showed a lot of maturity coming back and winning by that much."
Securing their 14th consecutive College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin victory, the Titans moved to 13-2 overall and 4-0 in the CCIW.
"This game isn't rocket science. We played harder," said IWU coach Scott Trost, whose mood was decidedly subdued after sophomore forward Zach Freeman suffered a potentially serious injury late in the game. "We played with more of a sense of purpose, we cut harder and we got some easy baskets off transition with our defense."
With point guard Adam Dauksas scoring a season-low seven points, Arnold stepped into the void. Averaging 3.3 points entering the game, Arnold smashed his previous career high of 12 points with 20 on 8 of 9 shooting from the field.
Andrew Freeman posted career highs of 15 points and seven rebounds off the bench.
"Matt and Andrew really stepped up and were instrumental in our win," Trost said. "I'm ecstatic with their play."
The sluggish Titans faced a 24-7 deficit after Millikin's Jason Fisher drained a 25-foot 3-pointer with 9:19 left in the first half. IWU did not get its first basket scored by someone other than a Freeman until the 7:35 mark of the half.
"We didn't come ready to play," said Trost. "Give them a lot of credit. They wanted it more than we did the first 10 minutes, but we found a way to win on the road."
The Titans began chipping away at the Millikin advantage and closed to within 31-27 on two Arnold free throws at the 2:07 mark.
Arnold had stolen the ball from Fisher and drew Fisher's third foul. Millikin's senior guard scored 11 first-half points and none after the break.
After failing to take advantage of a six-inch height advantage on the Big Blue's Adam Russsell the first half, Wesleyan junior Keelan Amelianovich broke free early and often in the second half.
Amelianovich gave the Titans their first lead of the game at 38-36 with a layup after one of his three steals. Amelianovich scored 11 of his 17 points in the opening 5:26 of the second half after being held to two first-half free throws.
"I got on Keelan at halftime because he's got to play harder. When he's a marked man, he's got to know that," Trost said. "Keelan responded the second half and played much more aggressively."
Millikin (9-7, 1-4 in the CCIW) cut a 47-40 deficit to 52-50 before the Titans went on a 22-4 spurt that was as magnificent as the team's first 10 minutes were ugly.
Andrew Freeman contributed a dunk, a 3-pointer and two free throws to the game-deciding run.
"I guess I'm the hidden Freeman. But I don't mind," said Andrew. "It felt good. The more I was in there the more I felt like I was in the flow. I just wanted to get some rebounds and score when I got the chance."
IWU received 16 points from Zach Freeman and nine rebounds from Chris Jones. Dauksas handed out seven assists to pass David Kunka for eighth on the Titans' career assist chart with 331.
Quintin Howard led Millikin with 14 points, while Chuck Williams and Korte Long added 12 each. Fisher and Williams entered the game averaging over 36 points combined but were held to 23.
The Titans shot a sizzling 67 percent from the field in the second half (20 of 30) to finish at 61 percent (30 of 49).
IWU committed three turnovers before even getting off a shot in the opening 1:45, but had a mere five turnovers the remainder of the game.
#2 Illinios Wesleyan @ Millikin
January 26, 2005 - 7:30pm
Probable Starters:
|
||
G |
Adam Dauksas (6-3/185, JR) 14.4 pts, 4.0 reb, 6.3 assists |
Chuck Williams (6-0 SR) 18.9, 3.1 reb, 2.9 assists |
G |
Matt Arnold (5-11/160), JR) 3.3 pts, 1.1 reb |
Jason Fisher (6-2 SR) 17.7 pts, 2.5 reb |
F |
Keelan Amelianovich (6-6/210, JR) 17.9 pts, 5.4 reb |
Adam Russell (6-0 SR) 2.8 pts, 2.3 reb |
F |
Zach Freeman (6-7/205, SOPH) 14.6 pts, 7.6 reb |
Quintin Howard (6-5 JR) 9.4 pts, 5.6 reb |
C |
Chris Jones (6-6/210, JR) 6.2 pts, 6.6 reb |
Korte Long (6-5 SOPH) 7.5 pts, 5.1 reb |
Reserve 1 |
Steve Schweer, F (6-6/205, JR) 4.9 pts, 4.5 reb |
Mike Gavic (6-4 SOPH) 5.2 pts, 3.9 reb |
| Reserve 2 | Mike McGraw, G (6-3/176, JR) 4.5 pts, 1.4 reb |
Lance Brooks (6-5 JR) 5.3 pts, 2.9 reb |
Team Averages
|
Illinois Wesleyan (12-2, 3-0) |
Millikin (9-6, 1-3) |
Points Scored Per Game |
75.9 |
78.3 |
Points Allowed Per Game |
61.4 |
70.3 |
Field Goal % Avg FG Attempts Per Game |
.481 55 |
.464 60 |
Opponent's Field Goal % |
.375 |
.445 |
3-point % Avg 3-pt FG Att/Game |
.420 17 |
.425 19 |
Opponent's 3-point % |
.304 |
.326 |
Free Throw % |
.694 |
.655 |
Rebounds Per Game |
38.9 |
35.1 |
Rebounds Allowed Per Game |
32.9 |
34.3 |
| Assist to 1 T.O Ratio | 1.10 | .80 |
| Opponent's Assist to 1 T.O. Ratio | .80 | .60 |
# Illinios Wesleyan @ #21 North Central
January 22, 2005 - 7:30pm, Gregory Arena
Probable Starters:
|
||
G |
Adam Dauksas (6-3/185, JR) 14.4 pts, 4.0 reb, 6.3 assists |
Ray Viccario (6-0/170, JR) 9.3 pts, 2.3 reb, 2.8 assists |
G |
Matt Arnold (5-11/160), JR) 3.3 pts, 1.1 reb |
Mike Wilson (6-4/170, JR) 13.6 pts, 5.6 reb |
F |
Keelan Amelianovich (6-6/210, JR) 17.9 pts, 5.4 reb |
Patrick Flanagan (6-3/170, SR) 5.3 pts, 3.3 reb |
F |
Zach Freeman (6-7/205, SOPH) 14.6 pts, 7.6 reb |
Daniel Walton (6-5/180, SOPH) 14.2 pts, 6.4 reb |
C |
Chris Jones (6-6/210, JR) 6.2 pts, 6.6 reb |
Adam Krumtinger (6-7/220, SOPH) 9.4 pts, 4.2 reb |
Reserve 1 |
Steve Schweer, F (6-6/205, JR) 4.9 pts, 4.5 reb |
Anthony Simmons, F/C (6-6/225, SOPH) 14.4 pts, 5.4 reb |
| Reserve 2 | Mike McGraw, G (6-3/176, JR) 4.5 pts, 1.4 reb |
Adam Teising, G (5-11/160, JR) 4.4 pts, 2.3 reb |
Team Averages
|
Illinois Wesleyan (12-2, 3-0) |
North Central (13-3, 3-2) |
Points Scored Per Game |
75.9 |
76.3 |
Points Allowed Per Game |
61.4 |
66.6 |
Field Goal % Avg FG Attempts Per Game |
.481 55 |
.526 53 |
Opponent's Field Goal % |
.375 |
.409 |
3-point % Avg 3-pt FG Att/Game |
.420 17 |
.393 13 |
Opponent's 3-point % |
.304 |
.319 |
Free Throw % |
.694 |
.683 |
Rebounds Per Game |
38.9 |
34.5 |
Rebounds Allowed Per Game |
32.9 |
31.3 |
| Assist to 1 T.O Ratio | 1.10 | 1.40 |
| Opponent's Assist to 1 T.O. Ratio | .80 | .90 |
Dominating 1st half keys Titan romp
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
-----
BLOOMINGTON -- Illinois Wesleyan junior forward Keelan Amelianovich dispensed with his usual midair chest bump with reserve Steve Schweer during pregame introductions Wednesday after straining his left calf last Saturday at Wheaton.
"We were taking a precautionary measure," Schweer said. "We didn't want to add anybody to the injured list."
No matter. The Titans would take flight soon enough.
Amelianovich scored all 13 of his points in an ambush of a first half and the Titans cruised -- a little bit too much for the liking of Coach Scott Trost -- to a 67-52 victory over Augustana before a Shirk Center crowd of 2,500.
"My adrenaline was going. I didn't have any breaks so I was going up and down," Amelianovich said. "I didn't think about it and that definitely helped. It felt good, but it kind of tightened up the second half."
"He's going to be sore (Thursday)," Trost said. "He played with a lot of determination and courage. That's what we need."
The No. 3-ranked Titans, who bolted to a 28-3 lead while disposing of Augustana 84-72 last season at Rock Island, were at the Vikings' throat from the opening tip again Wednesday.
IWU rolled to an 11-0 lead as Augustana missed its first seven shots. An Adam Dauksas steal and layup produced a 21-4 Titans' advantage that grew to 29-4 on an Amelianovich pull-up jumper at the 8:18 mark of the half.
"We played. We hit shots. We made the extra pass," Trost said. "When we're hitting 3s we're going to look good."
"We have a very talented team," Amelianovich said. "When we get Adam and Matt (Arnold) running the break, they make great passes."
Wesleyan (12-2, 3-0 in the CCIW) nailed 11 of its first 16 shots from the field. Augustana (10-5, 2-2) misfired on 17 of its first 19 attempts.
"Illinois Wesleyan has a terrific team," said Vikings' coach Grey Giovanine. "I'm disappointed we didn't compete better the first half. Their zone defense was very good. We did not execute very well against it. You can't not be precise in what you're doing and be effective."
A Jason Fisher 19-footer with six seconds left sent the Titans into the halftime locker room with a bloated 40-13 margin.
Playing for pride the second half, the Vikings regained some.
The Titans led 49-25 after a Zach Freeman dunk with 15 minutes remaining when the Vikings began clawing back.
A Jay McAdams-Thornton basket at the 7:23 mark brought Augustana within 60-44.
"Sloppy. Careless," Trost said. "I guess it's human nature when you're up 27 to relax, but championship teams shouldn't do that. If we aspire to be one, then we can't lose focus. I thought we lost focus and didn't play our game the second half. Give them credit. They didn't quit."
Augustana got as close as 13 points in the late going as the Titans committed 11 of their 17 turnovers in the second half.
"Actually, the second half it was our freshmen and sophomores who I thought competed pretty effectively," Giovanine said. "I'm encouraged by the effort, but if you get that kind of lead you sometimes lose interest."
Freeman matched Amelianovich at team highs of 13 points and six rebounds. Dauksas chipped in 10 points and six assists.
"We need to be a more mature team," said Schweer, who contributed six points and five rebounds. "When we have teams down, we have to keep them down. But a 15-point win over Augustana is a good win any way you put it."
The IWU bench of Schweer, Mike McGraw, Jason Fisher and Andrew Freeman combined for 22 points. Andrew Freeman had eight points and even matched his twin brother's second-half dunk with one of his own.
Travis Hoyt and Drew Wessels scored eight points each as no Viking reached double figures. McAdams-Thornton turned in seven points and nine rebounds.
