RECAPS, PREVIEWS, & NOTES
Fri., November 19 TITAN TIP-OFF TOURNAMENT
Washington U. vs. Wittenberg 6 p.m.
Illinois Wesleyan vs. Roanoke 8 p.m.
Sat., November 20 TITAN TIP-OFF TOURNAMENT
Third-place game 1 p.m.
Championship game 3 p.m.
Fri., November 26 at Nebraska Wesleyan Classic
Illinois Wesleyan vs. Hastings (Neb.)
Blackburn at Nebraska Wesleyan
Sat., November 27 at Nebraska Wesleyan Classic
Blackburn vs. Hastings
Illinois Wesleyan at Nebraska Wesleyan
Wed., December 1 U. OF CHICAGO 7:30 p.m.
Sat., December 4 BENEDICTINE 3 p.m.
Tues., December 7 OLIVET NAZARENE 7:30 p.m.
Sat., December 11 at Aurora 3 p.m.
Sat., December 18 U.C.-SANTA CRUZ 3 p.m.
Mon., January 3 at Florida Southern 6:30 p.m
Wed., January 5 at Eckerd 6:30 p.m.
Sat., January 8 * AUGUSTANA 7:30 p.m.
Mon., January 10 * NORTH PARK 7:30 p.m.
Wed., January 12 * ELMHURST 7:30 p.m.
Sat., January 15 * at Wheaton 7:30 p.m.
Sat., January 22 * at North Central 7:30 p.m.
Wed., January 26 * at North Park 7:30 p.m.
Sat., January 29 * CARTHAGE 7:30 p.m.
Sat., February 5 * MILLIKIN 7:30 p.m.
Wed., February 9 * at Augustana 7:30 p.m.
Sat., February 12 * at Carthage 7:30 p.m.
Tues., February 15 * at Elmhurst 7:30 p.m.
Sat., February 19 * WHEATON 7:30 p.m.
Wed., February 23 * NORTH CENTRAL 7:30 p.m.
Sat., February 26 * at Millikin 7:30 p.m.
*-Indicates CCIW game (All times Central)
HOME GAMES IN CAPITALS
IWU SEASON ENDS WITH LOSS TO RIPON
(game article courtesy of The Pantagraph)
By RANDY REINHARDT
RIPON, Wis. -- Ripon College senior Bret VanDyken left Thursday's game at Storzer Center after a collision with the back of Illinois Wesleyan senior Andy Boyden's head resulted in a bloody nose.
VanDyken would return about two minutes later with a different, blood-free uniform shirt.
Wesleyan's wounds were self-inflicted, and the Titans will not be returning for a second-round game of the NCAA Division III Tournament.
IWU committed a season-high 26 turnovers under the scrutiny of Ripon's pressure man-to-man defense and dropped a 63-58 decision before a near-capacity crowd of 943.
"Twenty-six turnovers. That's the game," Ripon coach Bob Gillespie said. "It was ball pressure. We played great team defense. It was a great college game. The intensity was as good as I've ever seen it."
Seeded fourth in the Midwest Region, the Red Hawks take a 21-4 record to Franklin, Ind., Saturday for a second-round game against top-seeded Franklin.
"We made a lot of ill-advised passes," said Wesleyan coach Dennie Bridges, whose 34th season ended with a 17-9 record. "We weren't really strong with the ball. We had a lot of balls tipped out."
Playing from behind almost the entire game, fifth-seeded IWU could not come up with a momentum-turning play in the second half.
The Titans trailed 59-56 with 25 seconds left after an Adam Osborn 3-pointer.
After Ripon's Andy Van Wie and IWU's Nathan Hubbard each hit two free throws, Adam Zakos got behind the Wesleyan press for a layup that sealed the outcome at the eight-second mark.
"Our defense kept us in there," said Van Wie, among four Red Hawks in double figures with 11 points. "We consistently played good defense, and we got our offense flowing gradually."
"They played very good defense. They pressured us and got us out of what we wanted to do," Hubbard said. "And we didn't run our offense very well.
"There was a lot of hand checking, and we didn't handle it very well. We've been in games like that before."
Hubbard, a University High School graduate, finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and three steals in his final game as a Titan.
Wesleyan, which last led at 35-33, had two opportunities to forge ahead in the final six minutes. The first chance resulted in a turnover, while Korey Coon missed a 3-pointer the next time.
"Illinois Wesleyan is a big-time Division III program and we beat them. We can play," Gillespie said. "I thought (Steve) Brooks did an unbelievable job on Coon."
Coon was 2 of 8 from the field and was limited to 11 points, nine below his average.
"Korey missed some shots, particularly late in the second half, that he normally makes," said Bridges. "But he played about 40 minutes (38:49). He was probably pretty tired."
Although the Titans outrebounded Ripon (40-30) and shot better (43 percent to 37 percent) from the field, nothing came easy.
"They took us out of our game plan from the start," Boyden said. "Defensively, I thought we did a pretty good job."
"We never settled into a tempo," Bridges said. "It was a scratch and claw game, and we didn't adjust to the officiating."
Ripon had 12 turnovers, only three of which came in the second half.
Adam Zakos paced the Red Hawks with 16 points, Matt Becker had 15 and VanDyken 14. Zakos and VanDyken combined to connect on only 10 of 32 shots from the floor.
Boyden, the other IWU senior along with Hubbard, joined Coon with 11 points, topped all rebounders with 10 and blocked three shots.
Ripon began holding Wesleyan under 60 points for just the third time all season in a rugged first half.
Ripon held a 22-17 edge after a VanDyken basket at the 3:42 mark. The Red Hawks would go scoreless the rest of the half.
Osborn followed his own steal with an assist on a Mike Rogers inside basket for the Titans' first lead since 2-0 (23-22) at the 57-second mark.
Wesleyan committed 14 first-half turnovers, while Ripon managed just 30 percent shooting (9 of 30).
It was IWU's sixth straight NCAA appearance and the first opening-round loss since a 65-63 defeat at Ripon in 1991.
Tuesday (3/2/99)
COON, HAMANN SHARE MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER HONOR
For the first time in CCIW history the honor of Fred Young Most Outstanding Player will go to two individuals -- Korey Coon of Illinois Wesleyan and Rob Hamann of Wheaton. Coon, a 6-0 point guard from East Peoria, finished the season with a scoring average of 20.0. He shot an incredible 73 of 147 (.497) from 3 point range and 122 of 139 (.878) from the free throw line. Hamann, a 6'7 forward from Franklin Park, led the Wheaton Crusaders to the CCIW championship this season, averaging 15.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Hamann also had a big year from beyond the arc, connecting on 56 of 139 attempts (.403), and made 87 of 100 free throws. Both players are known for the their clutch performances in big games.
Other Titans making the 98-99 all conference squad are seniors Nathan Hubbard and Andy Boyden. Hubbard finished the season averaging 16.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. He played his final 8 games with a broken shooting hand, after missing two games due to the injury. Andy Boyden scored 13.8 points per game and pulled down 6.2 rebounds for the Titans.
1998-99 CCIW ALL CONFERENCE TEAMS:
1ST TEAM
Korey Coon, IWU (Jr)*
Rob Hamann, Wheaton (Sr)*
Eric Stark, Elmhurst (Sr)
Adam Provance, Millikin (Sr)
Jason Wiertel, Carthage (Fr)
* Fred Young Most Outstanding Players
2ND TEAM
Ryan Knuppel, Elmhurst (So)
Charles Ridley, Wheaton (Sr)
Nathan Hubbard, IWU (Sr)
Aaron Schmidt, Augustana (Sr)
Andy Boyden, IWU
3RD TEAM
Kerry Pates, North Park (Jr)
Yulander Wells, North Central (Sr)
Michael Collins, Wheaton (Jr)
James Ford, Elmhurst (Sr)
Travis Senik, Wheaton (Jr)
Sunday (2/28/99)
TITANS MAKE NCAA D3 PLAYOFFS FOR 6TH STRAIGHT YEAR, TRAVEL TO RIPON THURSDAY
FULL DIVISION III PLAYOFF BRACKETS
For the 6th consecutive season the Illinois Wesleyan Titans will be participating in the NCAA Division III national tournament. After winning their final 8 regular season games, IWU earned an at-large berth in the tournament as a #5 seed, and will travel to Wisconsin to face the #4 seeded Ripon Red Hawks Thursday evening.
Ripon won the Midwest Conference regular season championship by finishing 11-3, and also won the MWC conference tournament Saturday by defeating St. Norbert 71-58. The Red Hawks have an overall record of 20-4, with conference losses to Carroll, Illinois College, and Beloit. Ripon's only non-conference loss was to 1998 Division 1 runner up Utah, 74-49. The only common opponent between the Titans and Red Hawks is Illinois College. IWU defeated IC 89-82 on Dec. 19 in a close game, and Ripon lost to the Blueboys 70-65 on Jan. 23.
IWU has now made the NCAA tournament 13 times in its 16 seasons in Division III. (IWU left the NAIA for the NCAA D3 at the start of the 1983-84 season.) The Titans, who have been to the Sweet 16 5 consecutive years, have an extremely difficult road this year. If they get buy Ripon, they will have to travel to Franklin, the Midwest Region #1 seed, on Saturday.
TITANS DOMINATE BIG BLUE, HOPE FOR NCAA PLAYOFF BID
The Illinois Wesleyan Titans certainly picked a good night to play their best game of the year. Behind double figure scoring performances by 5 players, and solid contributions by all 7 players in their rotation, the Titans soundly defeated Millikin 87-69 in front of a jam packed Griswold Center crowd of 2800. An estimated 1400 IWU fans made the trek to Decatur for the big showdown between confererence rivals. Wheaton secured the CCIW championship with a victory over Elmhurst to finish 11-3. The 10-4 (17-8) Titans finish alone in second place. The Titans now play the waiting game until this evening at 8:00pm when the NCAA announces the field for the 1999 Division III playoffs. See Division III Basketball Online for live coverage this evening.
The Titans came out cold, missing their first 7 shots including 3 layups at point blank range. The Big Blue, playing with emotion in front of their biggest crowd of the season, led 19-13 at the 12:01 mark in the first half. Behind hot shooting by Andy Boyden the Titans stayed with Millikin, and at the 9:16 mark Adam Osborn tied the game at 23 with a three point field goal. The teams traded baskets for the next several minutes before Osborn nailed another 3, giving IWU a 30-27 lead with 6:59 to play. Millikin employed a full court press the entire first half and put their best defender, Anthony Figueroa, on Korey Coon. Hercules Moore came to double almost everytime Coon caught the basketball. The junior guard was held scoreless until the 5:35 mark in the first when he hit a 16 foot jump shot to give IWU a 32-27 lead. The Titans went into the locker room up 9, 46-37. Boyden led the Titans in the first half with 10 points and Nathan Hubbard and Osborn each had 8.
