2009-10 Pantagraph Articles
Randy Reinhardt stories courtesy of the Bloomington Pantagraph
Titans fall in regular season finale
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
CHICAGO — North Park rallied in the final three minutes to defeat Illinois Wesleyan, 70-67, Saturday night. Yet, IWU coach Ron Rose felt the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin game got away much sooner.
“I think the game was decided in the first 20 minutes,” said Rose, whose team trailed 43-33 at the half. “We did not play with the urgency on the defensive end we needed to against a very talented, athletic team.
“We gave up 43 in the first half and 27 in the second half. It was just a difference in mindset.”
The loss in their regular-season finale left the Titans at 19-6 overall and 10-4 in the CCIW. They finished tied for second with Wheaton in the league standings and will face the Thunder in the CCIW Tournament semifinals at 5 p.m. Friday at Kenosha, Wis.
League champion Carthage will play Augustana in the other semifinal, with the winners meeting at 7:30 p.m. Saturday for the title and an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III tournament.
IWU rallied to take a 57-52 lead with 9:17 remaining. North Park (13-12, 7-7) battled back and took the lead for good at 70-67 on two field goals by Jorge Gonzalez. Two late shots by the Titans were blocked.
“We came out the second half and looked like the team I’ve coached all year,” Rose said. “We played with purpose and we played hard. But down the stretch, North Park made more plays than we did.”
Sean Johnson led IWU with 24 points and Doug Sexauer added 15. Roshawn Russell scored 15 to lead North Park.
Rosenkranz, Titans complete sweep of Augustana
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
ROCK ISLAND —Junior guard Travis Rosenkranz matched a season high with 17 points and Illinois Wesleyan held on through the tense final minutes for a critical 62-59 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin basketball victory over Augustana on Wednesday at Carver Center.
The Titans improved to 19-5 overall and 10-3 in league play while clinching a top three seed for the CCIW Tournament.
Wesleyan led by as many as 13 in the first half and never trailed in the second half. But there was still plenty of drama.
A jumper from Augustana senior Matt Pelton brought the Vikings (15-9, 8-5) within 61-59 at the 1:01 mark. IWU’s Doug Sexauer made one free throw with 37 seconds left for a three-point Titan lead.
Pelton missed a 3-pointer, and Wesleyan’s Edmond O’Callaghan grabbed the rebound and was fouled with eight seconds to go. O’Callaghan missed two free throws, giving Pelton another chance at a game-tying 3-pointer. The contested shot at the buzzer was no good off the front iron.
“I’m proud of our guys. We really played to win,” Titans’ coach Ron Rose said. “Even when Augie hit some shots and our lead was cut, we continued to attack and kept our poise. We had a number of guys make big plays to retain the lead.”
Rosenkranz also contributed five assists and three steals.
“Travis was tremendous tonight,” said Rose. “He was really on the attack and did a nice job controlling the tempo and pushing it when we had the opportunity.”
Jordan Zimmer added 10 points and Sean Johnson and Duncan Lawson nine each. IWU shot 54 percent in the first half but slumped to 37 percent after halftime. The Titans connected on their first 11 free throws before misfiring on their final three.
Pelton, a Central Catholic High School graduate, scored 14 of his team-high 16 points in the second half. Kyle Nelson chipped in 12.
IWU will meet Wheaton in a CCIW Tournament semifinal game on Feb. 26 in Kenosha, Wis., with top seed Carthage and Augustana squaring off in the other semifinal.
Wheaton drops Titans at Shirk Center
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
BLOOMINGTON — Wheaton College senior Jake Carwell’s hurried heave appeared to have “brick” and not “Wilson” written all over it.
That brick’s collision with the backboard glass at the shot clock buzzer was inelegant but nonetheless effective.
Carwell’s first 3-pointer of the season (on four attempts) destroyed the building Illinois Wesleyan momentum and carried Wheaton to a 65-59 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin victory Saturday before a season-best Shirk Center crowd of 2,050.