Augustana @ #3 Illinois Wesleyan
January 19, 2005 - 7:30pm, Shirk Center
Probable Starters:
|
||
G |
Adam Dauksas (6-3/185, JR) 14.7 pts, 4.1 reb, 6.3 assists |
Drew Wessels (6-0/160, SOPH) 7.8 pts, 2.4 reb, 2.8 reb |
G |
Matt Arnold (5-11/160), JR) 3.0 pts, 0.9 reb |
Joe Baumann (6-3/195, SR) 10.4 pts, 3.1 reb |
F |
Keelan Amelianovich (6-6/210, JR) 18.3 pts, 5.3 reb |
Jay McAdams-Thorton (6-3/210, JR) 15.1 pts, 5.7 reb |
F |
Zach Freeman (6-7/205, SOPH) 14.7 pts, 7.7 reb |
Matt Salisbury (6-4/220, SR) 7.6 pts, 4.1 reb |
C |
Chris Jones (6-6/210, JR) 6.5 pts, 6.7 reb |
Travis Hoyt (6-6/220, SR) 9.4 pts, 4.7 reb |
Reserve 1 |
Steve Schweer, F (6-6/205, JR) 4.8 pts, 4.5 reb |
Rick Harrigan, G (6-3/210, JR) 10.3 pts, 1.9 reb |
| Reserve 2 | Mike McGraw, G (6-3/176, JR) 4.6 pts, 1.4 reb |
Shaun Rose, F (6-5/200, SOPH)
6.7 pts, 3.2 reb |
Team Averages
|
Illinois Wesleyan (11-2) |
Augustana (10-4) |
Points Scored Per Game |
76.6 |
80.2 |
Points Allowed Per Game |
62.2 |
69.0 |
Field Goal % Avg FG Attempts Per Game |
.482 55 |
.504 57 |
Opponent's Field Goal % |
.376 |
.430 |
3-point % Avg 3-pt FG Att/Game |
.414 17 |
.385 22 |
Opponent's 3-point % |
.300 |
.349 |
Free Throw % |
.698 |
.812 |
Rebounds Per Game |
39.1 |
35.4 |
Rebounds Allowed Per Game |
32.6 |
31.8 |
| Assist to 1 T.O Ratio | 1.1 | .80 |
| Opponent's Assist to 1 T.O. Ratio | .80 | .70 |
Arnold, Titans take control
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
-----
WHEATON -- At 5-foot-11, 160 pounds, Illinois Wesleyan junior Matt Arnold is an unassuming sort.
Even with the basketball game on the line and the shot clock nearing zero, Arnold couldn't draw any attention from Wheaton. And Arnold took full advantage.
Arnold's shockingly uncontested layup with 1:05 remaining gave the Titans a seven-point lead and IWU claimed a key 80-73 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin victory Saturday before a crowd of 2,389 at muggy King Arena.
"I couldn't believe how open I had it," said Arnold, who dribbled free off a Steve Schweer pick. "I almost wish I had someone guarding me because you don't have shots like that in a game."
No. 6-ranked Wesleyan held No. 8 Wheaton to three points over the final three and a half minutes to improve to 11-2 overall. The Titans are the only undefeated team remaining in the CCIW at 2-0.
Picked to finish second behind the Titans in the league's preseason poll, Wheaton was tagged with a second CCIW loss in as many outings while slipping to 10-3 overall.
"That's what it's going to take, finding a way to win," IWU coach Scott Trost said. "We played a great team with their back to the wall, and we got production from everybody."
A Jon Nielson 3-pointer with 3:37 remaining brought the Thunder into a 70-70 tie. Zach Freeman gave Wesleyan the lead for good with a driving basket and Arnold connected on a jumper from the wing for a 74-70 edge.
After one free throw from Wheaton's Martin Trimiew, Schweer scored on a rebound basket for a five-point IWU margin at the 1:53 mark. A missed free throw from the Thunder's Andrew Lettinga set the stage for Arnold.
"This was huge. Last year we got killed here (88-64)," said Arnold, who scored a career-high 12 points in his second start. "Wheaton is a great program. It's tough to get a win on the road."
Wheaton had difficulty all evening with Freeman. The sophomore forward registered 19 points and 11 rebounds.
"The way they play pressure defense, the thing to do is take it to the rim or kick it out," Freeman said. "That was the game plan. We tried to use our quickness to our advantage."
"Zach was unstoppable," Trost said. "He's so athletic it's a tough matchup for people. If you crowd him, he can go by you. If you back off, he can shoot it."
In a show of brotherly support, Andrew Freeman scored six key second-half points. Andrew Freeman and Schweer combined to make all six of their shots, score 14 points and grab 10 rebounds off the bench.
"We got nothing from our bench," Wheaton coach Bill Harris said of IWU's 14-0 edge in bench scoring. "Our starters battled them straight up and probably outplayed them. It was a great game, but you can't beat a national power going 4-for-9 at the free-throw line (in the second half)."
Wheaton senior Jonathan Steven was dominant in stretches while scoring 24 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Nielson (20 points) and Kent Raymond (19) each nailed four 3-pointers as the Thunder connected on 12 of 29 from beyond the arc.
Adam Dauksas added 16 points and six assists and Keelan Amelianovich scored 15 for the Titans, who were 15 of 32 from the field in each half for 47 percent.
The Thunder led by as many as eight in the opening half at 20-12 on a Raymond 3-pointer from the corner.
IWU pulled into a 28-all tie on an Amelianovich 3-pointer at the 3:18 mark, and the Titans would take their first lead at 31-30 shortly thereafter on an Amelianovich three-point play.
Wesleyan took a 40-39 edge into halftime when Zach Freeman took a Dauksas pass inside and dunked with four seconds showing.
An earlier Freeman dunk was the most athletically spectacular play of the IWU season thus far. The sophomore rebounded a Dauksas miss with only his left hand and -- all in one motion -- powered home a windmill slam.
#6 Illinois Wesleyan @ #8 Wheaton
January 15, 2005 - 7:30pm, King Arena
Live TV - WETN (live streaming)
Probable Starters:
|
||
G |
Adam Dauksas (6-3/185, JR) 14.6 pts, 4.1 reb, 6.3 assists |
Jon Nielson (6-0/185, SR) 10.6 pts, 4.1 reb, 4.8 reb |
G |
Matt Arnold (5-11/160), JR) 2.3 pts, 1.0 reb |
Kent Raymond (6-2/185, FR) 12.5 pts, 2.9 reb |
F |
Keelan Amelianovich (6-6/210, JR) 18.6 pts, 5.4 reb |
Jonathan Steven (6-5/220, SR) 15.1 pts, 3.0 reb |
F |
Zach Freeman (6-7/205, SOPH) 14.3 pts, 7.0 reb |
Martin Trimiew (6-3/210, SR) 11.1 pts, 5.7 reb |
C |
Chris Jones (6-6/210, JR) 6.8 pts, 6.9 reb |
Jim Fortosis (6-8/220, SR) 4.8 pts, 4.2 reb |
Reserve 1 |
Steve Schweer, F (6-6/205, JR) 4.6 pts, 4.4 reb |
Tony Bollier, G (6-2/180, JR) 7.1 pts, 2.2 reb |
| Reserve 2 | Mike McGraw, G (6-3/176, JR) 5.0 pts, 1.3 reb |
Andrew Lettinga, F (6-7/200, JR)
5.3 pts, 3.3 reb |
Team Averages
|
Illinois Wesleyan (10-2) |
Wheaton (10-2) |
Points Scored Per Game |
76.3 |
82.1 |
Points Allowed Per Game |
61.2 |
68.5 |
Field Goal % Avg FG Attempts Per Game |
.484 54 |
.510 60 |
Opponent's Field Goal % |
.369 |
.434 |
3-point % Avg 3-pt FG Att/Game |
.410 18 |
.392 18 |
Opponent's 3-point % |
.289 |
.316 |
Free Throw % |
.698 |
.702 |
Rebounds Per Game |
39.2 |
36.9 |
Rebounds Allowed Per Game |
32.4 |
30.5 |
| Assist to 1 T.O Ratio | 1.1 | 1.2 |
| Opponent's Assist to 1 T.O. Ratio | .80 | .70 |
Hot-shot Titans romp
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
-----
BLOOMINGTON -- Employing a tight man-to-man defense, the Elmhurst College basketball team made certain Illinois Wesleyan would have to work for its points Saturday at Shirk Center.
Consider it 40 minutes of hard but highly effective labor.
The Titans shot a sizzling 64 percent from the field and pulled away in the second half to open their College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin season with an impressive 84-62 victory before a crowd of 2,550.
"It was a solid victory," IWU coach Scott Trost said. "The way Elmhurst plays, you know it's going to be a little bit of an ugly game. But I thought we overcame that."
The No. 8 Titans moved to 10-2 overall with their 16th straight home victory and their 17th consecutive home win over Elmhurst.
"I felt like we played well. That sounds strange to say when you lose by 22. But Wesleyan shot an outstanding percentage," Bluejays' coach Mark Scherer said. "Wesleyan was more patient offensively than I've seen them. That's hard to do when you have so many offensive talents."
IWU was one Matt Arnold basket away from placing all five starters in double figure scoring in a season-best shooting effort. The Titans also were accurate from 3-point range (10 of 17) and the free throw line (14 of 17).
Wesleyan needed Zach Freeman's first 3-pointer of the season with 39 seconds left in the first half to take a 37-31 edge into the break.
"They did a good job the first half of extending us out. We did a poor job setting up our back cuts and had a hard time entering the ball (into the post)," said Trost. "But I didn't think we forced things."
The Titans held a 44-36 lead before embarking on a highlight reel stretch.
After a Freeman slam dunk, Chris Jones fought through heavy traffic for a tip-in. Adam Dauksas then scored on a fast break, and Freeman presented IWU with a 52-36 advantage on an alley oop lay-in courtesy of a halfcourt Dauksas feed.
"We were kind of stagnant on offense. They were bumping us on our cuts and that threw us off," said Freeman, who scored 16 points. "We had to be more patient and move the ball around. We had to keep moving."
A David Gershenzon 3-pointer at the 6:16 mark of the second half brought Elmhurst (8-5, 0-2) within 65-53.
IWU responded by clipping the Bluejays with a 10-2 spurt that featured an Andrew Freeman three-point play, a Keelan Amelianovich 3-pointer and two inside baskets from Jones.
"We slowed it down a little but played with more intensity," Amelianovich said. "We cut with more effort and passed with more effort. Overall, we had better focus."
Dauksas paced the Titans with 21 points and six assists. Amelianovich added 19 points, while Jones contributed 12 points and team highs of seven rebounds and three blocks. Arnold was three of three from the field and had eight points in his first start.
"The first half we played really well defensively," said Eureka native and Elmhurst standout Chris Martin. "The second half our intensity wasn't as good. They hit a couple of shots on us and we got desperate. When you get desperate, you do things you don't normally do."
Martin was 4 of 12 from the field and scored 10 points, seven below his average. The junior forward also had team highs of eight rebounds, four assists and three steals.
"We helped well on Martin. We didn't let him get to the basket," Trost said. "He scored some points, but he earned them all."
Pat Bacon, a freshman guard averaging 2.0 points, led the Bluejays with 15 points off the bench. Gershenzon added 11.
Elmhurst @ Illinois Wesleyan
January 8, 2005
Probable Starters:
|
||
G |
Adam Dauksas (6-3/185, JR) 14.0 pts, 4.0 reb, 6.4 assists |
Craig Schau (6-1/190, SR) 3.9 pts, 1.8 reb |
G |
Matt Arnold (5-11/160), JR) 1.7 pts, 0.9 reb |
Evan Patchett (6-2/185, JR) 10.4 pts, 3.2 reb |
F |
Keelan Amelianovich (6-6/210, JR) 18.5 pts, 5.5 reb |
Chris Martin (6-6/205, JR) 16.5 pts, 8.3 reb |
F |
Zach Freeman (6-7/205, SOPH) 14.2 pts, 7.6 reb |
Jay Bizzolara (6-3/210, SOPH) 4.2 pts, 1.6 reb |
C |
Chris Jones (6-6/210, JR) 6.3 pts, 6.9 reb |
Nick Michael (6-10/220, SOPH) 11.6 pts, 4.6 reb |
Reserve 1 |
Steve Schweer, F (6-6/205, JR) 5.0 pts, 4.6 reb |
David Gershenzon, G (6-2/180, JR) 8.7 pts, 2.0 reb |
| Reserve 2 | Mike McGraw, G (6-3/176, JR) 5.5 pts, 1.4 reb |
Andrew Mohney, C (6-7/200, JR)
2.1 pts, 2.6 reb |
Dauksas plays big in IWU's road win
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
-----
LISLE -- Adam Dauksas insists he wasn't showing off for his two former Homewood-Flossmoor High School teammates in Benedictine's starting lineup.