Korey Coon exploded at the start of the second half, scoring 10 points in the first 10:08, including 2 long threes, to make it 64-50 Titans. An Anthony Figueroa 3 cut the Titan lead to 11 at the 8:06 mark and the Big Blue looked to be ready to make a run. After a Titan miss and Millikin rebound however, Big Blue center Brad Skowronski blatantly elbowed Andy Boyden in the face and was ejected from the contest at the 7:06 mark. Coon hit both technical foul shots to push the lead back to 13, and then Nathan Hubbard hit a three from the corner on the next play to make it 71-55 Titans with 6:45 to play. Andy Boyden continued his hot shooting down the stretch, and with 2:35 to play the senior capped the emotional victory with a 2 handed dunk in traffic, giving the Titans a 79-61 advantage.
Behind 14 second half points, Korey Coon led the Titans in scoring with 19 total. Coon played the first 39 minutes of the game, before coming out at the 1:00 mark to a standing ovation from the huge Titan contingency. Andy Boyden, who missed two layups on the opening play of the game, made his next 7 attempts (6 of which were jump shots) and finished with 16 points. Boyden also pulled down 9 rebounds for the Titans. Nathan Hubbard played a spectacular all-around game, finishing with 15 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists. Jerry Happ, who started for the injured Phil Hurst, also had a big game, finishing with 11 points. The unsung hero may have been Adam Osborn was was asked to break the Millikin press time after time. Osborn scored 10 points and did not miss a shot -- 3-3 from the field (including 2-2 from beyond the arc) and 4-4 from the free throw line. Mike Rogers added 8 points and 6 rebounds. Adam Provance, Millikin's all-time leader in assists, led the Big Blue with 17 points in his final collegiate game. Todd Kelly and Antione Ford each had 12. Skowronki had 11 points and 6 rebounds before his ejection.
The Titans were perfect from the free throw line in the game, making all 13 attempts, and shot 50.8% from the field. IWU out rebounded Millikin by a staggering 41-26 margin. The Titans were 8-12 (.667) from beyond the arc to Millikin's 3-15 (.200).
The Titans second place CCIW finish completes an amazing run in the conference in the 1990's. IWU has finished 2nd place or better in all 10 seasons of the decade -- 6 championships and 4 second place finishes. Illinois Wesleyan's cumulative conference record in the 1990's was 125-21 (.856).
The Titans have an excellent chance of making the 6 team Midwest region field when the pairings are announced tonight at 8:00. IWU has won 8 consecutive games by 11 points or more, with an average margin of victory of 14.5 points. This run includes wins over conference champion Wheaton, as well as both third place teams, Elmhurst and Millikin. The Titans also played an incredibly strong non-conference schedule and have wins over Pomana Pitzer (SCIAC champ), Washington University (UAA champ), Nebraska Wesleyan (NIAC champs), Olivet Nazarene (NAIA Division 1, ranked #21), and BYU-Hawaii (NCAA Division II). Their non-conference losses were also to very respectable teams -- University of Chicago (17-8), Benedictine (19-6), Chaminade (NCAA Division II), and Hawaii Pacific (NCAA Division II, #3 in West Region, #23 in nation).
Saturday (2/27/99)
IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS -- IWU @ MILLIKIN
When the Titans started the season 2-4 in the CCIW (9-8 overall), most people believed (with good reason) that the IWU run in the 1990's was over. It looked like the team that had won 6 conference championships, finished second three times, and made the NCAA Division III tournament 8 times in the first 9 years of the decade would sit this one out.
On February 3rd the Titan's 1998-99 fortunes changed as they defeated North Park in front of a small (1500) crowd at the Shirk Center. Realizing he needed more size and muscle in the lineup coach Dennie Bridges inserted 6-6, 230 pound sophomore Phil Hurst into the starting lineup for the game with the Vikings. With Hurst as a starter IWU has climbed back into the playoff picture, winning 7 consecutive games including wins over 1st place Wheaton and then 2nd place Elmhurst. Before the victory over Elmhurst Wednesday, the Titans were ranked #6 in the 6 team Midwest Region poll.
Many variables go into selecting the 6 team playoff field, but the CCIW has escaped the scenario that would have hurt it's chances to get two teams in the most -- someone other than Manchester or Franklin winning the HCAC (Indiana) conference tournament. Manchester hosts Franklin for the HCAC championship this evening. Now it appears Illinois Wesleyan and Millikin each have an excellent chance of making the playoffs depending on the outcome of tonight's 7:30 game at the Griswold Center in Decatur. An IWU win means finishing the season with 8 consecutive wins and finishing no worse than second in the CCIW at 10-4. (An Elmhurst victory over Wheaton would give IWU a share of the title even though Wheaton would win the tie breaker.) The Titans played the strongest non-conference schedule in the region by far. A Big Blue win means a share of second place with IWU at 9-5 including a sweep of the Titans. Their 18-7 overall record would include quality wins over UAA champ Washington University, HCAC title game participant Franklin, and SCAC conference champ Rose Hulman.
The Titans suffered some bad luck yesterday, as sophomore Phil Hurst tore cartilage in his knee at practice, sidlining him for the game tonight. Jerry Happ or Todd Wente will most likely replace Hurst in the starting lineup. The Titans will have the services of Nathan Hubbard this time around however. The senior guard missed the first meeting, won by Millikin 65-63, with a broken hand. Hubbard averages 16.2 points per game, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. The Titans' leading scorer is junior guard Korey Coon (20.1 ppg). Coon has connected on 71 of 143 three point attempts this season (.497) and 119-136 free throws (.875). Senior center Andy Boyden adds 13.7 points and 6 rebounds and Mike Rogers leads the team in rebounding with 7.1 per game.
The Big Blue are led by 6-1 guard Adam Provance who is having a spectacular senior season, averaging 17.8 points and 5.3 rebounds. 6-5 sophomore Brad Skowronski adds 13.5 points and 6.7 rebounds and 6-2 sophomore Todd Kelly adds 11.3 points.
COON, BENCH LEAD TITANS PAST ELMHURST
The Illinois Wesleyan Titans responded yet again in another "must win" game, defeating Elmhurst 75-66 in front of a Shirk Center senior night crowd of 2700. IWU, winners of 7 consecutive games, improves to 9-4 in the CCIW, good for sole possession of 2nd place with one game to play. IWU seniors Andy Boyden and Nathan Hubbard were honored at halftime.
IWU held a 37-32 advantage at halftime behind Korey Coon's 13 points. Coon was 4-6 from the field in the first half, including 3-4 from beyond the arc, and 2-2 from the free throw line. The junior guard also pulled down 3 rebounds in the first half of play. Ryan Knuppel led the way for Elmhurst, scoring 10 points in the opening stanza. Eric Stark and Eric Cole each added 8 for the Bluejays.
The Titans pushed the lead up to 10 early in the second half before Elmhurst came charging back. With Elmhurst down just 2 Tony Pippin fired a three that went halfway down and popped out. On the ensuing IWU possession Adam Osborn hit a three, pushing the lead back up to 5. Down the stretch the Titans got a number of big baskets from Jerry Happ and important rebounds from Nathan Hubbard, leading to an 8 point IWU lead with 3:00 to play.
Korey Coon led the way for the Titans once again, scoring 21 points on 7-14 from the field, including 3-6 from beyond the arc, and 4-4 from the free throw line. The biggest story in the game was the bench production for both teams. Illinois Wesleyan's bench outscored Elmhurst's 28-3. Happ finished with 11, Adam Osborn 9, and Todd Wente 8. A Tony Pippin 3 point field goal was the only score off the bench for the Bluejays. Nathan Hubbard added 9 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists for IWU. Ryan Knuppel led all scorers with 22 points on 8-18 from the field, and 4-11 from beyond the arc. Eric Stark added 18 points and 6 assists.
With IWU's win Wheaton has clinched the CCIW championship. IWU still has hopes of finishing tied with Wheaton at 10-4, but the Crusaders hold the edge in the tie-breaker since they defeated Millikin twice. IWU travels to Decatur to face Millikin in the CCIW season finale Saturday at 7:30. The Titans, currently ranked 6th in the Midwest Region, have an excellent chance of making the NCAA Tournament for the 6th consecutive season if they defeat the Big Blue.
Wednesday (2/24/99)
TITANS HOST ELMHURST WITH SEASON ON THE LINE
When the 1998-99 CCIW season started in early January, most IWU fans pointed towards the February 24th game against Elmhurst as a big one. IWU was looking for it's third consecutive title, and Elmhurst emerged as a contender, posting an impressive 9-1 non-conference record. .
12 games into the season now, both teams can say they've lost games they didn't expect to. IWU dropped back-to-back home games to Millikin and Augustana in January, and Elmhurst lost their conference opener to North Central (the Cardinals only win of the season against 12 defeats thus far) and then lost at home to North Park, now in 7th place, on January 16. Regardless, the Titans and Bluejays, both 8-4, are right in the hunt for a share of the CCIW title. Wheaton clinched at least a tie by escaping North Central last night 92-87.
Elmhurst is led by one of the best guard combos in the CCIW -- 6'2 sophomore Ryan Knuppel (Midwest Central H.S.) and 6-0 senior Erik Stark (Normal H.S.). Knuppel is a deadly 3 point shooter, hitting 70-154 (.455) on the season, and can easily shoot from 25 feet. Stark is also an effective scorer while leading the CCIW is assists. James Ford and Brian Schultz, both 6-6 210 pound seniors, provide an strong inside presence for the Bluejays.
Korey Coon leads the Titans, and the CCIW, in scoring with a 20.0 points per game average. Coon has connected on 68 of 137 (.496) 3 point attempts this season. Nathan Hubbard has played extemely well since coming back from a broken hand earlier in the year, and now averages 16.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. He also leads the team in assits with 86 on the season. Hubbard needs just 3 assists to pass David Kunka (326 from '88-'93) on the IWU all-time list to move into 6th place. Andy Boyden adds 14.1 per game, although his status for the game is in question due to a nagging back injury.
This is definitely a "do or die" game for both teams, as another loss most likely eliminates either team from postseason play.
