KENOSHA, Wis. — The Carthage College men's basketball team defeated the No. 6 seed Illinois Wesleyan 74-69 in the first round of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Tournament on Tuesday night.
- Final score: Carthage 74 - Illinois Wesleyan 69
- Location: Kenosha, Wisconsin - Tarble Arena
- Records: Carthage 18-8, Illinois Wesleyan 12-14
- The Firebirds started off with a strong defense against Illinois Wesleyan. A steal and layup from Colton Sigel got the scoring started early on.
- A three-pointer from Julian Campbell brought the Firebirds up 12-7.
- Consecutive three-pointers from Campbell, AJ Johnson, and Antuan Nesbitt gave Carthage a 35-32 score with 1:29 left.
- Tanner Lamb and Campbell added back-to-back three-pointers to heighten their lead to 41-34 to end the first half.
- To start the second half, Carthage again started with a solid defensive front until the Titans tied the score at 45 with a pair of free throws at the 16:18 mark.
- A three-pointer from Sigel tied it at 50 with 12:01 remaining.
- The Firebirds continued the fight against Illinois Wesleyan, trading basket-for-basket.
- Fillip Bulatovic drove the lane and sank a hook shot with 4:24 left, bringing the Firebirds back in front 65-62.
- Carthage closed the game with a 17-7 run to defeat the Titans 74-69.
"I couldn't be prouder of these guys and how they competed for 40 minutes tonight. It's so difficult to beat a team three times in a season, especially twice in four days!! This team has grown up so much since we started in October. We are a young group playing a ton of underclassmen, and it's been so fun to see them grow these past four months!
Offensively tonight, we did an excellent job of moving the basketball early and getting open looks. We need to get organized better late in the shot clock at times, but overall I was pleased with how we handled their physicality on the defensive end of the floor. Once again, we had all five starters in double-figure scoring, which shows the unselfishness of this group. Defensively, we gave up a few too many looks in the paint, but that's more of a credit to Illinois Wesleyan. They are an excellent defensive team and try to beat you up on the offensive glass every game.
Thanks to everyone that made it out to Tarble Arena tonight! That was one of the best atmospheres for a game that I've been a part of here at Carthage, and our team is thankful for the support. I love this group so much and am excited to get some more time with them these next few days and get ready for a tough North Park team on Friday!"
- Carthage advances in the CCIW Tournament, playing the No. 2 seed North Park on Friday, February 24, on the campus of Wheaton (Ill.).
- Tip-off is set for 5 p.m.