According to Illinois Wesleyan basketball coach Scott Trost, Dauksas was simply showing off his considerable skills.
"That's the type of player we all know he can be," said Trost, after Dauksas' 26 points, seven rebounds and four steals propelled the No. 6-ranked Titans to a 79-68 nonconference triumph over No. 23 Benedictine Sunday before a Rice Center crowd of 1,625.
"Adam played fantastic. He carried us. We've seen him play like that before so it shouldn't come as a surprise. I've stated all along he's the best point guard I've seen at this level. I'm glad he's with us."
Dauksas, just 4 of 16 from the field in his last two games, nailed four 3-pointers en route to 17 first-half points and turned in several key defensive plays in the second half as the Titans moved to 9-2 while completing their nonconference schedule.
"I stayed a little bit after practice (Saturday) and got off some extra shots," Dauksas said. "I felt really good. Whenever you've got your jumper going, you're going to have a good game."
The Titans completed a difficult stretch of three road games in five days against quality opponents and open their College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin season Saturday against Elmhurst at Shirk Center.
"It's a really good win," said Trost. "I thought the kids played with a great deal of composure and poise against a team that is probably going to be in the (NCAA) tournament. To come here and play like we did, I'm very proud of them."
Benedictine slipped to 10-3 with its first loss of the season to a Division III foe.
"He (Dauksas) got off to a good start and I think that hurt us," said Eagles' coach Keith Bunkenburg. "When you get open looks like he did early on, it builds confidence. That kind of carried through the whole game."
Benedictine erased a 50-43 Wesleyan margin with nine straight points. A Will Crawford basket completed the stretch that included a technical on IWU's Zach Freeman for hanging on the rim after a missed dunk and the Eagles led 52-50.
A Matt Arnold jumper brought the Titans back into a tie, and Keelan Amelianovich scored in the lane and completed the three-point play. A Steve Schweer inside basket and two Mike McGraw free throws gave IWU a 59-52 lead.
After Mahomet-Seymour graduate Matt Harrison scored two of his 11 points for Benedictine, Arnold nailed just his second 3-pointer of the season.
Capitalizing on an Eagles' turnover, Dauksas hit two free throws. Dauksas then stole the ball and sprinted in for a layup that extended the Wesleyan advantage to 66-54 with 5:13 remaining.
"We were getting out defensively, rebounding, running and getting some open layups," said Dauksas, whose 8 of 13 performance at the free throw line matched Benedictine's team total. "We buckled down on defense, got some stops and turned the game around."
Dauksas admitted it was fun to excel against former high school teammates Marcus Jackson (18 points) and Zach Ramey (10 points).
"It added a little extra motivation for sure," said Dauksas. "You know you're going to go back to the same places and talk about the game and talk about you if you played bad."
Amelianovich added 19 points, Freeman 12 and Chris Jones 11 as the Titans placed four players in double figures for the fifth time this season.
"We came in here expecting Benedictine to be a great team and they were. We put things together and came out with a victory," said Jones, who grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. "Zach, Keelan and Adam are our main offensive players. Whenever we have anybody else step up, it's huge for us."
The 6-foot-7, 285-pound Crawford scored 14 of his 18 points in the first half.
"He's a good player," Trost said. "We played a little different defense the second half, and it was effective for us. It's a credit to our guys."
IWU junior guard Jason Fisher started but played just four minutes. Trost said Fisher may have reinjured the broken nose he had surgically repaired Dec. 16.
#6 Illinois Wesleyan @ #23 Benedictine
January 2, 2005
Probable Starters:
|
||
G |
Adam Dauksas (6-3/185, JR) 12.8 pts, 3.7 reb, 6.9 assists |
Zach Ramey (6-3/171, SR) 15.6 pts, 3.9 reb, 4.4 assists |
G |
Jason Fisher (6-2/206), JR) 7.4 pts, 2.2 reb |
Matt Harrison (6-4/195, JR) 15.0 pts, 5.7 reb |
F |
Keelan Amelianovich (6-6/210, JR) 18.5 pts, 5.5 reb |
Marcus Jackson (6-5/200, SR) 15.9 pts, 6.5 reb |
F |
Zach Freeman (6-7/205, SOPH) 14.4 pts, 8.1 reb |
Jimmy Franklin (6-5/200, JR) 4.3 pts, 5.1 reb |
C |
Chris Jones (6-6/210, JR) 5.8 pts, 6.8 reb |
Will Crawford (6-7/285, SR) 11.6 pts, 8.1 reb |
Reserve 1 |
Steve Schweer, F (6-6/205, JR) 5.3 pts, 5.5 reb |
Adam Hansen, C (6-7/215, SR) 4.3 pts, 3.2 reb |
| Reserve 2 | Mike McGraw, G (6-3/176, JR) 5.8 pts, 1.4 reb |
Mike Shimkus, G (5-9/170, SR)
4.3 pts, 2.1 reb |
Titans bounce back with 'sense of purpose' to claim victory
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
-----
GEORGETOWN, Texas --Adam Dauksas got a step on his man, drove to the basket and fired a pass to Zach Freeman.
In one swift, powerful move, Freeman slammed home the crucial basket at a crucial time that had eluded Illinois Wesleyan for nearly two full games.
Freeman's authoritative dunk gave the Titans a four-point lead they would not surrender in a tightly contested 65-57 victory over Southwestern Thursday in the Southwestern Classic at Robertson Center.
"Adam saw me out of the corner of his eye. That was a momentum change in a way. It kind of sealed it," Freeman said. "They tried to turn up the defensive pressure on us, but we didn't give anything away."
No. 6-ranked IWU, which dropped a heartbreaker to Trinity here Wednesday, improved to 8-2.
"That was a lot better. Our effort, intensity and sense of purpose was much greater," Titans' coach Scott Trost said. "We beat a helluva team on the road in a tough environment. I was proud how we responded."
Dauksas, who kept Southwestern at bay with two free throws at the 15-second mark, said the pass to Freeman was a wise alternative to trying to better his 2 for 10 shooting from the field.
"My jumper wasn't on so Stein (assistant coach David Steinbrueck) said to get into the lane and create for my teammates," Dauksas said. "I beat my man off the dribble. I always look for Zach because I know he's going to finish, and it worked out."
An Aaron Bowser 3-pointer had pulled Southwestern (7-3) within 57-55 before Dauksas hooked up with Freeman.
"That's players making plays," Trost said. "Big-time players make big-time plays and they did."
Southwestern missed two 3-point attempts in the final 30 seconds as IWU closed out the victory.
"We talked about finishing a game," Trost said. "This is a great simulation of what we're going to see in the league (College conference of Illinois and Wisconsin). You have to find ways to win on the road."
After shooting 52 percent in the first half, the Pirates cooled considerably with a 32 percent second-half effort.
"We needed to continue it. But they did a good job getting physical with Bowser," said Southwestern coach Bill Raleigh. "It was two good teams battling and they happened to be a little better.
"I think they are one of the top five teams in the country. I think we proved we can play a little because I know they'll have a great year."
The Titans broke from a 51-51 tie to open a narrow lead in a scenario reminiscent of the previous night's loss to Trinity.
"It was a very similar situation. We had to bounce back. We don't like to lose obviously," said Freeman, who had 14 points and a game-high eight rebounds. "We did exactly what we needed to."
Wesleyan survived a season-low shooting performance of 39 percent by committing only seven turnovers.
"I took it probably harder than anyone," Dauksas said of the loss to Trinity. "We redeemed ourselves. We defended, we ran, we rebounded and we didn't turn the ball over a lot."
Dauksas chipped in 11 points, while Keelan Amelianovich paced the Titans with 18 points. Amelianovich also grabbed seven rebounds as IWU enjoyed a 36-25 margin on the boards.
Bowser topped all scorers with 24 points, and Robert Cates added 12 for the Pirates. Bowser was 6 of 6 from 3-point range but attempted just one shot from beyond the arc in the second half.
Sizzling Southwestern shooting produced a 10-point first-half lead. With the Pirates nailing 7 of their first 10 3-point attempts and 10 of 15 overall, Southwestern led 28-18 after a Bowser 3-pointer at the 6:13 mark.
IWU clawed back with nine straight points, a surge capped by a Steve Schweer fast break basket off a Matt Arnold assist.
Bowser was 5 of 5 from beyond the arc -- forcing IWU to abandon its zone defense -- and had 17 points in the first half as Southwestern held a 35-32 lead at the break.
"This was a good trip win or lose," Trost said. "We played two outstanding teams. I think the kids learned a lot."
The Titans return home today to prepare for Sunday's 3 p.m. nonconference game at Benedictine.
Trinity 61, Ohio Wesleyan 57
Just as he did the previous night against IWU, Trinity guard Chad Stroberg turned in a key defensive play in the final seconds as the Tigers (6-4) escaped with another dramatic win.
Peter Murray paced Trinity (6-4) with 16 points and seven rebounds. Sean Devins added 11 points. The Tigers survived 21 turnovers by outrebounding Ohio Wesleyan, 34-18.
Ben Chojnacki topped the Bishops (5-6) with 21 points and six rebounds.
IWU stumbles in Texas
Titans' grasp on a likely win slips away late
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
-----
GEORGETOWN, Texas -- The Illinois Wesleyan basketball team had the first game of the Southwestern Classic in its hands Wednesday at Robertson Center.
That turned out to be the problem.
The Titans committed two costly turnovers in the final 25 seconds of regulation and two more in overtime as Trinity claimed a 67-63 victory.
"We gave it away," IWU coach Scott Trost said. "We had the ball and the lead and we turned it over."
The sixth-ranked Titans slipped to 7-2 and meet host Southwestern today at 8 p.m.
The most painful IWU turnover came after Trinity's Jason Morris misfired on a 3-pointer with 31 seconds left.
From behind, the Tigers' Chad Stroberg poked the ball away from Wesleyan point guard Adam Dauksas into a teammate's hands. Ross Burt's bank shot with four seconds left forced overtime.
"I lost it at the most crucial time so it's on me," said a dejected Dauksas, who had five of IWU's season low of six assists.
"We were going to foul so obviously it was a big play," said Trinity coach Pat Cunningham, the former Illinois State assistant whose team improved to 5-4.
After Burt's game-tying shot, a long inbounds pass from Chris Jones sailed over Zach Freeman's head out of bounds. Jones then got a piece of Peter Murray's shot at the buzzer.
The Tigers controlled overtime behind the inside play of 6-foot-10 center Sean Devins, who scored eight of his 22 points in the extra period.
"Late in regulation and in overtime, Sean made some big shots," Cunningham said. "He was strong with the ball."
"We knew they were going to get the ball into him (Devins)," Trost said. "But if you double him, he's good at kicking it out to the open man and they were shooting well."
Dauksas nailed a 3-pointer with five seconds left in overtime to bring IWU within 66-63. But Devins coaxed in a free throw at the four-second mark for the final margin.
After a first half that saw neither team lead by more than five, the Titans opened up a 41-31 margin as junior forward Keelan Amelianovich scored eight straight points.
Wesleyan then managed only eight points over a stretch of nearly eight minutes as Trinity rallied for a 50-49 edge with 3:17 remaining.
"It was a test of our focus and we lost our focus," said Amelianovich, who finished with 23 points after scoring only two in the first half. "We didn't execute as well. That is evidenced by our lack of assists and too many (18) turnovers."