The CCIW Picture:
Wheaton 10-3 (18-6) vs Elmhurst 2/27
Elmhurst 8-4 (18-5) @IWU 2/24, @ Wheaton 2/27
IWU 8-4 (15-8) vs Elmhurst 2/24, @ Millikin 2/27
Millikin 8-5 (17-7) vs IWU 2/27
TITAN "STREAK" ALIVE
"Oh my God, they're naked."
In my 5 years of attending games at the Shirk Center, this is the first time I've ever heard these words uttered by a spectator next to me, but last night that is exactly what Mike Neal proclaimed with 4:52 on the game clock, as 3 streakers invaded the "friendly confines." The unidentified individuals made their way from the southwest to northeast corner of the Shirk Center during a timeout with only ski masks on, causing a buzz in the crowd of 2800 for the remainder of play. The Illinois Wesleyan Titans continued a streak of their own, winning for the 6th consecutive time by defeating Carthage 74-63.
The Titans led 36-31 at halftime behind 11 points from Korey Coon and 9 each from Nathan Hubbard and Phil Hurst. IWU led by as much as 10 in the first half before Tom Schaer sparked a Redmen comeback with 3 of 4 shooting from beyond the arc. Schaer's 9 points led Carthage in the opening stanza, while freshman Jason Wiertel added 8.
Carthage quickly erased the Titan lead, knotting the score at 40 with 16:00 to play, but IWU countered with a 6-0 run to seize control. The Redmen threatened throughout the second half, but could never cut the lead past 4 points with Korey Coon, Nathan Hubbard, and Andy Boyden all hitting key baskets. With the Titans leading 67-60 at the 3:00 mark, Korey Coon made a long three point field goal with a Carthage defender draped on him to make it 70-60, ending the the Carthage upset bid hopes.
Nathan Hubbard led all scorers with 23 points, and Korey Coon and Andy Boyden scored their averages (20, and 14 points respectively). Boyden, who almost did not start due to severe back pains, also pulled down 10 rebounds. Phil Hurst added 9 for the Titans. Carthage senior Jake Olsen led the Redmen in scoring with 20 points, including 5 of 11 from beyond the arc. Freshman standout Jason Wiertel finished with 19 points. Schaer, who led the Redmen in scoring in the first half, only played 4 minutes in the second half of play and did not add to his total of 9.
IWU improves to 8-4 in the CCIW, moving into a second place tie with Elmhurst, who lost to Millikin tonight. Wheaton defeated Augustana to remain in first at 9-3. The Titans face Elmhurst Wednesday evening at 7:30, and finish the regular season against Millikin in Decatur Saturday February 27.
Illinois Wesleyan coach Dennie Bridges won his 400th CCIW game, against just 120 defeats.
Saturday (2/20/99)
BRIDGES GOES FOR 400TH CCIW WIN AS TITANS HOST CARTHAGE
It seems like Dennie Bridges passes another coaching milestone every season. Bringing a 399-120 (.769) career CCIW record into tonight's 7:30 game against Carthage at the Shirk Center, Bridges has a chance to reach the mark he might be most proud of however. "400 is a meaningful number in Division III basketball because your overall number can be altered -- inflated or deflated -- by who you choose to play," he said. "But the conference is the meat of your season every year. I'm probably proudest of what we've done in the conference." No other coach in the history of the CCIW even has 200 career victories. Bridges' overall record in 34 seasons is 623-303, making him the winngest active coach in Division III basketball.
To get coach Bridges his 400th, the Titans will have to defeat the Redmen, winners of two straight. Illinois Wesleyan holds a 20 game winning streak against Carthage, with the last Redmen victory coming in the 1988-89 season. After getting blasted by IWU 77-52 February 6 for their 5th consecutive loss, a game in which IWU led by as much as 30 midway through the second half, Carthage soundly defeated conference leader Wheaton 82-72. Earlier this week they defeated last place North Central and come into the contest 5-6 in the CCIW and 13-9 overall.
While no one can figure out what happened to coach Bosko Djurickovic's squad during that 5 game losing streak, not many people around the league question their talent. Carthage is led in scoring by 6-6 freshman standout Jason Wiertel (Buffalo Grove), who's averaging 18.1 points a game in his first collegiate season. Wiertel scored an amazing 43 points against Wheaton on February 13. Jake Olson, who began his career at Division 1 Eastern Michigan, averages 14.9 points and Jarobi Kemp, a transfer from Division 1 Utah St, adds 12.3.
The Titans leading scorer is 6-0 point guard Korey Coon, averaging 20.0 points per game, including 49.6% from beyond the arc (65-131). Nathan Hubbard is averaging 16.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, and Andy Boyden adds 14.1. Mike Rogers leads the CCIW in rebounding with 7.3 per game.
COON LEADS IWU PAST AUGUSTANA
Like most Illinois Wesleyan opponents, the Augustana Vikings focus the majority of their defensive efforts against the Titans on stopping junior point guard Korey Coon. Steve Yount's team employed a box and one at times last night in hopes of containing IWU's leading scorer. Korey Coon responded by scoring 29 points on 8 of 11 shooting from the field, including 5 of 6 from three point range, and 8 of 8 from the free throw line, leading IWU to a 81-69 victory in Rock Island. Coon also blocked a shot for good measure and led IWU in rebounding (5) and assits (5). The Titans remain in the CCIW championship/NCAA Division III playoff picture by improving to 7-4, 14-8. Augustana drops to 6-6 in the conference and 14-9 overall.
The Titans jumped out to an early 25-15 lead at the 10:21 mark behind Korey Coon's hot hand, and also led by 10 points at 8:29 (28-18), and 1:52 (41-31) in the first half. Augustana managed to climb to within 6 points, 45-39, at the intermission. Coon led the Titans in the first half with 17 points on 4 of 6 from the field, including 3 of 4 from beyond the arc, and 6-6 from the free throw line. Nathan Hubbard and Andy Boyden each added 7. Senior Aaron Schmidt had 13 for the Vikings.
Coon opened the second half with a long three point field goal to push the Titan lead to 9, 48-39. Augustana climbed to within 5 at the 18:03 mark on a Brian McMahon jumper, but Coon countered with an 18 foot baseline jump shot. Junior John Benedetti scored at the 15:15 mark to make it 56-51, but Nathan Hubbard answered with a floating jumper. Everytime Augustana threatened, the Titans answered, with Boyden, Coon, and Hubbard all hitting clutch shots. IWU took command for good with a Coon three point field goal at the 4:06 mark, making it 78-63 Titans.
Andy Boyden added 15 points on 6 of 11 shooting, and Nathan Hubbard had 14 to go along with Coon's 29. Jerry Happ turned in another solid performance off the bench, scoring 9 points and pulling down 4 rebounds.
In other CCIW action, Wheaton snapped a two game losing streak by defeating Millikin 77-71 in Decatur. Elmhurst remains in a first place tie with Wheaton at 8-3, by defeating North Park 70-58.
IWU hosts Carthage (5-6, 13-9) Saturday evening at the Shirk Center.
Wednesday (2/17/99)
ANOTHER "MUST WIN" GAME AS TITANS TRAVEL TO AUGUSTANA
The Illinois Wesleyan Titans (6-4) and Augustana Vikings (6-5) have headed different directions since they last met on January 30 at the Shirk Center. In that contest, Augustana defeated IWU 57-55 to move into second place in the CCIW at 5-2. IWU dropped to 2-3 after that game and looked to be in serious trouble. The Vikings have lost 3 of their 4 games since the victory over IWU, while the Titans have won 4 of 5, including their current streak of 4 in a row.
Wheaton's two recent losses have given new life to the Titans, who still have a chance at their third consecutive CCIW championship and NCAA Division III postseason play. Wheaton and Elmhurst are now tied for first place at 7-3, while IWU and Millikin both have 4 losses.
Augustana is led in scoring by 6-3 senior guard Aaron Schmidt. 6-6 senior forward Jason Skoda averages 12.6 points, and John Benedetti (5-11 junior guard) and Brian McMahon (6-6 senior forward) each add 11.8. The Vikings 5th starter is Bloomington Central Catholic graduate Ryan Hobart. The Titans leading scorer in 6-0 point guard Korey Coon, averaging 19.6 points per game, including 48% from beyond the arc (60-125). Nathan Hubbard is averaging 16.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, and Andy Boyden adds 14.0. Mike Rogers leads the CCIW in rebounding with 7.5 per game.
There are two other big games in the CCIW this evening -- Wheaton travels to Decatur to face the Big Blue of Millikin and North Park hosts Elmhurst. The Vikings defeated Elmhurst earlier this season.
TITANS CONTAIN NORTH CENTRAL, MOVE TO 6-4
It wasn't pretty, but Dennie Bridges and the Titans will take it. Illinois Wesleyan held on to defeat a hard working North Central squad 67-55, keeping their CCIW hopes alive. With conference leader Wheaton losing at Carthage, IWU is now just 1 game out of 1st place and in the middle of a 4 team free-for-all. By beating Augustana tonight, Elmhurst has now moved into a tie for first place with Wheaton at 7-3.
IWU led by 7, 30-23, with just 1:32 to play in the first half before North Central closed the gap to 4 at the half, 31-27. Nathan Hubbard led the Titans in the first half with 7, while Korey Coon and Andy Boyden each had 5. Normal West product Eric Phillips had 8 for the Cardinals, as did 6-8 center Dan Rolfing. Mike Kulbeda added 5. The Titans held North Central's leading scorer Yulander Wells to just one field goal in the opening period.
After a Wells basket to start to the second half, IWU went on a 11-0 run, with Jerry Happ scoring 6 of those points, to take a 40-29 lead. The Titans pushed their lead to 14 on an Andy Boyden layup, making it 44-30.
Wesleyan maintained a 9-10 point lead until the 4:45 mark when Dan Rolfing made a layup and drew a foul. He converted the 3 point play to cut the deficit to 7, 55-48. Two Mike Rogers free throws pushed the lead back to 9, but at the 2:45 mark Nathan Hubbard was whistled for his 5th foul, sending the Titan's co-captain to the bench for the remainder of the game.
With the Titans seemingly in control, leading 61-52 with 1:10 remaining, Wells converted a 3 point play to get the Cardinals as close as they'd been since the early minutes of the second half, 61-55. Adam Osborn made 2 free throws with :57 remaining to give IWU an 8 point lead and North Central was unable to score after that. The Titans were 8-8 from the free throw line in the final 2:33.