“That was a fortuitous shot,” admitted Thunder coach Mike Schauer. “My theology does not believe in luck, but that pushes the outer edge of my theology.”
The 23rd-ranked Titans (18-5, 9-3) dropped out of a tie for first place in the CCIW with Carthage (10-2). Wheaton (16-7 overall) stayed even with Augustana in third at 8-4 in league play.
“They played better than we did,” IWU coach Ron Rose said. “They played great defense. But I was surprised their pressure gave us that much problem. We were not stubborn enough to run enough offense.”
A Duncan Lawson 3-pointer with 2:13 remaining lifted Wesleyan within two at 55-53. On the next trip down the court, the Titans had Wheaton teetering on a shot clock violation when Carwell struck.
“We had a great defensive possession,” said Rose. “It goes to a guy who is not a 3-point shooter. If that doesn’t go, we have a chance to tie.”
Two Ben Panner free throws gave Wheaton a 60-53 lead. A Sean Dwyer steal led to a John Koschnitzky rebound basket to cut the Titan deficit to 62-59 at the 30-second mark.
The Thunder limited the Wesleyan starters to 26 points as Lawson scored 13 and Koschnitzky 11 off the bench.
“They really stuck with their game plan,” said Lawson, who grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. “We had trouble getting into our offense. They got us down early and you never want to be in that position. But we still feel like we had an opportunity to win.”
Panner led Wheaton with 21 points and turned in a masterful defensive job on Titan junior Sean Johnson. Averaging 16.3 points, Johnson was held scoreless for just the second time in 74 career games and did not attempt a 3-pointer.
“They did a nice job blanketing him,” Rose said. “Sean has been such a consistent offensive player all year. Take that away and it made things difficult.”
Tim McCrary chipped in 18 points and Carwell soared eight over his average with 14.
“Our offense has been tough (to come by) all year,” said Schauer, whose team shot 36 percent from the field. “The only way we can win is to lock down and make the game ugly. The guys have bought into that.”
Facing an 11-2 deficit, the Titans rallied for their only lead of the first half (15-14) with a 13-3 spurt capped by five Koschnitzky points.
A Travis Rosenkranz 3-pointer at the 3:12 mark brought IWU within 24-22, but the Thunder took a 30-23 advantage into halftime.
The Titans surrendered 11 first-half Wheaton offensive rebounds and were bested on the boards, 21-15. Wesleyan committed 10 turnovers, eight more than the Thunder.
“At the half, the stats were pretty telling,” said Rose. “You can’t win when you do those things.”
Titans win in Decatur, remain tied for 1st in CCIW
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
DECATUR — Jordan Zimmer from the corner. Sean Johnson from the wing. Doug Sexauer from the key.
Bing. Bang. Boom. Three shots, nine points.
Illinois Wesleyan’s blazing start ignited a diabolically effective first half and the Titans led by at least eight over the final 34 minutes in a 75-66 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin victory Wednesday at Griswold Center.
“I loved how we were so efficient offensively,” IWU coach Ron Rose said. “We found the open man, when we were open we shot it and when we weren’t open we moved the ball. I counted only one or two ill-advised shots the entire half.”
The 23rd-ranked Titans (18-4 overall) remain tied with Carthage atop the CCIW at 9-2.
A crowd of 705 was still settling in as Zimmer, Johnson and Sexauer drained consecutive 3-pointers for a 9-1 lead.
“They really did a great job running their offense and knocking down open shots,” said Millikin coach Marc Smith. “It was almost like target practice. You can’t let them shoot open shots.”
The Titans carried a 46-28 lead into halftime as Sexauer scored 14 of his game-high 23 points. IWU nailed 8 of 11 from 3-point range and shot 64 percent overall (18 of 28) while committing a mere two turnovers in the opening half.
“We were pretty pumped up to play,” said Sexauer, who also topped all rebounders with nine. “We want to win conference. Three more wins and we get it.”