Wesleyan grabbed a 55-50 lead on a Zach Freeman three-point play and a Mike McGraw 3-pointer. But two Murray free throws and a Morris 3-pointer brought Trinity back into a tie.
"Their game is to slow it down and we played into their hands," Dauksas said. "When we do that, you see what happens."
Averaging 7.0 points, Burt was 8 of 12 from the field and scored 19 points.
"Our kids hung in there and kept battling," said Cunningham. "Ugly comes to mind, but it was two teams competing really hard. Keelan is heckuva player and Freeman is so much better than he was a year ago."
Freeman was the only other Titan in double figures with 14 points. The sophomore also grabbed a game-high eight rebounds as IWU held a 38-29 edge on the boards.
"We got nothing outside of Keelan and Zach," said Trost, whose team dropped a 67-65 decision to Trinity early last season. "We've got to find a way to win close games."
IWU trailed 12-7 after scoring just four points over a first-half span of over nine minutes.
With post players Chris Jones and Steve Schweer both on the bench with three fouls, the Titans claimed their first lead since 5-3 when seldom-used reserve Steve Jeretina connected on two free throws at the 2:32 mark for a 23-22 IWU edge.
After a Burt jumper gave Trinity back the lead, McGraw's 3-pointer with 51 seconds remaining sent the Titans into halftime ahead 26-24.
Southwestern 75, Ohio Wesleyan 61
Host Southwestern prevailed in the evening's second game behind 22 points from Jamonn Little and 17 from Aaron Bowser. The Pirates (7-2) shot 60 percent from the field.
Ohio Wesleyan (5-5) was led by Ben Chojnacki with 20 points.
Illinois Wesleyan @ Southwestern U. Classic
December 29 & 30, 2004
Georgetown, Texas
* Wednesday 12/29, 6:00pm - IWU vs Trinity (Tx)
Probable Starters:
|
||
G |
Adam Dauksas (6-3/185, JR) 13.5 pts, 3.6 reb, 7.8 assists |
Chad Stroberg (6-0/170, SR) 6.5 pts, 2.6 reb, 3.5 assists |
G |
Jason Fisher (6-2/206), JR) 8.1 pts, 2.3 reb |
Jason Morris (6-0/175, SR) 11.1 pts, 3.9 reb |
F |
Keelan Amelianovich (6-6/210, JR) 18.0 pts, 5.5 reb |
Andy Bates (6-6/185, SR) 11.4 pts, 3.3 reb |
F |
Zach Freeman (6-7/205, SOPH) 14.5 pts, 8.1 reb |
Peter Murray (6-8/215, SR) 11.6 pts, 7.0 reb |
C |
Chris Jones (6-6/210, JR) 6.1 pts, 7.4 reb |
Sean Devins (6-10/210, SR) 12.1 pts, 5.9 reb |
Reserve 1 |
Steve Schweer, F (6-6/205, JR) 6.0 pts, 5.5 reb |
Ross Burt, F (6-5/180, JR) 7.0 pts, 2.1 reb |
| Reserve 2 | Mike McGraw, G (6-3/176, JR) 5.9 pts, 1.4 reb |
Jay Riola, F (6-5/195, JR)
3.4 pts, 3.3 reb |
* Thursday 12/30, 8:00pm - IWU vs Southwestern (Tx)
Probable Starters:
|
||
G |
Adam Dauksas (6-3/185, JR) 13.5 pts, 3.6 reb, 7.8 assists |
Ty Ragland (6-3/170, JR) 4.6 pts, 2.5 reb, 3.5 assists |
G |
Jason Fisher (6-2/206), JR) 8.1 pts, 2.3 reb |
Aaron Bowser (6-3/165, JR) 13.1 pts, 3.9 reb |
F |
Keelan Amelianovich (6-6/210, JR) 18.0 pts, 5.5 reb |
Jamonn Little (6-3/190, JR) 8.1 pts, 4.9 reb |
F |
Zach Freeman (6-7/205, SOPH) 14.5 pts, 8.1 reb |
Dan Slezak (6-5/210, JR) 5.3 pts, 4.5 reb |
C |
Chris Jones (6-6/210, JR) 6.1 pts, 7.4 reb |
Robert Cates (6-7/225, JR) 13.1 pts, 6.1 reb |
Reserve 1 |
Steve Schweer, F (6-6/205, JR) 6.0 pts, 5.5 reb |
Danny Franklin, G (6-2/180, JR) 5.4 pts, 1.9 reb |
| Reserve 2 | Mike McGraw, G (6-3/176, SOPH) 5.9 pts, 1.4 reb |
Brandon Daniels, G (5-8/140, JR)
6.6 pts, 2.4 reb |
Newspaper Coverage:
Exams over, Titans get out and play
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
-----
BELOIT, Wis. -- After a week of final examinations, the Illinois Wesleyan basketball team was ready for some recreation Saturday.
And while the Titans recreated all over the Flood Arena court, Beloit had no fun at all.
IWU nailed 13 of its first 17 shots and continued its stifling defensive play while demolishing Beloit, 93-53, with Titan fans making up at least half of the 631 in attendance.
"That was maybe our best effort (of the season)," said Titans' coach Scott Trost. "We had good tempo, we got some transition baskets and we showed good patience and got some inside touches."
Rebounding with a fervor from its first loss of the season Dec. 11, No. 6-ranked Wesleyan improved to 7-1 in the second of five straight games away from Shirk Center.
The lone negative for the Titans was the departure of junior center Cory Jones after just 1 minute, 36 seconds of his first start of the season.
Jones, who missed IWU's first five games with a stress fracture in his right foot, aggravated the injury and did not return.
The Titans grabbed an early 15-5 lead on a Keelan Amelianovich 3-pointer. Two straight Mike McGraw 3-pointers and another from beyond the arc from Amelianovich extended the IWU advantage to 35-19.
"That is such a load off," Amelianovich said of having tests finished for the semester. "It felt good to get out there without school on our mind."
Wesleyan shot a sizzling 64 percent in the first half and a season-best 63 percent overall, while holding its seventh opponent in eight games under 40 percent. Beloit (2-5) managed just 31 percent from the field.
"I knew we couldn't run with them," Buccaneers' coach Cecil Youngblood said. "They play too well when they run. They're a rhythm team. When they run, they shoot well. You have to take that part of their game away, but they are so good at it."
Amelianovich led all scorers with 20 points, while Zach Freeman scored 18 points and was one missed free throw away from a perfect shooting night at 6 of 6 from the field and 6 of 7 from the line.
"When we run, we're good," said Amelianovich, who was 4 of 7 from 3-point range. "Our goal was to get those transition points."
Junior Mike McGraw started at guard for Jason Fisher, who sat out after having surgery to repair a broken nose Thursday. McGraw responded with a career-high 16 points while connecting on 4 of 6 from beyond the arc.
"It was a good night. That's about as close to 40 (good minutes) as we've gotten," McGraw said. "We all needed it."
McGraw helped Wesleyan connect on 11 of 18 from 3-point range with two straight second-half 3-pointers that saddled Beloit with a 79-44 deficit.
"If he gets open, he's a great shooter," Trost said. "The guy did a great job making the extra pass to get him open. He's an important part of what we do."
"We're definitely a deep team," said Amelianovich. "We have talent up and down the lineup. We are fully confident in Mike McGraw."
Adam Dauksas contributed 11 points and nine assists for IWU, while Andrew Freeman matched a career high with eight points. The Titans outrebounded Beloit, 42-27, with Zach Freeman handling a game-high nine.
Beloit junior Josh Hinz, who set a Shirk Center opponent record with 37 points last December, was held to three first-half points and finished with 16. Nick Hendry also had 16 points.
IWU trainer Bill Kauth said Cory Jones would have X-rays to determine the extent of the injury that is potentially season ending.
"I didn't do anything unusual," Cory Jones said. "I guess I put too much pressure on it when I turned around and I felt it pop."
Trost is giving his team a full week off before the Titans resume practice Dec. 26. IWU returns to action Dec. 29-30 at the Southwestern University Tournament in Georgetown, Texas.
Illinois Wesleyan @ Beloit
Saturday 12/18/04, 7:30pm (central)
Probable Starters:
|
||
G |
Adam Dauksas (6-3/185, JR) 13.9 pts, 3.7 reb, 7.6 assists |
Jon Allen (5-11, SR) 7.8 pts, 1.5 reb, 3.2 assists |
G |
Mike McGraw (6-3/176, SOPH) 4.4 pts, 1.4 reb |
Danny Towns (6-3, JR) 18.3 pts, 3.2 reb |
F |
Keelan Amelianovich (6-6/210, JR) 17.7 pts, 5.3 reb |
Matt Fieck (6-3, SOPH) 8.2 pts, 4.2 reb |
F |
Zach Freeman (6-7/205, SOPH) 14.0 pts, 8.0 reb |
Nick Hendry (6-4, SOPH) 13.2 pts, 8.5 reb |
C |
Cory Jones (6-6/225, JR) '03-04: 10.4 pts, 6.0 reb (first start) |
Josh Hinz (6-6, JR) 18.8 pts, 9.3 reb |
Reserve 1 |
Steve Schweer, F (6-6/205, JR) 6.3 pts, 5.9 reb |
Matt Anacker, G (5-9, JR) 1.0 pts, 0.5 reb |
| Reserve 2 | Chris Jones, F/C(6-6/210, JR) 6.3 pts, 7.6 reb |
Manual Fergus, G (6-1, SR)
2.5 pts, 2.5 reb |
Internet Radio Coverage:
* Illinois Wesleyan - WJBC, AM-1230
Newspaper Coverage:
Titans suffer first setback
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
-----
HANOVER, Ind. -- A narrow, winding road carved through thick woods leads from Indiana Route 56 to the secluded Hanover College campus.
And while the Illinois Wesleyan basketball team was able to locate Collier Arena, the Titans would lose their offensive way after a promising start Saturday.
IWU shot 30 percent from the field over the final 28 minutes, and Hanover's Ben Lye nailed a 14-foot jumper with eight seconds remaining as the No. 9-ranked Panthers edged the No. 2 Titans, 55-53, in a nonconference game ripe with NCAA Tournament intensity.
"It's definitely disappointing," said Wesleyan point guard Adam Dauksas. "We're a better team than they are, and we didn't show it tonight. That's what hurts the most."
The Titans drop to 6-1, while Hanover moved to 8-1.
After IWU's Zach Freeman forged a 53-53 tie on two free throws with 40 seconds left, the Panthers ran the shot clock under 10 before finding Lye.
"I was supposed to pick down. For some reason I was left open, and Tommy (Dennis) passed it to me," said Lye, who paced Hanover with 16 points and eight rebounds off the bench. "This is what we needed. We haven't been playing up to our potential. Maybe this game will get us going."
IWU hustled the ball downcourt and Keelan Amelianovich's 3-point attempt bounced short off the rim. Steve Schweer attempted an off-balance tip that was off the mark as the buzzer sounded and the Hanover student section stormed the court.
"We didn't play smart at times," Wesleyan coach Scott Trost said. "It was a top 10 team on their court. We had a chance and didn't do it."
The Titans finished at 41 percent from the floor after connecting on 9 of their first 14 shots. IWU also was outrebounded, for the first time this season, 37-29.
"We stopped playing our game and let them control the tempo," said Dauksas, who scored 13 points and had four of Wesleyan's season-low nine assists. "We wanted to get out in a hurry (on the fast break). We didn't do that and it hurt our flow."
The Panthers gained a measure of revenge from IWU's victory here in the second round of last season's NCAA Division III Tournament.
"It was a real good ballgame. I'm pleased that physically we were more competitive with them than in the tournament game last year," Hanover coach Mike Beitzel said. "We competed a lot better around the basket. This gives us some confidence because we think they are a very good team."