IWU was led in scoring for the second consecutive game by Andy Boyden who had 15 points, 10 of which were in the second half. Jerry Happ scored 9 second half points, finishing with 13. Korey Coon, who was held to just 6 field goal attempts, also added 13 and Nathan Hubbard 12. Yulander Wells led the Cardinals with 15 points, including 13 in the second half. Dan Rolfing played a solid game, finishing with 14. The Titan defense held North Central to just 37% shooting from the field, and 3-12 from 3 point range. IWU had just 12 turnovers in the game to North Central's 22. The Titans were 21-26 (81%) from the free throw line in the game.
IWU (6-4, 13-8) travels to Rock Island to face Augustana Wednesday.
Saturday (2/13/99)
TITANS TRAVEL TO FACE NORTH CENTRAL, LOOK TO KEEP MOMENTUM GOING
After losing three consecutive conference games in the early going to start 2-4 in the CCIW, the Titans have countered with 3 wins and appear to have things turned around. One week ago today the Titans dismantled Carthage 77-52 in Kenosha and earlier this week IWU beat CCIW leader Wheaton 87-76.
The Titans look to keep things rolling along today, as they face North Central in Naperville at 7:30. The Cardinals (1-8, 3-17) have lost 8 consecutive conference games since winning their opener against Elmhurst. North Central has had some close calls during that stretch however, nearly knocking off Millikin twice, Augustana twice, and Wheaton before failing in the final minutes of each game. The Cardinals are coming off a 76-73 overtime loss to 3rd place Augustana in Rock Island last Saturday.
North Central's leading scorer is Yulander Wells, a junior guard averaging 16.0 points per game. Sophomore center Dan Rolfing adds 11.3, and freshman forward Mike Kulbeda averages 9.9. Kulbeda is the Cardinal's biggest three point threat, having connected on 35 of 71 (.493) attempts from beyond the arc this season.
The Titans are led in scoring by 6-0 junior guard Korey Coon (19.9 ppg). Senior Nathan Hubbard averages 16.4 points and 6.1 rebounds, and Hubbard's fellow co-captain Andy Boyden adds 13.6 points. Mike Rogers is coming off a 17 point, 11 rebound performance against Wheaton -- the junior averages 7.4 points and 7.3 rebounds.
In other CCIW action this evening, Wheaton (7-2) travels to Kenosha to face Carthage (3-6), North Park (3-6) hosts Millikin (5-4), and Augustana (6-4) travels to Elmhurst (6-3) to face the Bluejays. All 4 games this evening have championship implications.
GAME NOTES:
* Nathan Hubbard now has 313 assists in his career, good for 8th place in IWU history. Just in front of Hubbard in 7th place with 316 is Keith Luechtefeld ('83-87). In 6th place is David Kunka ('88-'93) with 326.
* Former Titan guard David Kunka ('88-'93) serves as assistant coach of the North Central Cardinals. Besides ranking 6th on IWU's all-time assists list, Kunka also finished 25th in scoring (1159 pts), 25th in rebounding (438), and 11th in field goal percentage (.505).
TITANS EARN EMOTIONAL VICTORY OVER WHEATON
In a game featuring big-time players on both teams, it was Illinois Wesleyan's stars that shun the brightest as the Titans earned a hard-fought 87-76 victory over conference leading Wheaton Tuesday night at the Shirk Center. The win avenged the heartbreaking 2 point loss sufferred at Wheaton on January 16.
IWU jumped out to a 34-23 lead with 5:15 remaining in the first half before Wheaton's 1st team all-CCIW performer Rob Hamann hit an 18 foot jump shot to stop the bleeding. The Crusaders closed the half strong and trailed by just 6, 40-34 at intermission. Nathan Hubbard led the Titans with 11 in the first half. Korey Coon added 9 and Mike Rogers 8 for IWU. Travis Senik scored 14 in the opening stanza for the Crusaders, almost single handedly keeping Wheaton in the game. Illinois Wesleyan's defense held Hamann to just 2 points in the first half.
IWU's lead was 2-4 points in the opening minutes of the second half, before a Charles Ridley layup evened the score at 53 with 13:10 to play. The game remained tight over the next several minutes. At the 7:40 mark, with the Titans up just 2 points, Andy Boyden pump faked Luke Moo at the free throw line and scored on a driving layup, giving the Titans a 68-64 lead. Ridley countered with a drive to the basket, before Boyden found Nathan Hubbard backdoor, pushing the IWU lead back to 4, 70-66 with 6:40 to play.
On the next trip down the floor, Hamann hit 1 of 2 free throws to cut the Crusdader deficit to 3, but Mike Rogers then hit a 10 foot jump shot to make it 72-67 at the 5:44 mark. After a Ridley miss and Wheaton timeout, Andy Boyden took the ball to the basket strong once again, scoring to give the Titans a 74-67 lead with 5:10 to play.
IWU pushed the lead to 8, 77-69, on 1 Boyden free throw at 3:24. On the next play, Nathan Hubbard was called for a reach-in foul sending Wheaton's best free throw shooter, Travis Senik (88.4%), to the line to shoot one and the bonus. Senik missed the front end, and Korey Coon took the rebound coast to coast and scored on a layup, giving IWU a 79-69 lead at the 2:50 mark. Nathan Hubbard, still wearing a splint to protect his broken shooting hand, made 5 of 6 free throws in the final minutes to seal the victory for IWU. Andy Boyden put the exclamation on the win with a breakaway dunk in the final seconds.
Four Titans scored in double figures -- Boyden had 21 points on 10-14 shooting from the field, Nathan Hubbard and Korey Coon each had 20, and Mike Rogers scored 17 points and pulled down 11 rebounds in what was easily his best performance of the season. Travis Senik led the Crusaders with 19 points. Charles Ridley added 17 and Rob Hamann 14, 12 of which came in the second half. Wheaton connected on just 6 of their 23 three point attempts (26%) and the Titans made only 2 from beyond the arc while attempting 10. Surprisingly, Illinois Wesleyan outscored Wheaton in the paint 46-32. And a very key statistic for the Titans -- IWU committed just 6 turnovers in the game, and just 1 in the second half, to Wheaton's 15 total turnovers.
Wheaton remains alone in first in the CCIW at 7-2 with Elmhurst and Augustana just one game back. IWU improves to 5-4 and remains in a tie for 4th place with Millikin. The Titans , who have now won 3 straight, travel to Naperville to face North Central Saturday evening.
Monday (2/8/99)
WHEATON VISITS SHIRK FOR MUCH ANTICIPATED CCIW SHOWDOWN
It took late heroics by seniors Rob Hamann and Charles Ridley for Wheaton to overcome Illinois Wesleyan 83-81 January 16th at Centennial Gym. The next episode of the Wesleyan/Wheaton rivalry takes place Tuesday night at the Shirk Center.
Wheaton (15-4 overall) sits alone atop the CCIW standings at 7-1, with their only loss coming at the hands of Augustana in Rock Island January 26. Since then, the Crusaders have reeled off 3 consecutive victories to establish a comfortable lead in the conference race. Augustana and Elmhurst are tied for second place at 6-3, while the Titans and Millikin are trying to stay alive with 4 losses.
Wheaton is led by seniors Rob Hamann and Charles Ridley. Ridley, a 6'1 guard from Bloomington, Indiana, averages 20.3 point per game. 6'7 forward Rob Hamann averages 16.2 ppg and leads the team in rebounding with 6.7 per game. Other starters are 6-6, 235 pound sophomore Luke Moo (12.4 ppg), 6-7 junior Michael Collins (11.2), a transfer from Division 1 Bradley, and 6'3 junior guard Travis Senik (9.2).
IWU is led in scoring by guards Korey Coon (19.9) and Nathan Hubbard (16.4). 6-9 center Andy Boyden adds 13.6 points per game and 5.8 rebounds. Phil Hurst is expected to make his third consecutive start for the Titans. Mike Rogers (7.3 points, 7.4 rebounds) rounds out the starting 5 for the Titans.
Wheaton has not defeated Illinois Wesleyan in Bloomington since the 1984-85 season, and has only won once in the last 19 years on IWU's home court.
| School | IWU Record |
| Wheaton | 6-5 |
| Elmhurst | 9-2 |
| Millikin | 9-2 |
| North Central | 10-1 |
| North Park | 11-1 |
| Augustana | 10-1 |
| Carthage | 11-0 |
TITANS DOMINATE CARTHAGE
(Game article courtesy of The Pantagraph)
By Pantagraph staff
KENOSHA, Wis. -- The Illinois Wesleyan basketball team turned in its most dominating stretch of the season in the final seven minutes of the first half and cruised to a 77-52 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin victory over Carthage Saturday.
The Titans trailed 18-13 before closing the opening half on an incredible 26-1 run before a Physical Education Center crowd of 914. IWU scored the final 21 points of the half for a 39-19 advantage.
Wesleyan moved to 11-8 overall and 4-4 in the CCIW ahead of Tuesday's 7:30 p.m. showdown with conference leader Wheaton at Shirk Center. Carthage (11-8, 3-5 in the CCIW) has lost 20 straight games to the Titans.
"With about eight minutes to go we weren't at all in sync offensively," IWU coach Dennie Bridges said. "Then our defense started to force them to take bad shots and we got every defensive rebound. We were making the extra pass and had good timing on our back cuts. Everything feeds on emotion."
The Titans finished off the half with a flourish. Korey Coon nailed a 3-pointer with 42 seconds left and added two free throws at the 24-second mark. Adam Osborn then stole the ball from Carthage and fed Coon for a layup at the buzzer.
The Wesleyan bench had perhaps its best game of the season. Jerry Happ scored a career-high 18 points, Osborn had 11 points and seven assists and Todd Wente grabbed 10 rebounds.
"The first half we had a ton of intensity," Happ said. "Our defense really created offense, and when we set up on offense we executed really well."
Happ, who also pulled down seven rebounds, connected on 8 of 13 shots from the floor.
"I think there was a little confusion. At the beginning I wasn't guarded and I missed those shots," he said. "I was feeling good. I got a chance to get some real close-in shots."
"In our new scheme of things, Jerry seems to function better," Bridges said of IWU's recent emphasis on inside play. "He seems to be a lot more comfortable."
Carthage scored the first four points of the second half, but the Titans responded with 13 straight points for a 52-23 margin. IWU had the Redmen doubled at 60-30 for the evening's largest lead.
Coon finished with 15 points and Andy Boyden 10. Mike Rogers helped IWU to a season-high 57 rebounds by handling 11.
Freshman Jason Wiertel led Carthage with 17 points and pulled down eight of the team's 37 boards.
Carthage shot an anemic 27 percent from the field (18 of 66) and had a season-low point production.