The Titans missed their first seven second-half shots and did not score until a Sexauer basket at the 15:06 mark. Millikin (7-15, 2-9) failed to capitalize with 2 of 13 shooting to begin the half.
A Sean Dwyer 3-pointer boosted the Wesleyan lead to 56-34 only to see the Big Blue muster a 9-0 spurt to chop their deficit to 65-55 with 5:19 to go.
“We got a little hurried offensively,” said Rose, whose team slumped to 31 percent second-half accuracy. “We were not as composed. We were not stubborn enough to let the offense work and get the quality shot we were getting the first half.”
Millikin crept as close as 69-61 with 2:43 remaining, but Sexauer answered with a key basket and the Titans held on.
“We do that a lot of times. We let up,” Sexauer said. “We needed to regroup and get back to what got us there the first place.”
Sexauer was 10 of 12 from the field (2 of 2 from 3-point range) as Wesleyan finished at 47 percent (27 of 57).
“When we’re patient enough to get it to Doug, he delivers,” said Rose.
“When he combines the jump shots and the post moves ...,” Johnson marveled. “I wouldn’t rather play with any post player in the nation the way he’s playing right now.”
Johnson added 19 points and connected on 4 of 7 from long range to help the Titans finish at 10 of 19 on 3-point tries.
Millikin received 19 points from freshman guard Colby Long and 17 from senior center Joscar Demby.
“Our kids play hard,” said Smith. “That gives us a chance to be in games. We have to start off better than we started.”
The Titans meet Wheaton on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in their final home game of the regular season.
Lawson, Titans beat Elmhurst, move back into 1st place tie
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
BLOOMINGTON — Ron Rose hardly erred when assembling his starting lineup Saturday at Shirk Center.
Yet when the Illinois Wesleyan basketball coach went to his bench, he could do no wrong.
The IWU reserves outscored the entire Elmhurst team in the opening half and the Titans survived a five-minute second-half meltdown to claim a 73-59 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin victory before a crowd of 1,700.
“We got a lot out of our bench. We showed we have more weapons than Doug Sexauer and Sean Johnson,” Rose said. “We’re a scouting report nightmare in terms of the guys you have to prepare for.”
Coupled with Augustana’s 70-59 win over Carthage, the Titans (17-4 overall) moved into a tie for first place in the CCIW with Carthage at 8-2.
In a boxscore rarity, three IWU reserves scored in double figures while no starters accomplished the feat. Duncan Lawson led the way with 12 points, while John Koschnitzky and Ryan Connolly added 10.
“We feel like our bench players are energy players,” said Connolly after the Wesleyan reserves outscored the starters, 39-34. “Anybody can step up and score.”
Lawson tossed in four first-half 3-pointers and yet another reserve, Stephen Rudnicki, scored the final four points of the half for a gaudy 46-22 advantage at the break.
“Lawson just killed us. He was a minor point of emphasis in the scouting report,” Elmhurst coach Mark Scherer said. “He gave them a big boost.”
Wesleyan shot 62.5 percent in the first half and outrebounded the Bluejays, 24-7.
“That’s about as well as we’ve played all year the first half,” said Rose. “We played defense with great awareness and intensity. Offensively, we were efficient and we dominated the boards.”
Elmhurst (6-15, 1-9) opened the second half on a 10-2 run, but Wesleyan appeared to have matters back under tight control after two straight Koschnitzky baskets forged a 59-36 lead.
“We have a lot of faith in our bench, and everyone played well,” said Koschnitzky, who also had seven rebounds and four assists.
With Johnson sitting out the final 11:43 with a twisted ankle he shrugged off as “fine” after the game, the Titans watched the suddenly resurgent Bluejays reel off 17 of the next 19 points to pull within 61-53 at the 5:47 mark.
“I’m truly disappointed in the second half. There were guys who deserved to play who didn’t get the opportunity,” Rose said. “It was more a lack of focus than a lack of effort. We have to learn not to take our foot off the pedal.”