The Panthers shot just 34 percent but fired off 18 more shots than the Titans.
Hanover took its first lead of the game at 40-37 on a Nate Minyard 3-pointer with 11:20 showing and led 45-39 after another 3-pointer from Brian Chrin.
IWU battled back for a 49-48 edge on a Dauksas 3-pointer and led by three after Jason Fisher scored on a cut to the basket. But the Titans managed just two points over the final 2:48.
"I think we made them score in the halfcourt game the second half," Beitzel said. "I think this will be a real good game for Wesleyan. Those kind of games prepare you for conference play."
Trost lamented the disappearance of the effective transition game his team displayed early.
"We got out and ran and were able to get transition baskets," said the IWU coach, whose team enjoyed but could not hold first-half leads of 10-2 and 23-12. "We shot the 3 well but the problem was we kept shooting the 3 and after a while they didn't go in. We didn't do a good job looking inside."
After Amelianovich, who led IWU with 14 points, scored six straight points for the aforementioned 11-point cushion, IWU went over six minutes without a point until a Chris Jones rebound basket at the 2:05 mark of the opening half gave the Titans a 25-20 lead.
The Panthers pulled into a 25-25 tie on two Lye free throws before a pair of Cory Jones free throws at the 24-second mark sent the Titans into halftime ahead 27-25. Hanover survived icy 26.5 percent first-half shooting with the help of 10 offensive rebounds. Fisher matched a season-high with 12 points for the Titans, who face final examinations before returning to action at Beloit next Saturday.
Chrin chipped in 10 and Minyard nine for the Panthers.
#2 Illinois Wesleyan @ #9 Hanover
Saturday 12/11/04, 6:30pm (central)
Probable Starters:
|
||
G |
Adam Dauksas (6-3/185, JR) 14.0 pts, 3.8 reb, 8.2 assists |
Nate Minyard (6-0/160, JR) 4.6 pts, 2.5 reb, 3.9 assists |
G |
Jason Fisher (6-2/206, JR) 7.5 pts, 2.2 reb |
Matt Moore (6-0/185, SR) 12.6 pts, 4.9 reb |
F |
Keelan Amelianovich (6-6/210, JR) 18.3 pts, 5.5 reb |
Brian Chrin (6-3/195, JR) 10.6 pts, 3.9 reb |
F |
Zach Freeman (6-7/205, SOPH) 15.0 pts, 8.7 reb |
Ryan Lanning (6-6/205, SR) 7.8 pts, 2.3 reb |
C |
Chris Jones (6-6/210, JR) 6.7 pts, 8.0 reb |
Tommy Dennis (6-5/220 SR) 11.0 pts, 6.4 reb |
Top Reserve |
Steve Schweer, F (6-6/205, JR) 7.3 pts, 6.0 reb |
Ben Lye, F ( 6-4/205, JR) 10.6 pts, 6.4 reb |
IWU 77 Hanover 67, 3/6/04 @ Hanover
Hanover 63 IWU 54, 12/18/03 @ IWU
Internet Radio Coverage:
* Illinois Wesleyan - WJBC Netcast
* Hanover - Sportsjuice.com
Newspaper Coverage:
Titans gobble up victory
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
-----
BLOOMINGTON -- The Fontbonne University basketball team likely stopped to eat on the drive back to St. Louis Wednesday.
That's because ravenous Illinois Wesleyan left nary a scrap for the Griffins to chew on in a 94-51 nonconference pounding before a Shirk Center crowd of 1,750.
"I thought we did a lot of good things. Overall, it was a very solid performance," said IWU coach Scott Trost. "I didn't think we played to the level of our competition."
Junior forward Keelan Amelianovich scored a career-high 28 points in 27 minutes as the No. 2-ranked Titans extended their best start since the 1996-97 season to 6-0. Overmatched Fontbonne fell to 0-6.
IWU now turns its attention to a rematch of last season's second-round NCAA Division III Tournament game. The Titans travel to Hanover, Ind., Saturday to meet No. 9 Hanover.
"Our focus was to come out (strong) right off the bat like we haven't done the last few games," Amelianovich said. "We wanted to bring that intensity right away. Once we got into that mode, we carried it through."
Fontbonne trailed 10-7 when Wesleyan began systematically dismantling the Griffins.
A Jason Fisher 3-pointer and two Zach Freeman free throws preceded an Amelianovich dunk set up by an Adam Dauksas steal.
A Fontbonne timeout accomplished little as Amelianovich scored inside and followed with a 3-pointer, Dauksas nailed another 3-pointer and Amelianovich hit from the lane to cap a spurt of 17 straight points in less than three minutes.
"There was a stretch there in the first half we looked pretty good," said Trost. "Offensively, we got in more of a flow. Our tempo was more to our liking."
"Our freshmen kind of panicked early," Fontbonne coach Lee McKinney said. "They've got a good team, no doubt. We could have played our best and probably not beat them."
A Mike McGraw 3-pointer boosted the IWU bulge to 35-11 as the Titans connected on 7 of their first 9 shots from beyond the arc.
Amelianovich had 21 first-half points to spark Wesleyan to a 52-24 lead at the break.
"I think Keelan may have learned something the last week," said Trost. "Opposing teams' game plans are going to be designed to stop him. He's got to work that much harder off the ball to get his shots. I thought he did that tonight and he was more active, too, on the defensive end."
Amelianovich was 11 of 18 from the field and 6 of 12 from 3-point range.
"I was definitely feeling it. It's almost hard sometimes when you've got that shot every time. You don't know when to take it," he said. "It felt good to finally get with it and carry the team."
Dauksas and Fisher each chipped in 12 points, while Dauksas handed out nine assists. Zach Freeman contributed nine points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
The Titans grabbed an eye-popping 68 rebounds (five shy of the school record) as trigger-happy Fontbonne launched 73 shots and made a mere 21 (29 percent). The Griffins were a miserable 2 of 24 on 3-point attempts.
"They rebound well and they're awfully physical," said McKinney. "They're like a small Division I team. They play hard like Division I players."
Junior Cory Jones saw his first action of the season after sitting out the first five games with a stress fracture. Jones had two points and four rebounds in 12 minutes.
"It was definitely nice to get back out there," Jones said. "I'm kind of rusty, but eventually I'll get back into it. It (the foot) gave me a little trouble toward the end, but nothing serious."
IWU could have easily surpassed the century mark had it not missed 15 free throws, committed a season-high 21 turnovers and shot 43 percent from the field.
"That happens in games like this," Trost said of the turnovers. "They are out there having fun, trying to make plays. That doesn't bother me."
Antonio Holland paced Fontbonne with 22 points off the bench.
Fontbonne @ Illinois Wesleyan
Wednesday 12/8/04, 7:30pm
Probable Starters:
(Fontbonne does not have stats on their website, thus the numbers below aren't complete.)
|
|
|
G |
Adam Dauksas (6-3/185, JR) 14.4 pts, 4.2 reb, 8.0 assists |
David Carreno (5-11 JR) 11.8 pts |
G |
Jason Fisher (6-2/206, JR) 6.6 pts, 1.8 reb |
Sean Munton (6-2 FR) 7.8 pts |
F |
Keelan Amelianovich (6-6/210, JR) 16.4 pts, 5.4 reb |
Blake Cundiff (6-4 SR) 14.8 pts, 7.4 reb |
F |
Zach Freeman (6-7/205, SOPH) 16.2 pts, 8.0 reb |
Antonio Holland (6-7 JR) 14.8 pts, 7.4 reb |
C |
Chris Jones (6-6/210, JR) 7.4 pts, 7.8 reb |
Jon Dressler (6-9 SOPH)
|
Top Reserve |
Steve Schweer, F (6-6/205, JR) 7.2 pts, 6.0 reb |
Matt McCarthy, F ( 6-5 FR)
|
Internet Radio Coverage:
* Illinois Wesleyan - WJBC, AM-1230
Newspaper Coverage:
Dauksas keys 2nd-half surge; Titans go to 5-0
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
-----
BLOOMINGTON -- With the University of Chicago utilizing a rugged yet clean method of play designed to slow the pace, Illinois Wesleyan needed a late surge to assume a five-point halftime lead Saturday.
The Maroons were not going to succumb easily, so the Titans had to be as inventive as the IWU pep band percussionist beating on the bottom of a garbage can with a red whiffleball bat in a Shirk Center corner.
And the Titans' father of invention? Junior point guard Adam Dauksas.
Dauksas scored 16 points, handed out eight assists and committed no turnovers as IWU scored the first 13 points of the second half en route to a 78-63 win over Chicago before a crowd of 1,750.
"The thing that Adam does for them is even if you defense the system well, he has a way of finding a way to get guys good shots," Chicago coach Mike McGrath said. "Some of the passes he throws and some of the things he does within the structure of the offense is him making plays for people. I thought that's what showed up the second half."
The No. 2-ranked Titans had a mere five turnovers while moving to 5-0 for the first time since the 1996-97 team opened with 15 straight wins.
"It showed that we can run our halfcourt offense and get good shots down on the block," said Dauksas. "It's all in those four other guys. They get open. It's just a matter of finding them. If you get it to them around the basket they're really good, so it's pretty easy."
IWU opened the second half with a Chris Jones basket and two Dauksas free throws. Keelan Amelianovich then knocked down a jumper in transition, Zach Freeman scored two straight baskets, Jones nailed a 10-footer and Amelianovich tacked on a free throw as the Titans turned a 33-28 halftime edge into a 46-28 bulge.
"They play a certain way and a certain style. They kind of willed their style and tempo on us," Wesleyan coach Scott Trost said. "The second half I thought we got more easy baskets. Our defensive intensity picked up and made it harder for them to score. The pace of the game was quicker. That was obviously to our advantage."
The Titans grabbed a 60-41 lead as Andrew Freeman dropped in a spectacular alley oop pass from Dauksas with 8:30 remaining and led by as many as 20 before Chicago (3-4) mounted a rally.
Two three-pointers from Jesse Meyer and another from Brandon Woodhead helped the Maroons climb within 62-52.
But an 8-2 IWU spurt highlighted by Zach Freeman's fifth dunk of the season and second of the half put Chicago away.
"Once we got a couple of good looks, things just started falling," said Zach Freeman, who was 7 of 12 from the field and 6 of 6 on free throws for a game-high 20 points. "We were looking for that extra pass to get someone more open and not turning it over. Adam penetrating really opens up the floor for everyone."
Freeman also had a game-high seven rebounds before fouling out with 2:52 remaining.
"I don't think there's a post player at this level who can guard Zach facing the basket," Trost said. "He's a very talented kid."
IWU shot a scorching 68 percent in the second half and a season-best 55 percent overall. Amelianovich added 13 points and Steve Schweer 12 off the bench. Schweer was a perfect 3 of 3 from the field and 6 of 6 from the line.
Jones had eight points, six rebounds and four blocked shots as IWU held its opponent under 38 percent shooting (35.8) for the fourth time in five games.
"We made them play a halfcourt game. It wasn't a transition game," said McGrath. "I thought they executed their offense more than getting stuff out of transition, which was what we were looking for."
Chicago, which has lost to No. 1 Wisconsin-Stevens Point, No. 2 IWU and No. 13 Wheaton, was led by Meyer and Nate Hainje with 14 points apiece.
Wesleyan returns to Shirk Center on Wednesday for a 7:30 p.m. nonconference matchup with Fontbonne.