HUBBARD, HURST LEAD TITANS PAST NORTH PARK
IWU sophomore Phil Hurst made his first career start as a Titan and did not disappoint the Shirk Center crowd. The muscular 6-6 sophomore forward scored 19 points as IWU beat North Park 81-64 to stop a 3 game CCIW losing streak.
Considered by many to be a Division 1 prospect while at Windsor High School, Hurst suffered a torn ACL early in his senior year. He was unable to play the remainder of his senior season at Windsor and decided to attend Illinois Wesleyan University. His basketball status remained in question during his freshman year at IWU, but this past summer he was cleared by doctors to play. Hurst is a sophomore academically, but has 3 full years of basketball eligibility left after this season.
IWU controlled the first half against North Park, jumping out to a 21-11 lead at the 10:50 mark. The Vikings staged a late run however and tied the game at 32 with with 1:47 to play. Korey Coon hit a long three point field goal at the buzzer to give the Titans a 39-32 lead at intermission. Andy Boyden led IWU with 12 in the first half, Nathan Hubbard and Hurst each had 8. Rick Alspach led the Vikings with 7 in the first half.
IWU held a 65-55 lead with 7:40 in play in the game, before going on a 13-2 run to make it 78-57 at the 3:38 mark, taking control for good. Nathan Hubbard, playing with a splint to protect his broken shooting hand, led the Titans in scoring with 21 points, on 8-10 from the field. Hubbard also added 10 assists and 7 rebounds. Hurst scored his 19 points with a mix of 16 foot jump shots and inside power moves. Andy Boyden played a solid game, adding 18 points. This marked the first game in the last 4 that Korey Coon did not lead the Titans in scoring -- Coon finished with 11.
North Park was led in scoring by promising freshman guard Jabari Lanier, who had 12 points. Denny Keizer added 11. The Viking's leading scorer Rick Alspach (16.8 ppg) did not score a field goal in the second half, and finished with 9 points.
IWU improves to 3-4 in the CCIW and 10-8 overall, while North Park falls to 2-5 and 8-10. IWU travels to Kenosha, Wisconsin to face the Carthage Redmen Saturday at 7:30pm.
IWU LOSES THIRD STRAIGHT
Illinois Wesleyan's hopes of a 7th CCIW Championship in the '90s vanished Monday night in Elmhurst, as the Titans fell 75-63 to the Bluejays in the completion of their suspended game of January 23. Elmhurst remains in the CCIW race at 4-3, while the Titans fall to 2-4.
Trailing by 3 points when play was suspened, the Titans climbed into a 36-36 tie shortly after the 5 minute halftime. A barrage of Elmhurst 3 point field goals gave the Bluejays a 47-39 lead. Nathan Hubbard, playing his second game with a broken shooting hand, hit a three to cut the Bluejay led to 52-49, but Elmhurst sharp shooter Ryan Knuppel burried two long three point field goals to extend the lead back to 8, a lead the Bluejays would never relinquish. The Titans were physcially dominated by the bulky Bluejays, giving up rebound after rebound.
Ryan Knuppel turned in a spectacular overall performance, finishing with 22 points, including 6-11 from beyond the arc. Eric Stark added 20 for the Bluejays. Korey Coon led the Titans in scoring once again, with 17 points. Andy Boyden chipped in 16 and Nathan Hubbard had 11.
This marks the first time Illinois Wesleyan has lost three consecutive games since the 1992-93 season when the Titans lost to Olivet Nazarene, Hawaii Pacific, and BYU-Hawaii (3 scholarship schools) early in the season. It is the first time since 1984-85 IWU has lost 3 consecutive games in the CCIW.
The Titans face North Park Wednesday evening at the Shirk Center.
TITANS LOSE SECOND STRAIGHT AT SHIRK
On Wednesday the Illinois Wesleyan Titans lost their first CCIW home game in 5 years. Now there is an official losing streak at the Shirk Center, as the Titans fell 57-55 to Augustana in front of an overflow crowd, estimated at 3000. This marks the first back-to-back CCIW home losses for IWU since February of 1989, when the Titans lost to Elmhurst and Millikin in route to a 7-9 CCIW record. IWU fell to 2-3 in the CCIW, while Augustana remains in second place at 5-2.
The Vikings quickly erased a 9 point halftime deficit, scoring the first 8 points of the second half. IWU did not make a field goal in the second half until Korey Coon hit a 15 foot jump shot at the 11:32 mark. The Titans trailed by as much as 6, 50-44, before Coon ignited a comeback. The junior guard, known for hitting big shots, made 2 NBA Range threes despite smothering Viking defense in the final 2 minutes of play, the last of which tied the game at 55. Augustana's John Benedetti scored what proved to be the game winner on a 12 foot jump shot with 1:00 remaining. The Titans inbounded the ball at halfcourt down 2 with 7.6 seconds remaining, but Adam Osborn slipped on the play. He did managed to shovel it to Coon, who's 3 point attempt had no chance due to the position he caught the ball in.
IWU shot 25% from the field (6-24) in the second half and 35.8% for the game (19-53), the team's worst shooting performance of the season and possibly in many years. Korey Coon led the way once again for IWU with 22 points. Nathan Hubbard scored 11 points in his return, and Adam Osborn added 8. IWU's starting frontcourt of Andy Boyden, Mike Rogers, and Todd Wente accounted for just 11 points, with Rogers being held scorless for the second consecutive game. Jason Skoda led the Vikings with 22 points and Aaron Schmidt added 14.
IWU's worst two CCIW seasons in the last 20 years came at the close of decades -- 9-7 (5th place) in 1978-79 and 7-9 (4th place) in 1988-89 -- the Titans are now 2-3 in 1998-99. All 5 of Illinois Wesleyan's losses to Division 3 teams have been by 3 points or less, and all 3 conference losses have been by 2 points.
The reeling Titans travel to Elmhurst Monday to complete their suspended game of Jan. 23. IWU trails 31-28 with 2:45 to play in the first half.
BRIDGES TO COME BACK FOR 35TH SEASON
(article courtesy of The Pantagraph)
by Randy Reinhardt
Pantagraph Staff
With increasing frequency, Illinois Wesleyan basketball coach Dennie Bridges is hearing the question. Here is the answer: "I have no plans to retire," Bridges said Friday.
Yes, Bridges will return for a 35th season as coach at his alma mater. The winningest active coach in NCAA Division III has a career record of 618-301 entering today's 7:30pm home contest against Augustana.
"I hear a lot of talk about it (retiring). A lot of people are asking me about it. I've been looking in the mirror to see if I look old," joked Bridges, who will observe his 60th birthday in February.
Bridges also is the winningest coach in the history of the the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin with a league record of 394-118 and his teams have won or shared 17 CCIW championships.
Bridges is not committing to coaching the Titans past the 1999-2000 season. That, however, is not a new development. "I've said the last four or five years that it's one year at a time," he said.
TITANS HOST 2ND PLACE AUGUSTANA, HUBBARD RETURNS
The Augustana Vikings (4-2, 12-5), fresh off their victory over conference leader Wheaton, visit the Shirk Center this evening to take on the 2-2 Titans at 7:30pm. Both teams are the the middle of a crazy CCIW race that has 7 teams in contention.
This past week of CCIW action has exemplified what many around the conference have been saying all year -- the league is as balanced as any year in recent memory. On Tuesday night, Augustana beat previously undefeated Wheaton in Rock Island. Then on Wednesday Millikin became the first team CCIW team to win at the Shirk Center, beating IWU by 2. Finally, on Thursday North Park knocked off Carthage 84-80 in Chicago.
The Vikings are led in scoring by 6-3 senior Aaron Schmidt, who averages 15.8 points and 5.8 rebounds. 6-6 senior Jason Skoda averages 13.3 points and 5-11 junior John Benedetti adds 11.4. IWU is led by 6-0 junior guard Korey Coon, who is averaging 20.9 ppg, including 50% from beyond the arc (45-90). Senior co-captain Nathan Hubbard, who was averaging 17.9 ppg before breaking his hand, is expected to play tonight with a splint on his shooting hand. Whether Hubbard starts or not will be a game-time decision.
The JV game starts at 5:15.
MILLIKIN STUNS IWU AT SHIRK
Millikin 65
IWU 63
Earlier this season Benedictine University ended Illinois Wesleyan's 46 game home winning streak. Tonight, the Millikin Big Blue ended the streak that really mattered, becoming the first CCIW team ever to win at the Shirk Center. Since the building opened at the start of the 1994-95 season IWU had won 29 consecutive conference games heading into tonight's game with Millikin.
The Big Blue controlled the entire game, using their strength and athleticism to counter IWU's execution. Millikin held a 49-38 lead with 10:44 to play in the second half. The Titans went on a 9-1 run, seven of the points being scored by Korey Coon, to cut the deficit to 50-47 at the 7:50 mark. Two minutes later off an IWU rebound Coon charged up the floor and pulled up and hit a three point field goal to tie the game at 52 with 4:50 remaining.
With the game tied at 58 with 2:16 remaining Coon was fouled while shooting a three point field goal. He made all 3 free throws, giving the Titans their biggest lead of the game, 61-58. After a Millikin time out senior guard Adam Provance came off a screen a drained a 23 foot 3, knotting the score at 61 with 1:43 to play.
After missed field goals by both teams, Millikin fouled IWU's Jerry Happ, sending him to the line to shoot 1 and 1 with 35.6 to play. Happ missed the front end, and on the ensuing Millikin possession IWU guard Adam Osborn was called for a hand check against Provance at the top of the key. Provance made both free throws to give the Big Blue a 63-61 lead with 15.6 to play. Korey Coon found Andy Boyden under the basket on the following play, tying the game at 63. Without calling timeout, Adam Provance dribbled coast to coast and hit a off-balance bank shot from the right block, giving Millikin a 65-63 edge with just 2.9 to play. The Titans turned the ball over on the in-bounds play.
Adam Provance led the way for Millikin with 22 points, 20 of which came in the second half. Tod Kelly had 11 for the Big Blue, including 2 dunks in traffic. Korey Coon led IWU in scoring with 26 points, and Andy Boyden added 22. No other Titan scored more than 6 points.
This was the Titan's first CCIW loss in Bloomington since February of 1993 when Augustana clinched the conference championship at the Fred Young Fieldhouse. IWU's 37 game CCIW home winning streak began, ironically, with a victory over Millikin to end the 1992-93 season. Illinois Wesleyan falls to 2-2 in the CCIW and 9-6 overall. Millikin improves to 3-3 in the conference and 12-6 overall. The Titans face Augustana at the Shirk Center Saturday evening.