IWU dashed any Elmhurst upset hopes with a 10-2 spurt for a 71-55 lead with 1:38 to play.
Sexauer topped all rebounders with nine to key the Titans to a whopping 41-20 advantage.
Zack Boyd topped Elmhurst with 16 points. University High School product Aaron Schroeder chipped in eight points.
Titans defeat North Central, move to 7-2 in CCIW
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
BLOOMINGTON — Doug Sexauer retreated to the Illinois Wesleyan locker room Wednesday frustrated by failing to convert five short-range shots and bedeviled by four missed free throws in as many attempts.
Yet the advantages that yielded Sexauer’s first-half opportunities were waiting for him when he returned to the court.
Fully engaged this time, Sexauer’s 17 second-half points complemented timely 3-point shooting as IWU outlasted North Central, 92-85, in a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin game before a Shirk Center crowd of 1,000.
“I was upset with myself (at the half). My teammates weren’t mad at me, but I think it would have been justified if they were,” Sexauer said. “We had a size advantage and we kept going back to it. It was kind of like they were daring me and the posts to beat them.”
Sexauer totaled a career-high 27 points as Wesleyan moved to 16-4 overall and 7-2 in the CCIW.
“Doug spoils you. He was 5 of 10 the first half and we’re mad he’s missing shots,” said IWU coach Ron Rose. “We certainly wanted to keep going into Doug. That was our advantage and fortunately we were smart enough to take it.”
The lead changed hands 11 times early in the second half before the Titans wriggled free from a 54-54 tie with consecutive 3-pointers from Jordan Zimmer and Duncan Lawson.
“We gave them two wide open threes and that’s the difference for the most part,” Cardinals’ coach Todd Raridon said. “We matched them point for point with our shooters. Their role players beat our role players.”
A Lawson tip-in followed by a Sexauer basket extended the IWU lead to 78-67 with just under five minutes left.
“Duncan has just been working really hard. I’ve been looking for an opportunity to reward Duncan for how hard he’s working and how well he’s been playing in practice,” Rose said. “This game presented an opportunity and he sure made the most of it.”
Lawson scored seven points, his first points since late December. The 6-foot-7 junior saw action in just one January game.
“You’ve got to keep your head in it at all times. You have to know your number could get called at any time,” said Lawson. “There are 15 guys on this team who could all play varsity basketball here. It’s a matter of getting your number called and being able to perform when you get in there.”
North Central (10-10, 3-6 in the CCIW) got as close as five in the final minute. But IWU’s Travis Rosenkranz and Sean Johnson combined to connect on 12 of 12 free throws over the closing 2:22. Rosenkranz, Johnson and Zimmer were perfect on 16 foul shots, while the rest of the Titans were a ghastly 3 of 12.
Johnson chipped in 20 points, while Rosenkranz, Zimmer and Ryan Connolly had nine apiece.
North Central freshman forward Derek Raridon scored 28 points after gouging the Titans with 34 on Jan. 5 in Naperville. Senior guard Reid Barringer added 26, 16 in the first half, none in the opening 18:50 of the second half and 10 in the final 1:10.
“We couldn’t stop them,” Rose said. “Thank goodness they couldn’t stop us either.”
Wesleyan shot 57 percent from the field (33 of 58) and committed a season-low seven turnovers.
Titans dismantled at Carthage
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
KENOSHA, Wis. —Illinois Wesleyan started slowly and never recovered as Carthage breezed to an 80-55 basketball victory in a battle for first place in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Saturday at Tarble Arena.
The No. 21-ranked Titans (15-4, 6-2 in the CCIW) fell behind 17-5 and 32-11 before entering halftime facing a 44-24 deficit.
Carthage (15-4) took over first place in the conference at 7-1 before a crowd of 1,850.
“Carthage played a great game. They were the aggressors,” Wesleyan coach Ron Rose said. “They were quicker to the ball. Combine that with the fact we did not play well and the result was a lopsided game.”