U. of Chicago @ Illinois Wesleyan
Saturday 12/4/04, 3:00pm (Alumni vs JV game, 12:45pm)
Probable Starters
|
||
G |
Adam Dauksas (6-3/185, JR) 14.0 pts, 3.8 reb, 8.0 assists |
Justin Waldie (6-3/185, SR) 10.5 pts, 5.5 reb, 3.3 assists |
G |
Jason Fisher (6-2/206, JR) 7.8 pts, 1.8 reb |
Brian Cuttica (6-2/190, SR) 7.3 pts, 1.7 reb |
F |
Keelan Amelianovich (6-6/210, JR) 17.3 pts, 6.0 reb |
Brandon Woodhead (6-2/185, SOPH) 11.0 pts, 2.2 reb |
F |
Zach Freeman (6-7/205, SOPH) 15.3 pts, 8.3 reb |
Nate Hainje (6-5/190, FR) 6.2 pts, 5.2 reb |
C |
Chris Jones (6-6/210, JR) 7.3 pts, 8.3 reb |
Clay Carmody (6-7/215, JR) 10.3 pts, 5.7 reb |
Top Reserve |
Steve Schweer, F (6-6/205, JR) 6.0 pts, 6.5 reb |
Jesse Meyer, G ( 6-3/190, SOPH) 6.7 pts, 2.5 reb |
Internet Radio Coverage:
* Illinois Wesleyan - WJBC, AM-1230
Newspaper Coverage:
Alumni Roster:
* Laban Cross (2003)
* Matt Hoder (1998)
* Bryan Crabtree (1997)
* Scott Peterson (1996)
* Matt Swingler (1996)
* Brady Knight (1996)
* Steve Kuehl (1993)
* Mike Thomas (1991)
* Erik Bridges (1987)
* Paul Petersen (1988)
Probable Starting Lineup:
G Erik Bridges
G Laban Cross
F Bryan Crabtree
F Steve Kuehl
F Scott Peterson
Titans turn up the heat
Amelianovich leads second-half rally as IWU improves to 4-0
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
-----
BOURBONNAIS -- Amelianovich, as in the surname of Illinois Wesleyan junior Keelan Amelianovich, can be a bit tricky to spell.
For an easy-to-remember, shorthand version, just use "shooter." It's much easier to navigate and just as accurate of a description of the IWU forward.
IWU saw the shooter it enjoyed all season break loose early in the second half Tuesday as Amelianovich nailed four quick 3-pointers to ignite an impressive Titans' second half that led to an 80-73 nonconference victory over Olivet Nazarene before a McHie Arena crowd of 1,021.
"Keelan's Keelan," IWU coach Scott Trost stated succinctly. "He's going to hit his shots. He's an All-American. I'll go to bat with him any day."
Ranked No. 2 in NCAA Division III, the Titans have opened the season with four straight victories for the first time since 1996.
Amelianovich, a 51 percent 3-point shooter last season, had coaxed in just 4 of 19 (21 percent) from beyond the arc over IWU's first three games.
That rate improved quickly as three consecutive Amelianovich 3-pointers over a span of 1:33 erased an eight-point Olivet advantage and gave the Titans a 39-38 edge, the first lead for the visitors since 1-0.
"It definitely felt good to get a good streak going," said Amelianovich, who scored a season-high 23 points. "It feels good to remember what it's like to see the ball go in the hoop from deep."
Amelianovich's fourth 3-pointer of the second half and fifth of the game on nine attempts gave Wesleyan a 46-44 lead with 14:44 remaining.
"I knew Amelianovich would get healthy as soon as he walked in the gym. We bring out the best in people," said Olivet coach Ralph Hodge, whose NAIA Division I squad dropped to 3-4.
"But we know he's capable. He's not a 21 percent shooter. He hit some deep bombs to get them going the second half. Then they got into a good flow."
A basket from Zach Freeman, who had only one first-half shot and missed it, gave IWU a 50-44 lead. A Steve Schweer three-point play resulting from a rebound basket pushed the Titans' margin to 59-49.
"We were much better the second half. I'm proud of the way we played," Trost said. "We had a sense of purpose, our energy was better and we got out in transition."
IWU's running game a was a huge factor according to Tigers' sophomore and Normal West High School graduate Stan Chismark.
"Wesleyan is a real good transition team," said Chismark, who scored 10 points off the bench. "We did a pretty good job with that the first half, but the second half we completely lost it."
The Titans led by as many as 13 at 68-55 and held on as Adam Dauksas connected on 8 of 8 free throws over the final 2:41.
"We picked up the intensity No. 1," Amelianovich said. "Rebounding set (up) our break."
Freeman scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half as IWU shot 53.6 percent after a 35.7 first-half performance.
"It was more the pace of the game," Freeman said. "We got into our transition offense and got a lot of inside touches."
Dauksas was just 2 of 11 from the field but hit 12 of 14 free throws for 16 points. Schweer chipped in 10 points in a reserve role.
"It's taking us a while every game," Trost said. "We can't afford to keep doing that every game against good teams. We play in spurts. But it's a good win over a quality team on the road."
Amelianovich grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, while Olivet's Erik Rhinehart led all rebounders with 11. The Tigers' 6-foot-9 senior topped his team with 20 points.
The Titans' only first-half lead came at 1-0, and a 19-footer from Chismark gave Olivet a 12-5 edge. A Mike McGraw fast break basket helped IWU rally for a 14-14 tie.
The Titans went over four minutes without scoring as 10 straight Tigers' points produced a 32-20 Olivet margin.
IWU countered with seven consecutive points to shave its deficit to 32-27, and Olivet claimed a 36-30 halftime advantage when Bradley Barr scored in the lane with two seconds left.
"Inconsistency has been our game," Hodge said. "We have stretches where we're impatient and we lose poise. The second half the whole thing fell out for us."
Wesleyan returns to Shirk Center Saturday for a 3 p.m. nonconference matchup with the University of Chicago.
Illinois Wesleyan @ Olivet Nazarene
Tuesday 11/30/04, 7:30pm (JV game at 5:15pm)
Probable Starters
|
||
G |
Adam Dauksas (6-3/185, JR) 13.3 pts, 3.3 reb, 9 assists |
Zach Birkey (6-0/185, JR) 4.0 pts, 3.0 reb, 5 assists |
G |
Jason Fisher (6-2/206, JR) 7.3 pts, 1.7 reb |
Jonathan Williams (6-1/180, SR) 10.3 pts, 4.7 reb |
F |
Keelan Amelianovich (6-6/210, JR) 15.3 pts, 5.0 reb |
Zach Johnson (6-5/200, JR) 13.0 pts, 4.2 reb |
F |
Zach Freeman (6-7/205, SOPH) 15.7 pts, 8.7 reb |
Erik Rhinehart (6-9/220, SR) 13.2 pts, 7.0 reb |
C |
Chris Jones (6-6/210, JR) 9.0 pts, 8.7 reb |
Travis Meeks (6-8/220, SOPH) 11.7 pts, 5.2 reb |
Top Reserve |
Steve Schweer, F (6-6/205, JR) 4.7 pts, 7.0 reb |
Stan Chismark, F ( 6-5/205, JR) 7.5 pts, 2.7 reb |
Notable ONU non-conference opponents:
* Missouri Baptist (NAIA D1, #14) - W 98-88
* MidAmerica Nazarene (NAIA D2, #10) - W 76-70
* Southern Indiana (NCAA D2, #1) - L 70-97
* Georgetown-KY (NAIA 1, #8) - L 71-75
* Illinois Wesleyan (NCAA D3, #2)
* McKendree (NAIA D1, #18)
* Cornerstone (NAIA D2, #17)
* Florida Southern (NCAA D2, #18)
* Central State (NCAA D2)
Internet Radio Coverage:
* Illinois Wesleyan - WJBC Netcast
* Olivet Nazarene - 89.7, Shine.fm
Newspaper Coverage:
Freeman, IWU muscle Bears
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
BLOOMINGTON -- An off season of weight lifting has left Illinois Wesleyan sophomore Zach Freeman visibly stronger in the chest and shoulders.
Freeman proved those muscles aren't merely for show with a powerful 23-point, 10-rebound performance Tuesday night during IWU's 90-70 nonconference victory over Washington University before a Shirk Center crowd of 1,800.
"I've been trying not to play around with the ball as much, make a move, power up and shoot it," Freeman said. "I think that's important."
IWU coach Scott Trost would agree as the No. 2-ranked Titans used a dominant second half to pull away from the No. 21 Bears.
"I've always said Zach has the ability to be as good as he wants to be. People see tonight what we're talking about," said Trost, whose team moved to 3-0. "He was phenomenal. He played great."
Freeman's newly broadened shoulders hardly had to carry the entire load.
Keelan Amelianovich scored 21 points, Adam Dauksas contributed 15 points and 13 assists, Mike McGraw added a career-high 11 points and Chris Jones grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds.
The Titans roared out of the halftime locker room with an 11-0 spurt to claim a 51-38 lead. All five IWU starters scored, with the highlights coming on an Amelianovich dunk and a Jason Fisher 3-pointer.
"I think that was kind of the team's coming-out party," Freeman said. "We were hitting shots, finding the open man, being unselfish and owning the boards really helped us out a lot."
"Our kids responded the second half," said Trost. "I thought we played with a great deal of energy and executed well. I think maybe our zone bothered them a little bit, and I thought our (fast) break was really good."
The Titans enjoyed a 66-46 lead after an Amelianovich 3-pointer with 11:31 left.
"The second half we didn't shoot the ball well, and they started playing better offense. That's what got away from us," Bears' coach Mark Edwards said. "When you're playing against a zone and you can't hit a shot and they're getting all the rebounds, you might as well forget it."
Washington (2-1) fought back as close as 75-64 on a Brandon York 3-pointer at the 6:38 mark. But IWU's Steve Schweer scored just before the shot clock buzzer and McGraw drained a 3-pointer to push the Titans' advantage back to 16.
"It felt great to knock a few shots down," McGraw said. "This is something I've wanted and worked for. It feels good, my first few games playing varsity, to have three wins and we're improving every game."
While York paced Washington with 14 points and Troy Ruths and Anthony Hollins had 12 each, the Bears got little from 7-foot junior Mike Grunst, who sat out the final 14 minutes of the first half with two fouls and finished with two points and four rebounds.
"We never did have anybody dominate offensively where they had to make a change," said Edwards, whose team stormed to a 16-5 lead before surrendering 17 straight Wesleyan points. "We haven't played against a zone in five years. But I don't think it was the zone per se. We just couldn't shoot. We got the open shot and couldn't hit it."
The Bears shot 34 percent from the field (24 of 70), 23 percent from 3-point range (7 of 30) and were outrebounded, 51-38.
Fisher began the game with a mask protecting his broken nose, but quickly discarded it.
"The first play I had the ball out front and a guy pulled it down so it was covering my eyes. I had a turnover because of it," Fisher said. "I knew that couldn't happen the whole game, so I threw it off and took the risk of me getting hit again."
The Titans shot 51 percent from the floor and committed just three of their 14 turnovers in the second half.
For the lottery players among us, McGraw, IWU's No. 14, hit a 3-pointer with 14:14 remaining in the second half.
Washington U. @ Illinois Wesleyan - 7:30pm, 11/23/04
(JV Game - 5:15pm)
Probable Starters
|
||
G |
Adam Dauksas (6-3/185, JR)
|
Scott Stone (6-1/155, JR)
|
G |
Jason Fisher (6-2/206, JR)
|
Michael Faherty (6-2/185, SR)
|
F |
Keelan Amelianovich (6-6/210, JR)
|
Rob Keller (6-4/220, SR)
|
F |
Zach Freeman (6-7/205, SOPH)
|
Anthony Hollins (6-5/195, SR)
|
C |
Chris Jones (6-6/210, JR)
|
Mike Grunst (7-0/230, JR)
|
Top Reserve |
Steve Schweer, F (6-6/205, JR)
|
Calvin Williams, F ( 6-5/200, JR)
|
Internet Radio Coverage:
* Illinois Wesleyan - WJBC, AM-1230 (Bloomington, IL)
Newspaper Coverage:
Titans' hot start does in DePauw
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
BLOOMINGTON -- That wasn't a start, it was a launch.