Wednesday (1/27/99)
TITANS HOST BIG BLUE
IWU (2-1, 9-5) entertains the Big Blue of Millikin University (2-3, 11-5) Wednesday evening at the Shirk Center, where the Titans will play 3 of their next 4 games. With Wheaton and Carthage both losing Tuesday night, the Titans find themselves in a tie for the conference lead.
Millikin has been a streaky team thus far in 1998-99. After losing to Rockford and Aurora in the early going, the Big Blue reeled off 5 consecutive non-conference wins, including a victory over Midwest Region power Franklin and a championship at the Oglethorpe (Ga.) tournament. In CCIW play Millikin has defeated North Central twice and lost on the road to Augustana, Carthage, and Wheaton.
An extremely athletic team, the Blue are led in scoring by 6-1 senior guard Adam Provance (17.9 ppg). Provance holds the Shirk Center record for scoring by a Titan opponent, netting 35 points against IWU as a freshman. 6-5 sophomore forward Brad Skowronski averages 13.7 ppg. Korey Coon leads the way for the Titans with a 20.6 scoring average.
Game time is 7:30.
Saturday 1/24/99
IWU,ELMHURST SHOOT LIGHTS OUT, GAME POSTPONED
With Elmhurst College leading IWU 31-28 with 2:45 to play in the first half, Titan junior Jerry Happ made a move to the basket. Not one person in the Physical Education Center Saturday can tell you if that shot went in however -- the lights went out! A nearby transformer malfunctioned, leaving the entire campus without power, and leaving all fans, players, and coaches sitting in the dark waiting. A smattering of Titan fans could be heard chanting, "Lights-work...at-the-Shirk."
The wait continued for just over one hour with players and fans mingling on the court. The game was officially declared "postponed" at 9:05pm. The contest will be resumed with Elmhurst leading 31-28, and IWU having to ball with 2:45 on the clock at a date agreed upon by both schools. Elmhurst has put the date February 1 on the table.
The issue of injured IWU guard Nathan Hubbard was also discussed by the coaches and referees. Apparently Hubbard was listed in the official book, but crossed off by someone. If Hubbard was not entered properly in the book, the Titans would need to take a technical foul to get him in the game, should the contest be schedule after his return to action. This matter is still being discussed.
IWU's Korey Coon led all scorers with 12 points. Coon was 4-4 from the field, including 2-2 from beyond the arc, and 2-2 from the free throw line. Adam Osborn had 7 for the Titans.
This is the second bizarre situation the Titans have faced on the road this season. In Hawaii, a Chaminade player broke the backboard during warmups, forcing the game to be moved to a nearby high school gymasium.
IWU faces Millikin this Wednesday at the Shirk Center in the first of three consecutive home games.
Friday 1/22/99
TITANS FACE ELMHURST IN IMPORTANT CCIW SHOWDOWN
Playing their third consecutive road game, the Illinois Wesleyan Titans (2-1, 9-5) travel to Elmhurst Saturday for a pivotal CCIW game with the Bluejays (2-3, 11-4) at 7:30. The Titans look to stay just one game behind Wheaton (3-0), while Elmhurst tries to avoid conference loss number 4.
Much like Illinois Wesleyan, Elmhurst features a tremendous guard tandem in senior Erik Stark (Normal Community H.S.) and sophomore Ryan Knuppel (Midwest Central). Stark, a physical player who likes to penetrate, averages 15.3 points per game. Knuppel, the team's leading scorer at 17.5 ppg, is a deadly 3-point shooter with amazing range. The Bluejays also have a solid inside presence with 6-5 senior James Ford (15.0 ppg), Elmhurst's best all-around athlete.
The Titans play their second game since losing co-captain Nathan Hubbard to injury. Korey Coon's new backcourt mate, Adam Osborn, played well in the Titan's victory at North Park Wednesday. Osborn will face a bigger test against the 'jays however, as he will most likely be matched against Stark. Senior Andy Boyden is coming off a stellar performace against North Park - the 6'9 center scored 24 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. Mike Rogers and Jerry Happ round out the starting lineup for the Titans. Coon leads IWU in scoring with 20.6 ppg, including 51.2% (42-82) from beyond the arc.
Although it's still early in the 1999 CCIW season, this matchup of two preseason conference favorites is a big one. Two-time defending champion Illinois Wesleyan looks to put itself in position for another title run…the Elmhurst Bluejays look for respect.
BOYDEN LEADS IWU PAST NORTH PARK
Due to a nagging back injury, Andy Boyden's status for last night's game with North Park was questionable. With fellow co-captain Nathan Hubbard already sidelined with a broken hand, Boyden decided to play and turned in one of the best performances of his career.
Behind Boyden's 24 points and 10 rebounds the Titans (2-1, 9-5) defeated the Vikings (1-2, 7-7) 85-72 in front of an estimated crowd of 1200. Using his huge height advantage over the North Park inside players, the senior center was 10 of 13 from the field and 4 of 5 from the free throw line.
With Nathan Hubbard out, North Park coach Rees Johnson employed a full court press which proved effective in the first half. The Vikings held a one point lead at halftime, 42-41, behind junior guard Rick Alpach's 12 first half points, including 2 three pointers. The Titans scored the first 8 points of the second half however, and never looked back. IWU managed to break the Viking press behind the ball handling of Korey Coon and Adam Osborn, and ran their offense to perfection, scoring on numerous backdoor cuts. Coon and Mike Rogers each added 13 points, Jerry Happ had 11, and the brothers Osborn each scored 6. Alpach and Denny Keizer led the way for North Park with 14 points a piece. Junior guard Kerry Pates, who scored 25 points in the Viking's win over Elmhurst, was held to 9 points on 3 of 15 shooting.
The Titans play their third consecutive road game Saturday at Elmhurst (7:30) before coming home for 3 at the Shirk.
Wednesday 1/20/99
TITANS TRAVEL TO NORTH PARK TO FACE RESURGENT VIKINGS
Fresh off their heartbreaking loss to Wheaton Saturday and the loss of co-captain Nathan Hubbard to injury Monday, the Illinois Wesleyan Titans (1-1, 8-5) head to Chicago to face a very dangerous North Park team tonight. The Titans have registered 9 consecutive victories over the Vikings, who have struggled in recent years, but the former CCIW power appears to have turned its program around under new head coach Rees Johnson (formerly of Division 1 Northeastern University).
North Park enters the contest 7-6, and 1-1 in the CCIW. The Vikings dropped their conference opener to Wheaton 86-72 Tuesday, before defeating Elmhurst on the road Saturday. The Vikings are led by 6'3 junior guard Rick Alspach, a second team all-conference selection in 1998 and 6'5 senior forward Denny Keizer, who was a 3rd teamer in '98. Junior guard Kerry Pates had 25 points and 9 assists in the win over Elmhurst.
Game time is 7:30.
TITAN LOSE NATHAN HUBBARD TO INJURY
The IWU basketball team suffered a big blow yesterday, as senior co-captain Nathan Hubbard broke the fifth metacarpal on his shooting hand in practice, sidlining the Titan's second leading scorer for at least 5 games. Hubbard ranks fourth in the CCIW in scoring, rebounding, and assists, and 5th in steals.
"This will be my first game in college that Nathan and I haven't started together," said IWU point guard Korey Coon. "They're big shoes to fill, but they don't have to be filled by one person." On the loss of Hubbard coach Dennie Bridges commented, "He's our second leading scorer and second leading rebounder, but as important as all that is we're losing a guy with championship experience. Every night out he expects to win. That's an infectous thing. Even if he's not playing I want him around the squad so we don't lose his personality."
Sophomore Adam Osborn (Lincoln H.S.) will replace Hubbard in the starting lineup. Osborn had the best game of his career Saturday at Wheaton, scoring 11 points, 5 coming in the final 3:00. Reserves Todd Wente and Jason Osborn should also see considerable playing time.
HAMANN, RIDLEY SHOOT DOWN TITANS IN THRILLER
(Game article courtesy of the Bloomington Pantagraph.)
By RANDY REINHARDT
Pantagraph staff
WHEATON -- Unlike the past two Illinois Wesleyan basketball games at Wheaton's Centennial Gymnasium, Saturday's contest did not stretch into overtime.
IWU and Wheaton proved quite capable of packing an entire game's worth of drama into 40 minutes.
Befitting the thrillers of the past two seasons, Wheaton used a barrage of late 3-pointers and two Luke Moo free throws with 2.5 seconds left to clip the Titans, 83-81, before a lively crowd of 3,000.
At 10-3 overall, Wheaton emerged as the only undefeated team in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin at 2-0.
Two 3-pointers each from Rob Hamann and Charles Ridley in the final 2:40 were too much for Wesleyan (8-5, 1-1 in the CCIW) to overcome.
"We fought from behind and scratched and clawed and got ourselves the lead. And down the stretch they hit four NBA threes with guys in their face. Only one was unguarded," lamented IWU coach Dennie Bridges. "If they miss one of those and we get the rebound, we're in control."
The final three of Ridley's 20 points gave the Crusaders a 79-78 lead with 43 seconds left.
"They (Ridley and Hamann) hit some huge, huge shots. That's what it takes to be a winner," said Wheaton coach Bill Harris. "They (the Titans) do it and I'm happy we were able to do it tonight. We just had one more than they did."
After two Hamann free throws gave the Crusaders a three-point margin, Nathan Hubbard was fouled on an awkward 3-point try and buried all three free throws for the tie at the 12-second mark.
"How gutsy was that?" Harris wondered rhetorically.
Moo took the ball to the basket and was fouled in the lane by Andy Boyden before recording the winning points.
Hubbard's off-balance 35-footer at the buzzer was well off the mark.
"It was a real competitive game. We would hit a shot and they would come right back at us," said Hubbard, who scored 15 points despite 5 of 15 shooting from the field. "I'm proud the way we fought and stayed together despite me. I was awful."
Wheaton came out firing the second half, quickly erasing a one-point halftime deficit and pulling away to a 53-43 advantage on a Moo three-point play with 13:30 remaining.
Sparked by reserves Todd Wente and Adam Osborn, IWU responded with 15 straight points for a 58-53 lead.
Wente connected on 6 of 7 shots and scored a career-high 14 points. Osborn added 11 points and nailed two pressure 3-pointers in the final six minutes.
Wheaton's Travis Senik held Titan guard Korey Coon to four second-half points after Coon exploded for 15 in the opening half. Senik nearly doubled his average with 15 points of his own.
"Travis did an outstanding job. He's not flashy offensively, but he's so good defensively," Harris said. "Wesleyan has a great guard tandem with Korey and Nathan. To have a chance we had to do a good job on them."
