BLOOMINGTON — In their rematch against No. 12 Illinois Wesleyan, Carthage showed a balanced offensive performance and maintained steady control in the second half, ultimately winning 80-65 on Wednesday night. After overcoming a brief deficit in the first half, the Firebirds regained momentum before halftime and maintained a comfortable lead after the break to secure the victory.

• Final Score: Carthage 80 - No. 12 Illinois Wesleyan 65
• Location: Bloomington, Illinois - Shirk Center
• Records: Carthage 13-6 (7-3 CCIW), Illinois Wesleyan 15-4 (7-3 CCIW)

• Griffin Daun put Carthage in front 12-9 early in the first half.
• A three-pointer from AJ Johnson and a jumper by Daun extended the margin to 20-16.
• Ryan Johnson knocked down a three at the 6:11 mark to push the lead to 27-16.
• Illinois Wesleyan responded with a run to take a one-point lead two minutes later.
• Ryan Johnson answered with a three-pointer and two free throws, giving Carthage an eight-point cushion at halftime, 38-32.
• The Firebirds carried the momentum into the second half as Daun converted two free throws to make it 45-37.
• Baskets from AJ and Ryan Johnson, followed by a three-pointer from Chris Schlesinger, stretched the lead to 58-43.
• Daun finished a layup to keep the advantage at 12 points.
• AJ Johnson added two free throws to give Carthage its largest lead at 14 points.
• Carthage sealed the victory at the line in the closing minutes, securing an 80-65 win.

• Ryan Johnson finished with a double-double on the day with 26 points and 12 rebounds. 
• Griffin Daun posted his season-best in points with 19, 14 points in the first half, while grabbing six rebounds. 
• AJ Johnson tallied 18 points, going eight-for-nine from the free throw line. 

"Proud of this group and how we competed for a full 40 minutes tonight. We knew the implications going into this game, and we were super focused with two excellent days of practice. 
We made a few adjustments from the first matchup, and the guys executed the game plan flawlessly.

Ryan Johnson was the best player on the floor tonight! He dominated on both ends of the floor and made Cleveland work for every basket. 

To finish the night plus 16 on the boards is a credit to our mindset. Ryan always rebounds the ball, but it's huge to have Antuan with eight, Riley with seven, and Griffin with six.

AJ Johnson played a very good floor game on both ends, and Griffin Daun was special. 

Need to refocus and turn our attention to our fourth road game in the last five games at North Park. They are a very difficult matchup with their style, and we need to prepare as we did for tonight."

• Up next, Carthage plays North Park on the road on January 31 at 4:15 p.m.