Women’s basketball:
Our Illinois Wesleyan women’s basketball team nearly eclipsed 100 points during their game against the North Central Cardinals to win their Senior Day game and claim the CCIW regular season title, #1 seed and hosting privileges in the CCIW tournament. Junior Lauren Huber led the Titans with a double-double: 24 points, 11 rebounds. Junior Mallory Powers trailed with 14 points, three steals and another eight rebounds. Sophomore Ava Bardic and Junior Kate Palmer both posted 11 points, including a three-pointer each, and combined for four rebounds. Senior Caite Knutson posted 12 points and five attempts from the line. Sophomore Sawyer White held up her end with a respectable four points, three steals, three assists, and three rebounds. The Green and White started the game down 9-3 halfway through the first quarter, before the combined efforts of Powers and Knutson sunk 13 points to put the team up 16-15. The two teams were evenly matched stats-wise, but North Central was ineffective from three-point range through the first three quarters, allowing the Titans to slowly rack up a decisive lead with a FG% of .467 (through the first three). The Titans finished the game 94-77.
Men’s tennis:
The men’s tennis team faced the Monmouth College Scots and the Principia College Panthers in another triangular meet Saturday, February 17. The Titans led off against the Scots, hosting at the Evergreen Racquet Club, in the early morning, where they went on to sweep the team nine events to zero. The Titans never dropped a single set, picking up six wins in singles and three in doubles. In the afternoon, the Titans returned to face the Panthers in a close match where they won five events to four. Sophomore Ian Turnbull dropped his first set before winning the next two to give the Titans their first singles win of the match. Turnbull would also return for doubles with senior partner Ryan McCoy, winning 8-4. First-year Thad Dillow and sophomore Griffin Hammond both won their singles matches before teaming up in a heated doubles event to break the tie and give IWU their second match win of the night.
Men’s wrestling:
Titan wrestlers returned to the CCIW Championship for the first time since 1985 on Thursday, February 15. IWU scored 30 points for a 10th place finish at the R.A. Faganel Hall at Elmhurst University. Junior Bobby Conroy was awarded All-CCIW honoree, the fourth all-conference honoree in IWU’s program history. Freshman Austin Johnston, a Normal native, was swiftly set to the consolation bracket after starting the day with a bye, but achieved pins on three opponents to go to the third-place consolation match, placing fourth overall. The Titans will next head to Cedar Rapids, Iowa for the NCAA Lower Midwest Regional hosted by the American Rivers Conference at Alliant Energy Powerhouse, taking place March 1 and 2.