Coon paced IWU with 19 points and Mike Rogers chipped in 12 to match Wheaton's five players in double figures.
Hamann led all scorers with 21. Moo added 15 and Bradley transfer Michael Collins 10.
Wesleyan managed a 32-all rebounding draw with the more muscular Crusaders.
"Andy and Mike were giving away 40 pounds. They did a great job banging inside," Bridges said. "It's hard to fault anything we did."
Wheaton brought the home fans to their feet with consecutive 3-pointers from Ridley, Hamann and Collins that produced a 16-7 Crusaders' lead.
Coon single-handedly stemmed the tide of momentum with three 3-pointers of his own within a two-minute period, and Wente's fast-break basket brought the Titans into a 25-25 tie.
Wheaton connected on 10 of 21 from beyond the arc, while Wesleyan was 7 of 15.
IWU led by six at 33-27 and 37-31 before Wheaton narrowed the gap to 39-38 entering halftime on another Hamann 3-pointer at the 46-second mark.
* Also see Wheaton's website for more info. on the game.
Thursday 1/14//99
IWU & WHEATON TO RENEW ANNUAL RIVALRY SATURDAY
Who is Illinois Wesleyan's biggest rival in the CCIW? At different times in the history of the conference, one would answer Millikin, Augustana, or North Park. In recent years however, only one team has consistently challenged the Titans --Wheaton College. The Titans and Crusaders will meet again Saturday at 7:30 in Wheaton.
IWU holds a slim 6-4 lead over the Crusaders in the last 5 years, with all four losses coming on the road. These 10 games have all produced sell-out crowds at each respective venue, and in 1996 Wheaton had to turn people away from the 3400 seat Centennial Gymnasium 10 minutes before tip-off. This year's first meeting promises another full house and exciting CCIW basketball game.
Both teams enter the contest 1-0 in the CCIW, with IWU's win coming over North Central last Saturday and Wheaton defeating North Park earlier this week. The Titans are 8-4 on the season while the Crusaders are 9-3. The only common opponent thus far has been University of Chicago, who defeated both teams -- IWU by a 61-59 count, and Wheaton 77-75.
This year's IWU/Wheaton games will feature three of the best guards in the Midwest Region -- Korey Coon (21.3 ppg), and Nathan Hubbard (18.2) of Illinois Wesleyan and Wheaton's Charles Ridley (21.8). Wheaton also possesses great size and strength with 6-7 senior Rob Hamann (14.3), 6-6 sophomore Luke Moo (12.6), and 6-7 junior Michael Collins (10.6), a transfer from Division 1 Bradley University.
Fans are encourage to get to Centennial Gym at least one hour before the 7:30 tip.
(See CCIW Preview for more information on the Crusaders.)
| School | IWU Record |
| Wheaton | 6-4 |
| Elmhurst | 9-1 |
| Millikin | 9-1 |
| North Central | 9-1 |
| North Park | 9-1 |
| Augustana | 10-0 |
| Carthage | 10-0 |
TITANS CRUISE BY NORTH CENTRAL IN PHYSICAL AFFAIR
Illinois Wesleyan defeated North Central Saturday night 79-62 in front of a Shirk Center crowd of 2850, in a game that featured 5 technical fouls, 50 personal fouls, and the ejection of Cardinal coach Bob Bray. The Titans moved to 8-4 on the season (1-0 in conference play), while North Central dropped to 3-10, and 1-1 in the CCIW.
The tone was set early in this bizarre contest, as North Central's Mike Kulbeda received an inadvertent elbow in the mouth from IWU center Andy Boyden 1 minute into the game. Kulbeda left the game and did not return until midway through the first half. Another strange play in the first half involved Titan guard Korey Coon being charged for a technical foul for throwing the basketball at a North Central player, after being fouled hard on a move to the basket. When the dust cleared, IWU held a comfortable 13 point margin, 39-26, at halftime behind 10 points a piece from Coon and Boyden. Yulander Wells paced the Cardinals with 7 points in the first half.
Things got even rougher in the second half. On separate plays, Yulander Wells and Dan Rolfing of North Central were charged with technical fouls. Then, with 10 minutes to play in the game, Yulander Wells was called for a charging foul and North Central coach Bob Bray lost control. Bray was charged with his first technical immediately, and quickly hit with his second as his tirade continued. The Titans controlled the second half, never letting the lead slip below 9 points, and won by 17. Coon led the Titans in scoring with 22 points and Andy Boyden added 14. Nathan Hubbard pulled down 14 rebounds for the Titans and scored 11. Todd Wente and Mike Rogers each had 8 points.
The two teams combined to shoot 78 free throws in the game, with North Central connecting on just 20 of 40 attempts. The Titans weren't much better at 24 of 38 (.632). IWU shot just 1-9 from beyond the arc, with their lone three coming from Korey Coon early in the first half.
The Titans now go on the road for 3 consecutive conference games, starting with Wheaton College Saturday at 7:30.
Saturday 1/9/99
"REAL SEASON" BEGINS AS TITANS FACE NORTH CENTRAL IN CCIW OPENER
What looks to be a wide-open year in the CCIW got under way Wednesday night with an upset. The 9-1 Elmhurst Bluejays, considered to be a conference championship contender by most, fell to 2-9 North Central 67-56 in Naperville. These same Cardinals will visit the Shirk Center tonight for a 7:30pm contest with the host Titans, looking for an even bigger upset.
Illinois Wesleyan (7-4) has not lost a CCIW home game since February of 1993, when the Titans watched Augustana celebrate a CCIW championship at center court of the Fred Young Fieldhouse. Since that game, the Titans have won 36 consecutive conference games in Bloomington, a run that spans 5 full seasons. IWU has earned 4 CCIW crowns in that time.
The Cardinals are led in scoring by sophomore guard Yulander Wells (Chicago St. Rita H.S.), who is averaging 15.8 ppg. Sophomore center Dan Rolfing (Addision Trail H.S.) is next, with a 12.7 average. Freshman Mike Kulbeda (Mt. Prospect, Hersey H.S.) led the Cardinals with 19 points Wednesday against in the victory over Elmhurst.
The Titans are paced in the early going by junior guard Korey Coon, who is averaging 21.3 ppg, including an amazing 35 of 69 (50.7%) from beyond the arc. Nathan Hubbard is next at 18.8 and Andy Boyden is averaging 12.7 thus far.
Game Note: IWU 3-time captain David Kunka is an assistant coach for North Central. Kunka is the only player in Titan history to finish in the Top 25 in scoring & rebounding and the Top 10 in assists.
Sunday 1/3/99
HAWAII-PACIFIC TOO MUCH FOR IWU
Illinois Wesleyan fell to NCAA Division II Hawaii-Pacific 89-71 Sunday, completing their 3 game Hawaii trip. Like the Titan's other two opponents in Hawaii, the Sea Warriors have played a host of Division 1 teams this season, including Iona, Hofstra, and Baylor. Among their 6 wins coming into the game include a 74-59 victory over Chaminade and a 79-65 win over Brigham Young-Hawaii -- the 2 teams IWU has already played on the trip.
Illinois Wesleyan held an early 8-6 lead before the Sea Warriors went on a 20-3 run, from which the Titans never recovered. Hawaii-Pacific led 45-31 at the intermission behind 16-29 (.552) shooting from the field -- IWU shot an unusually low .333 (10-30). Nathan Hubbard paced the Titans in the first half with 10 and Andy Boyden added 9. The Sea Warriors held IWU's leading scorer Korey Coon to just 3 points in the first half.
The Titans traded baskets with Hawaii-Pacific in the opening minutes of the second half, before the Sea Warriors went on a 12-0 run to take a 63-38 lead at the 14:00 mark. IWU continued to play hard however, and reeled off a 22-8 run midway through the second half to cut the deficit to 11 points, 70-59. A series of altercations then insued and 2 Hawaii-Pacific players were ejected from the game, including All-American guard Shannon Lee who took a swing at IWU guard Korey Coon. When play resumed the Sea Warriors held off the Titan run and won it going away.
Nathan Hubbard led the way for the Titans with 20 points, Andy Boyden had 18, and Korey Coon 15 (12 of which were in the second half). Illinois Wesleyan falls to 7-4, while Hawaii-Pacific moves to 7-5 on the season. The 18 point margin of defeat represents IWU's largest since losing to Division I Bradley 81-63 in the 1993-94 season.
This concludes the Titan's preseason schedule. CCIW play begins this Saturday, when North Central visits the Shirk Center.
COON, HUBBARD LEAD IWU PAST BRIGHAM YOUNG-HAWAII
Illinois Wesleyan registered a big non-conference victory Saturday night, defeating NCAA Division II Brigham Young-Hawaii 92-87 in Laie, Hawaii in front of a live television audience in Hawaii. The Titans are now 7-3 on the season.
BYU-Hawaii came into the game with a 6-5 record, including 3 losses to Division 1 teams: Oregon St (Pac 10) 50-45 (OT), Weber St. (Big Sky) 71-62, and Peperdine (West Coast) 72-63. They beat IWU's New Year's Eve opponent Chaminade 67-65 on 12/4.
IWU dominated the first half against the full scholarship Seasiders, taking a 34-17 lead at the 10:00 minute mark on a Korey Coon "3." The junior guard connected on 4 attempts from long range, and paced the Titans with 16 points in the first half. IWU held a 47-33 advantage at halftime.
BYU-Hawaii came roaring back however, scoring the first 7 points of the second half, cutting IWU's lead to 7. The Titans pushed the lead back up to 12 (62-50), but the Seasiders countered with another run, this time 6-0, to close to within 6. At the 9:25 mark of the second half the Titans led 72-61 when BYU-Hawaii went on yet another flurry, and closed to within 2 points at 72-70. With the Titans desperately needing a basket, senior co-captain Nathan Hubbard hit a 17 foot jump shot to stop the bleeding -- IWU led 74-70 with 6:43 to play. A Hubbard jump shot at the 2:25 mark gave the Titans a 82-78 advantage. After a missed Seasider shot and Titan rebound, Coach Bridges called a :20 timeout at the 1:30 mark, after which Nathan Hubbard found Adam Osborn for a backdoor layup, giving IWU a 84-78 lead with 1:14 to play. The Titans were 8-8 (Coon 4, A. Osborn 2, Hubbard 2) from the free throw line in the closing minute to clinch the victory.