Ignited by the passing, shooting and defense of junior point guard Adam Dauksas, the Illinois Wesleyan basketball team blasted DePauw with the heat of an opening 17-0 spurt and cruised to a 67-48 victory in the championship game of the IWU Tip-Off Tournament before a Shirk Center crowd of 2,100 Saturday.
Dauksas scored seven points and had two steals in Wesleyan's opening salvo as the Titans displayed a scrappiness and sense of purpose that was lacking in a two-point win over Aurora Friday in the tournament semifinals.
"I only slept about three hours thinking about last night," said Dauksas, who led IWU with 16 points and earned tournament Most Valuable Player honors. "Keelan (Amelianovich) and I went to breakfast at 7:30 and we talked about playing hard every game and playing harder than the first game."
The 2-0 Titans nailed seven of their first eight shots and frustrated DePauw (1-1) with a sticky 2-3 zone defense.
"We showed the team we're capable of becoming," IWU coach Scott Trost said. "We got off to a much better start, our tempo was a lot better, we executed better and we had a lot more energy. I never doubted their ability. It was just a matter of playing with a great deal of energy."
Two Chris Jones baskets helped the Titans to a 8-0 lead before Dauksas connected on a 3-pointer and converted a layup off a steal.
"Adam plays with a lot of energy and we feed off him," Trost said. "Everybody played hard and our zone was effective."
A Zach Freeman basket and another Jones shot pushed the IWU edge to 17-0.
Meanwhile, DePauw did not score until a free throw at the 14:57 mark, and Trost had substituted four times before the Tigers made their first shot from the field after nine misses with 10:43 remaining.
"We set the pace early and that was definitely effective for us," said Dauksas, who added seven assists and two steals.
Amelianovich struggled from 3-point range (0-8) for the second straight night, but powered home a slam dunk with 17 seconds left in the opening half for a 41-19 margin.
The Titans led by at least 16 points the entire second half despite 8 of 18 free throw shooting and 27.6 percent accuracy from the field after the break.
"We proved we're pretty mature to not give up that lead," said Dauksas, who along with his teammates squandered a 16-point first-half lead Friday to Aurora.
Jason Fisher scored 12 points for IWU, and Freeman contributed eight points and 10 rebounds as Wesleyan held a 44-37 advantage on the boards.
Andrew Freeman and Steve Schweer turned in strong performances off the bench. Zach's twin scored a career-high eight points, while Schweer grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds.
Reid Sakel paced DePauw with 12 points, while Alex Stewart had 11. The Tigers shot just 29 percent from the field (16 of 55).
IWU returns to Shirk Center Tuesday to meet Washington University in a 7:30 p.m. nonconference game.
Aurora 77, Randolph-Macon 74
Aurora placed all five starters in double figures while prevailing in the third-place game.
Drew Gronau paced the Spartans (1-1) with 20 points. Larry Welton, Courtney Carson and Adam McCoy chipped in 12 each.
Justin Wansley led Randolph-Macon with 24 points and 10 rebounds. The 23rd-ranked Yellow Jackets (0-2) trailed by 11 points at the half before rallying for a brief second-half lead.
All-tournament team
Dauksas and Zach Freeman were joined on the all-tournament team by Stewart, Wansley and Aurora's Drew Gronau.
IWU Tipoff Tournament
Championship Game - DePauw vs Illinois Wesleyan (8:00pm 11/20/04)
Probable Starters
|
||
G |
Adam Dauksas (6-3/185, JR)
|
Reid Sakel (6-2/180, SOPH)
|
G |
Jason Fisher (6-2/206, JR)
|
Alex Stewart (6-2/185, JR)
|
F |
Keelan Amelianovich (6-6/210, JR)
|
Todd Capes (6-5/180, JR)
|
F |
Zach Freeman (6-7/205, SOPH)
|
Brian Oilar (6-8/205, FR)
|
C |
Chris Jones (6-6/210, JR)
|
Steve Schott (6-7/225, FR)
|
Top Reserve |
Steve Schweer, F (6-6/205, JR)
|
Austin Brown, F ( 6-4/195, SO)
|
Internet Radio Coverage:
* Illinois Wesleyan - WJBC, AM-1230 (Bloomington, IL)
* DePauw - WGRE, FM-91.5 (Greencastle, IN)
Newspaper Coverage:
Titans beat the clock, Aurora
Amelianovich's jumper lifts IWU to thrilling win in final minute
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
BLOOMINGTON -- Illinois Wesleyan basketball coach Scott Trost didn't forget what Keelan Amelianovich can do over the off season.
And Amelianovich didn't forget how to do it.
Amelianovich shrugged off a poor shooting night by nailing a turnaround jumper from the baseline with 18 seconds left to give the No. 2-ranked Titans a one-point lead and IWU held on for a thrilling 70-68 season-opening victory over Aurora Friday in the IWU Tip-Off Tournament.
"That's what I wanted. I hoped he would call the play for me," Amelianovich said. "Those are the shots the team depends on me (to make). That's my shot. I practice it probably 50 times a day. I had all the confidence in the world."
In a game reminiscent of a tense three-point Wesleyan win over Aurora in the first men's game at Shirk Center 11 days shy of 10 years ago, IWU fought off a relentless group of Spartans before a lively crowd of 2,000.
"We escaped," Trost said. "Burden of expectations, and we didn't handle it very well tonight. We found a way to win, and that's the best thing I can say."
Wesleyan meets DePauw, which knocked off Randolph-Macon in the first game, at 8 p.m. today for the tournament championship. Aurora and Randolph-Macon play at 6 p.m. for third place.
Aurora, which had trailed by 16 points in the first half, surged to a 66-61 lead with the help of three rapid-fire 3-pointers from freshman Larry Welton and a Jeremy Cartwright rebound basket.
A Zach Freeman basket and two Chris Jones free throws cut the IWU deficit to one. After Aurora's Erik Gullickson and Wesleyan's Jason Fisher exchanged baskets, Freeman grabbed the rebound of a Spartans miss with 37 seconds left.
A timeout at the 26-second mark set up Amelianovich's key jumper.
"He's an All-American. We want to get him the ball as much as we can in crucial situations and he hit a helluva shot," Trost said. "We knew they would be playing him coming off a screen so we tried to post him up. We got him the ball at the right spot at the right time and he made a good shot."
Jones then caused an Aurora turnover by creating a loose ball, and Adam Dauksas managed one of two free throws with 9.6 seconds left for a 70-68 edge.
"He crossed the ball over in front of me," Jones said. "I stuck a hand in there and luckily deflected it. My teammates got the ball and I was happy."
Aurora's Adam McCoy, who led his team with 20 points, launched a 3-pointer at the buzzer that could have won the game but caromed off the back iron.
"Our kids are hurting in there. We didn't come down to play close. We wanted to really win this game," said Aurora coach James Lancaster. "You don't get too many opportunities to play the No. 2 team in the country on their home court. I'm proud of our kids' effort. We showed a little bit of character."
The Titans survived horrendous free throw shooting, coaxing in only 6 of 16 from the line in the second half and 12 of 23 (52 percent) overall.
"That's unexpected," said Amelianovich, who matched Freeman for team scoring honors with 16 points. "We've got to bear down, concentrate a little more and make those free throws."
Jones chipped in 10 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, while teammates Dauksas and Steve Schweer had nine points each.
"It was a very, very average performance in all aspects," Trost said. "We're going to take everybody's best shot, and I think sometimes we take things for granted around here.
"Our kids found a way, they know how to win, they've been in pressure situations before and the crowd. Those four factors all helped us win a game like this, and we needed all of them."
IWU cruised to a 27-11 lead. But Aurora went from ice cold to red hot almost instantly.
The Spartans scored just 11 points in the game's first 13 minutes before reeling off 17 points in the next three minutes and trailed only 38-37 at the half.
"This type of game kind of favors the underdog," Lancaster said. "They start believing they've got a chance so the pressure is on Illinois Wesleyan."
DePauw 74, Randolph-Macon 72
Reid Sakel connected on four key free throws in the final 18 seconds as DePauw edged No. 23-ranked Randolph-Macon in the first game.
"It was a great way to start," Tigers' coach Bill Fenlon said. "We had a lot of young guys playing, and we I thought we played really hard. We kept plugging away and really protected the lead."
Alex Stewart paced DePauw with 16 points. Steve Schott added 15, Austin Brown 12 and Sakel 10.
Patrick Gill and Andrew Baker paced five Randolph-Macon players in double figures with 13 points each.
IWU Tipoff Tournament
November 19-20, 2004
Tournament Schedule:
| Friday
6:00pm - DePauw vs Randolph-Macon 8:00pm - Aurora vs Illinois Wesleyan |
Saturday
6:00pm - Consolation Game 8:00pm - Championship Game |
Internet Radio Coverage:
* Illinois Wesleyan - WJBC, AM-1230 (Bloomington, IL)
* DePauw - WGRE, FM-91.5 (Greencastle, IN)
* Randolph-Macon - SportsJuice.com
Newspaper Coverage:
Team Capsules:
| Team | Conference |
'03-04 |
Top 3 Returning Scorers |
| Aurora "Spartans" | 19-8 (10-2) | (F) Adam McCoy (6-3 SR) - 15.2 pts, 3.1 reb
(F) Drew Gronau (6-6 SR) - 10.4 pts, 3.8 reb (G) Courtney Carson (5-11 JR) - 8.3 pts, 2.2 reb |
|
| DePauw "Tigers" | SCAC | 16-10 (9-5) | (G) Alex Stewart (6-2 JR) - 12.6 pts, 3.8 reb
(G) Reid Sakel (6-2 SO) - 7.4 pts, 1.8 reb (G) Joey Hanger (6-1 SR) - 6.7, 2.3 |
| Illinois Wesleyan "Titans" | CCIW | 21-7 (12-2) | (F) Keelan Amelianovich* (6-6 JR) - 17.9 pts, 5.1 reb
(G) Adam Dauksas* (6-3 JR) - 13.8 pts, 3.6 reb (F) Zach Freeman (6-7 SO) - 11.4 pts, 7.1 reb |
| Randolph-Macon "Yellow Jackets" | ODAC | 23-5 (16-2) | (F) Justin Wansley* (6-6 JR) - 15.3 pts, 7.8 reb
(G) Justin Moyer (6-1 SR) - 8.3 pts, 2.9 reb (G) Patrick Gill (6-1 JR) - 6.8 pts, 1.8 reb |
* denotes D3hoops.com preseason All-American
2003-04 Cumulative Stat Comparison:
| Team | Avg Pts | Avg Opp. Pts | FG% | Opp. FG% | 3-pt % | FT % |
| Aurora | 75.9 | 69.1 | .434 | .410 | .333 | .647 |
| DePauw | 71.6 | 65.8 | .471 | .409 | .367 | .667 |
| Illinois Wesleyan | 77.7 | 68.0 | .479 | .412 | .439 | .733 |
| Randolph-Macon | 73.5 | 63.5 | .488 | .401 | .393 | .697 |
(Thursday, November 11)
Titans Handle Blackburn in Final Scrimmage
1st
IWU 35
Blackburn 22
2nd
IWU 52
Blackburn 28
IWU Scoring:
Keelan Amelianovich 18
Zach Freeman 17
Adam Dauksas 12
Jason Fisher 10
Mike McGraw 9
Chris Jones 8
Andrew Freeman 7
Matt Arnold 2
Steve Jeretina 2
Tyler Smith 2
Steve Schweer 2
(Monday, November 8)
Starters Edge Reserves 32-31 in Green-White Game
In the "varsity" portion of the scrimmage, there was one 15 minute period with no substitutions. Individual scoring totals below...
| "White" (32) | "Green" (31) |
| (G) Adam Dauksas - 2 | (G) Matt Arnold - 8 |
| (G) Jason Fisher - 12 | (G) Mike McGraw - 3 |
| (F) Keelan Amelianovich - 11 | (F) Tyler Smith - 6 |
| (F) Zach Freeman - 4 | (F) Andrew Freeman - 6 |
| (C) Chris Jones - 3 | (C) Steve Jeretina - 8 |
Just a few observations from the scrimmage...