Korey Coon led the way for the Titans with 26 points. Nathan Hubbard scored 18 in the second half for 25 total and led IWU in rebounding. Jerry Happ added 15, Boyden 11, Adam Osborn 7, and Phil Hurst and Todd Wente each had 4. 6-5, 240 pound forward Earl Smith led the way for Brigham Young-Hawaii with 27 points, all coming from inside the paint and on the free throw line.
The Titans will face Hawaii-Pacific tomorrow evening at 11:30 pm (CST) and can be heard on AM-1230 WJBC. The game will also be shown on live television on the islands. The Sea Warriors have already beaten both Titan Hawaiian opponents as well as Division 3 defending national champion Wisconsin-Platteville this season. Center Andy Boyden may not start due to a back injury.
Friday 1/1/99
The Titans battled hard in Hawaii Thursday night, but just couldn't quite overtake NCAA Division II Chaminade. Illinois Wesleyan battled back from a 7 point deficit midway through the second half to tie the game at 73 with :58 remaining, but the Silverswords scored the final 7 points of the game to secure a 80-73 victory. Chaminade moved to 4-6 on the season, including losses to Division 1 Syracuse, Clemson, Arizona St., and Wichita St.
A bizarre set of circumstances forced a change in venue for the contest. During warmups, one of Chaminade's players shattered the backboard with a dunk. By NCAA rule, all teams must have one spare backboard available, which the Silverswords did not. IWU coach Dennie Bridges was offered a forfeit victory, but choose instead to let Chaminade find another location. All players, fans, and officials packed up and moved to a local high school where the game was started one hour later.
Nathan Hubbard led the Titans in scoring with 16 points. Mike Rogers had 14, and Korey Coon added 12. The Titans fell to 6-3 on the season. IWU will play Brigham Young on Saturday and Hawaii-Pacific Sunday.
Monday 12/28/98
TITANS HEAD TO HAWAII FOR FINAL TUNE-UP
The Titans departed today for sunny Hawaii, where they will play their final non-conference games of the regular season. The 6-2 Titans will find themselves in the unfamiliar role of underdog in each game, as all three IWU opponents in Hawaii compete in full scholarship NCAA Division 2.
On New Year's Eve the Titans face Chaminade University in Honolulu. The Silverswords, best known for their miraculous win over Ralph Sampson's #1 ranked University of Virginia team in 1982, are currently 3-6. Four of their losses have been to NCAA Division 1 teams - Syracuse, Clemson, Arizona St., and Wichita St, while the other two were to the Titan's other opponents on the trip - BYU-Hawaii and Hawaii-Pacific.
The Brigham Young-Hawaii Seasiders (Laie) and Hawaii-Pacific Sea Warriors (Honolulu) have also played numerous Division 1 teams already this season. BYU-Hawaii hosted the Pearl Harbor Classic featuring Michigan St., Alabama, Texas Tech, and Tulsa while Hawaii-Pacific hosted the Thanksgiving Classic, won by Illinois State University. IWU faces BYU on January 2 and Hawaii-Pacific the following evening.
Including the Hawaii trip, IWU plays 6 of its next 7 games on the road. The Titans open the CCIW season Saturday January 9th in Bloomington against North Central.
TITANS SURVIVE "3" BARRAGE FROM ILLINOIS COLLEGE
With the Titans up 14 points midway through the second half, this one looked to be a blowout in the making, but Illinois College staged a late rally Saturday afternoon, nearly shocking the Titans at home. Illinois Wesleyan hung on however, winning 89-82, to move to 6-2 on the season.
The Blueboys fired 3's early and often in the first half, connecting on 7 of 13 attempts from behind the arc. Andy Boyden scored 14 points in the first half to lead the Titans to an 8 point lead, 52-44, at intermission.
IWU held a 67-53 lead with 11:00 to play in the second half when Illinois College went on a 12-0 run to pull within 2 of the Titans. Wesleyan then went up 82-71 with 3:45 to play on a Korey Coon three point shot, only to have the Blueboys rally back, this time with a 9-0 run to make it 82-80 at the 2:00 mark. Korey Coon was 4-4 from the free throw line down the stretch, and scored 7 of the Titans last 8 points to secure a Titan victory.
Justin Six of Illinois College led all scorers with 27 points, including 5 of 9 from 3-point range. IWU had 4 players in double digits -- Coon (26, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range), Boyden (19), Hubbard (18), and Jerry Happ had 14, a career high. The Blueboys were 10 of 24 from behind the arc. With 6 assists senior Nathan Hubbard moved into a tie with Steve Kuehl ('93) for 11th place in school history with 273 in his career.
The Titans have 11 days off before playing Division II Chaminade New Year's Eve in Hawaii.
TITANS LOOK FOR VICTORY BEFORE TOUGH STRETCH, FACE ILLINOIS COLLEGE TODAY AT 3:00
Illinois College visits the Shirk Center this afternoon at 3:00pm to take on the 5-2 Titans. This will be IWU's last contest before a very tough stretch of games in Hawaii over the break. In Hawaii the Titans will face 3 proven NCAA Division 2 teams in Chaminade, Brigham Young-Hawaii, and Hawaii-Pacific.
The Blueboys are led in scoring by 6-3 sophomore Justin Six and 5-10 freshman Chad Tobin, each averaging just over 14 points per game. Korey Coon (22.1 ppg) and Nathan Hubbard (18.3 ppg) currently rank 1st and 4th in CCIW scoring respectively, while Mike Rogers leads the conference in rebounding (9.4 per game). Illinois College played Augustana to overtime earlier in the season before falling 81-77.
In other CCIW action today...Millikin hosts Midwest Region powerhouse Franklin...Elmhurst looks to stay undefeated with a win at the Bluejay Classic...North Park travels to Benedictine ...Augustana plays at Rockford College...and North Central goes to Crawfordsville, Ind. to face HCAC contender Wabash.
FRED YOUNG FIELDHOUSE TO BE KNOCKED DOWN TUESDAY
This Tuesday (12/15) at 7:00am the tearing down of Fred Young Fieldhouse will begin on Illinois Wesleyan's campus. The home of Titan basketball from 1962 to 1994 will be removed to allow for improvements to the football stadium and track.
Interestingly, the first occupant of the Fieldhouse was not Titan basketball, but rather the Illinois Agricultural Association. In the late 1950's IAA was preparing to move their headquarters from Chicago to Bloomington and needed building space quickly. At the same time, Illinois Wesleyan University had two chunks of vacant land and planned on building a science building and a new basketball facility to replace Memorial Gymnasium. On January 20, 1960 an agreement was made for IAA to build both facilities in exchange for IWU allowing the company space on campus in each building. IAA employees spent a year and a half in what are now Sherff Hall and Fred Young Fieldhouse before moving to their permanent headquarters on Towanda Avenue.
Fred Young was a 1915 graduate of Illinois Wesleyan. An outstanding college athlete, Young went on to have a very successful career as sports editor of the Bloomington Pantagraph newspaper. He was instrumental in the development of the College Conference of Illinois (now CCIW) and served as the conference's first commissioner. Today the CCIW's most outstanding player of the year receives the Fred Young Award.
Jack Horenberger coached Illinois Wesleyan during the first 5 full seasons in the Fred Young Fieldhouse before current coach Dennie Bridges took over before the 1965-66 campaign. Behind Titan greats such as Jack Sikma, Blaise Bugajski, Jeff Kuehl, and Greg Yess, IWU racked up a 311-80 (.795) record in the 33 year history of the Fieldhouse. The Titans won 15 CCIW championships in that span and finished second 5 times.
TITANS PUT AURORA AWAY IN SECOND HALF, MOVE TO 5-2
Behind 14 second half points from center Andy Boyden, Illinois Wesleyan pulled away from Aurora for a 78-64 victory at the Shirk Center Saturday afternoon. The Titans led 35-27 at halftime and pushed their lead to 12 early in the second half before Aurora rallied back to within 2 points, 45-43 at the 14:00 mark. Wesleyan's lead was 4-6 points for the next 5:00 before the Titans went on a 12-2 run to take control for good.
Junior guard Korey Coon led the way for the Titans once again, scoring 22 points - 11 in each half. Andy Boyden finished with a season high 21 points, and Mike Rogers finished with 15, 10 of which were in the first half. Todd Wente added 8 and Nathan Hubbard 7.
Another sluggish game for the Titans, who committed a number of turnovers and continue to struggle from the free throw line. Mike Rogers and Andy Boyden looked very good however - a welcome sign as IWU looks for help for Korey Coon and Nathan Hubbard.
Illinois Wesleyan has six days off before facing Illinois College Saturday 12/19 in Bloomington.
Saturday 12/12/98
TITANS LOOK TO GET BACK ON TRACK AGAINST AURORA
Illinois Wesleyan looks to start a new streak at the Shirk Center as the Titans face the 4-4 Aurora Spartans today at 3:00pm. Aurora, winner of the Northern Illinois-Iowa conference last season, has lost the services of 7-0 junior center Bryan Schwerdtmann for the season due to complications from a broken leg suffered in January.
After slow paced games against University of Chicago, Nebraska Wesleyan, Olivet Nazarene, and Benedictine, the Titans welcome Aurora's up-tempo style - Aurora averages 90.5 points per game. The Spartan's leading scorer is 6-2 sophomore Kory McFarland at 16.8 points per game. The Titans are paced by guards Korey Coon (22.2 pts per game) and Nathan Hubbard (20.0).
The JV game begins at 12:45.
BENEDICTINE SHOCKS TITANS, SHIRK STREAK ENDS AT 46
A huge upset in Bloomington Wednesday night as the Benedictine Eagles knocked off Illinois Wesleyan 73-70, ending the Titans 46 game home winning at the Shirk Center. Benedictine becomes just the second team to win at the Shirk Center since the building opened at the beginning of the '94-95 season - the other loss coming to Steve Alford's Manchester team in the Elite Eight round of the playoffs in 1995. This was Illinois Wesleyan's first regular season loss ever at the Shirk Center.
Benedictine led most of the way and pulled ahead 62-52 with 3:14 to play. IWU mounted a charge, but key missed free throws by Nathan Hubbard and Andy Boyden in the final 2:00 proved crucial. With 0:12 remaining IWU had the ball down just 3, but Korey Coon's 3-point shot at the buzzer rimmed out. Coon led the Titans with 22 points and Boyden added 16. Terry Frigo had 23 points and 13 rebounds for Benedictine.
This could be a very costly loss for the Titans in the "big picture" -- IWU plays 2 more home games before heading to Hawaii to face 3 Division II opponents. It's still early, but it's starting to look like the Titans will need to win the CCIW to make the Division III playoffs for the 6th consecutive season.