1) Jason Fisher looked good again.
2) Andrew Freeman continues to impress me - he is much stronger this year and is very athletic.
3) Steve Jeretina took a step towards earning early season P.T. with a nice showing tonight.
4) Tyler Smith is going to be a good Titan someday.
(Sunday, October 31)
Here are the results of the two varsity periods in the IWU/St. Xavier scrimmage:
1st:
IWU 34
SXU 30
2nd:
SXU 42
IWU 36
Titan scoring in both combined was...
| Amelianovich 16
Dauksas 14 Z. Freeman 14 McGraw 8 Fisher 7 Ch. Jones 7 Schweer 2 A. Freeman 2 |
Overall, I was pretty pleased with the Titans' play against a very talented, very physical St. Xavier team. The Titans led the first 20 minute session coast to coast and looked very sharp during stretches. SXU controlled the 2nd, but the Titans tied it up with 1:00 to play before the Cougars hit two unanswered 3's.
It's always hard to take a lot away from these scrimmages with the way they're structured (two separate halves), but a few thoughts...
* IWU has a really solid trio in point-guard Adam Dauksas, wing Keelan Amelianovich, and power forward Zach Freeman. These three should all have a very big season.
* Amelianovich is a huge presence on the court and opposing defenses are going to have to spend a lot of resources trying to contain him. He can score from anywhere and it looks like dribble-drive is going to be a new dimension to his game this season. His presence will create a ton of open looks for other Titans.
* I was real pleased with the 2-guard "platoon" of Jason Fisher and Mike McGraw. They both played well. These guys are going to find themselves open quite a bit this year, and if they can knock down their open 3's, IWU will be hard to beat.
* The loss of Cory Jones is significant. Word is that he may miss the entire non-conference, with a return in time for the CCIW season. Chris Jones is good, but he is not really a true 5. In high school, Chris played the 4 and Cory the 5. Chris is going to have to work very hard to adjust to his new role. IWU's center situation is pretty significant and something to keep your on eye during the non-conference portion of the schedule.
This was St. Xavier's final tune-up before taking on the DePaul Blue Demons Wednesday. SXU should have another good season.
(Saturday, October 30)
Titans to Scrimmage NAIA St. Xavier Tomorrow
The nationally #2-ranked Titans will get their chance to battle someone besides themselves Sunday. IWU travels to Chicago's south side to face NAIA Division 1 St. Xavier University, ranked #20, at 3:00pm.
Probable Starting Lineups:
| Illinios Wesleyan (21-7 in '03-04) | St. Xavier (24-10 in '03-04) | |
| G | Adam Dauksas (6-3/185 Jr., Homewood-Flossmoor H.S.) | Phillip Watson (6-3/200 Sr, Von Stueben H.S.) |
| G | Jason Fisher (6-2/206 Jr., Delavan H.S.) | Rick Romeli (6-4/200 Sr., Marian Catholic H.S.) |
| F | Keelan Amelianovich (6-6/210 Jr., Neuqua Valley H.S.) | Mike Rojas (6-8/223 Sr., Reavis H.S.) |
| F | Zach Freeman (6-7/210 So., Normal Community H.S.) | Eric Regan (6-5/220 Sr., Drake U.) |
| C | Chris Jones (6-6/210 Jr., Thornwood H.S.) | Kevin Lowe (6-10/230 So., Eastern Illinois U.) |
Directions to St. Xavier from Bloomington:
* I-55 to I-294 South (towards Indiana)
* Exit 95th Street East
* After about 4 miles, go right (so.) on Pulaski
* Left on 103rd St. - the entrace to SXU will be on the left. The Shannon Center parking lot and entrace is right there.
(Friday, October 29)
Injury likely to keep IWU's Cory Jones out of opener
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
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BLOOMINGTON -- Cory Jones started all 28 games for the Illinois Wesleyan basketball team last season.
That is unlikely to happen this season.
IWU coach Scott Trost said Thursday he expects Jones to miss the Nov. 19 season opener with a stress fracture in his right foot.
"I don't see him being ready for that," Trost said of the Titan Tip-Off Tournament Nov. 19-20. "That's my perception."
A 6-foot-6 junior, Jones was IWU's fourth-leading scorer at 10.4 points per game and No. 2 rebounder at 6.0 per game as a sophomore.
"We'll wait a couple of week and evaluate it then and see if it's healing," Trost said. "Hopefully we can get him back as soon as possible."
Trost said Chris Jones, Cory's twin brother, will likely step into the starting lineup with Steve Schweer, Andrew Freeman and Steve Jeretina all in line for increased playing time.
"Chris has played very well. We do have some bodies in there who are fully capable of stepping up and replacing Cory," said the IWU coach. "This is an opportunity for somebody else. It will make this team stronger for when we get him back."
(Wednesday, October 27)
IWU eyes a strong showing
Titans looking for offseason work to pay off in big way
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
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BLOOMINGTON -- Last season is a pleasant memory for the Illinois Wesleyan basketball team.
The last game of that season is not.
That 58-53 loss to College of Wooster in the Sweet Sixteen of the Division III Tournament has proven sufficient motivation for an IWU team that was not expected to advance that far last season and strives to move further this season.
"We all took that loss personally to some degree. We weren't satisfied with that," junior guard Adam Dauksas said. "This was the hardest offseason I've ever worked. Keelan (Amelianovich) and I were talking the day before practice started that we got off more shots this summer than we ever had before."
From sticking around campus over the summer to an increased emphasis on weight training, the Titans are intent on bettering last season's 21-7 record and earning a third straight College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin championship.
"It's in every basketball player's nature to want to play another game after you lost," said Amelianovich. "We've been keeping that (loss to Wooster) in the back of our mind whether it's in the weight room or open gym. We're definitely ready to get out there."
When they do for the Nov. 19 season opener against Aurora in the IWU Tip-Off Tournament, the Titans will do so with four returning starters and seven of their top eight scorers and rebounders.
"I think we're a little ahead of where we were last year as far as putting stuff in. The kids have played hard and competed very hard," said fourth-year coach Scott Trost, whose team is ranked second nationally by one preseason publication. "There are going to be expectations and I understand that. There should be for the team we've got coming back.
"The only goal we've ever had is to win the CCIW. If you do that, everything else takes care of itself. I know people around them are mentioning Salem (Va., the site of the Division III Final Four). As soon as you start thinking that and forgetting how you got to where you're at, you're defeated."
The foursome of Dauksas, Amelianovich, junior Cory Jones and sophomore Zach Freeman started every game last season.
The 6-foot-6 Amelianovich averaged 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and shot 50.6 percent from 3-point range. He was named CCIW Most Outstanding Player and was a first team All-America selection.
"That's how it usually is. If you do well one year, you get more targeted the next," Amelianovich said. "That will leave more shots open for my teammates. They'll be open more times than me and I'll find them when they are."
Dauksas enters his third season as starting point guard after averaging 13.8 points and 5.4 assists.
"Our goals are definitely high, but our main goal is always the CCIW and go from there," he said. "We can't look past teams in our conference. If we do, we're not going to be playing in the tournament."
The 6-7 Freeman averaged 11.4 points and a team-high 7.1 rebounds in a banner freshman season.
"I know exactly what to expect, at least I think I do," said Freeman, a Normal Community High School graduate along with twin brother and Titan reserve Andrew. "The experience last year is going to help me out a lot. I can tell physically I'm not going to get backed down and scored on nearly as easy. I can put up a lot more resistance playing defense."
The already strong Jones got stronger -- as did his twin brother and IWU reserve Chris -- and is a 6-6, 215-pound specimen. Cory's status for the season opener is in question because of a foot injury that could be a stress fracture.
"We know what it takes to get to that next step and we're trying to get there this year," said Cory Jones. "We were a pretty good rebounding team last year, but I think we can be so much better."
Off guard Jim Lehan was the lone starter to graduate. Trost could play Amelianovich there and start another big man like Steve Schweer, Andrew Freeman or Chris Jones. But he would prefer to leave Amelianovich at the small forward.
That leaves Jason Fisher, a junior from Delavan, as the leading contender to join the starting lineup. He is battling fellow juniors Matt Arnold and Mike McGraw for the position.
"Coach has me in there right now and I'm happy the way I'm playing," Fisher said. "I've had my eye on it (a starting job) since my freshman year."
Arnold is the likely back up to Dauksas at point guard, while both he and McGraw are capable outside shooters.
"Two guys who have really impressed me more than normal are Andrew Freeman and Chris Jones," said Trost. "Chris came back stronger. He's a horse on the boards and underneath the basket. Andrew came back a lot stronger. Those two have shown marked improvement and will be valuable contributors for us."
Titan tidbits
* IWU will hold a practice open to all high school, junior high and elementary school coaches today at 5:30 p.m. at Shirk Center. There will be a question and answer session following the workout.
* The team's annual Green-White scrimmage will be held Nov. 8 at Shirk Center. The Titan women will take the floor at 7 p.m. with the men to follow.
(Sunday, October 17)
Expectations high as Titans open practice
Basketball team ranked No. 2 in one national poll
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
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BLOOMINGTON -- The Illinois Wesleyan basketball team has already been picked No. 2 in one Division III national preseason ranking.
And being named College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin favorite is a mere formality after winning the CCIW with a sophomore-dominated team last season.
As the Titans begin practice today, IWU coach Scott Trost has a few facts he will present to his players.
"The team picked to win the league the last five years has only actually won the league one time," Trost said. "The burden of expectations is kind of the motto and how we handle it. Are you going to use it to make you better or are you going to read your press clippings and think you're better than you are.
"I think they understand all those polls don't mean a thing."
The Titans return four starters and seven of their top eight players from a team that finished 21-7 and advanced to the round of 16 in the NCAA Division III Tournament. The returnees contributed 91 percent of last season's rebounding and 89.5 percent of the scoring.
"We're certainly very excited about the potential of our team," Trost said. "This team has a ton of ability. But you have to work hard and you have to get a little bit lucky."
IWU returns four double figure scorers in juniors Keelan Amelianovich, Adam Dauksas and Cory Jones and sophomore Zach Freeman.
Amelianovich was a first team All-America pick as a sophomore after averaging 17.9 points and connecting on nearly 51 percent of his 3-point attempts.
Dauksas (13.8 points) enters his third year as the starting point guard. Freeman averaged 11.4 points and 7.1 rebounds with Jones at 10.4 and 6.0, respectively.
Juniors Jason Fisher, Mike McGraw and Matt Arnold figure to battle for the starting spot vacated by the graduated Jim Lehan. Juniors Cory Jones and Steve Schweer and sophomore Andrew Freeman give the Titans enviable inside depth.
"We're not in a hurry to finalize that (starting) spot," Trost said. "We do have some options. We have a lot of versatility."
Trost said the focus of early practices will be "defend, rebound and let's run. I think we need to be a better rebounding team and a better transition team."
JV team to return
After a one-year absence, Trost indicated the Titans will again play a junior varsity schedule.
"We'll have 14 to 16 JV games and three or four JV games before Christmas," said Trost. "We have some good freshmen who have a chance to help us some. With the team we have coming back, there is not a lot of playing time available unless someone really steps up and impresses us in practice, which is a possibility."
Of the 22 players listed on the IWU roster, nine are freshmen.