IWU moved within 13 points on two Doug Sexauer free throws with 7:55 remaining, but the Red Men quickly pushed their lead higher.
Junior guard Sean Johnson led the Titans with 25 points but no other IWU player reached double figures. Wesleyan shot 38.8 percent from the field (19 of 49) and was 3 of 18 (17 percent) from 3-point range.
“We have executed at a pretty high level this year offensively and been pretty efficient,” said Rose. “Tonight we were neither efficient nor did we execute. Carthage’s game plan was to take certain things away, and we did not battle them hard enough to change that.”
Tyler Pierce led Carthage with 19 points. Junior All-American Steve Djurickovic added 18. Cody Hilton canned five of the Red Men’s 10 3-pointers for 15 points.
Titans hang against Augie, move to 6-1 in CCIW
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
BLOOMINGTON — As a collapse of gargantuan proportions inched closer to reality, the smallest Titan grabbed the biggest rebound.
Illinois Wesleyan captain Sean Dwyer maneuvered his 5-foot-10 body around an Augustana player 8 inches taller to nab an offensive rebound of a missed free throw to prop up the fading Titans at a critical juncture Wednesday at Shirk Center.
The resulting two Sean Johnson free throws gave Wesleyan a desperately needed boost that held out for a dramatic 71-64 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin victory before a crowd of 1,650.
“That epitomizes Sean Dwyer,” Johnson said. “You almost come to expect it because of the heart he plays with and the extra effort he gives. Who knows how that game goes if he doesn’t grab that ball.”
The No. 21-ranked Titans, who remain tied for first place in the CCIW at 6-1 and are 15-3 overall, were flying high with a 67-47 lead after a Doug Sexauer fast break basket with 6:16 remaining.
Augustana (11-7, 4-3) cut that lead in half in just over two minutes with the help of 3-pointers from Chris Anderson and Mike Avallone. The Vikings capped their 15-0 run on a Matt Pelton 3-pointer at the 1:04 mark to trail just 67-62.
Sexauer’s miss of the front end of a one-and-bonus was Wesleyan’s third straight, but Dwyer saved the day with his lone rebound of the evening.
“I was about at the size of their knees so I don’t think they were able to box me out too well,” said Dwyer. “I was able to curl in there and found the ball.”
After Johnson’s free throws and an Augustana turnover, John Koschnitzky nailed two more critical foul shots for a 71-62 margin.
“We have mastered the art of making it interesting,” Wesleyan coach Ron Rose said. “I thought our kids played really hard and I’m thrilled with the win. That’s a great win for our program.
“Sean Dwyer is a winner and a tough kid. It was a momentum swinger when we weren’t able to shift momentum by scoring points.”
Koschnitzky scored a season-high 18 points, Johnson added 16 and Sexauer 15 as Wesleyan snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Vikings. Veteran assistant coach David Steinbrueck was the lone person on the Wesleyan bench who had beaten Augustana.
“I wanted to be aggressive and I wanted to play well,” Koschnitzky said. “We really wanted to get this one. We hadn’t beaten them in a while. It’s our time now.”
Wesleyan tossed in its first eight shots from 3-point range and led 44-33 at the half.
“I’m disappointed we didn’t do a better job defensively the first half against a very good offensive team,” said Vikings’ coach Grey Giovanine. “They were 8 for 9 on threes the first half and they got an awful lot of good looks. They really shoot it well.”
A Central Catholic High School product, Pelton matched Kyle Nelson with a team-high 12 points for the Vikings. The 6-9 Nelson was limited to 22 minutes by foul trouble.
“We made some shots and got some stops down the stretch,” Pelton said. “But at the end of the day, it’s a loss. It’s a disappointing night for us.”
Balanced Titans defeat North Park, remain in 1st
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
BLOOMINGTON — With charging North Park just a basket behind, Illinois Wesleyan needed offense.
Inside or outside, it didn’t matter.
The Titans got both — as they did much of the afternoon — as Sean Johnson nailed a 3-pointer and assisted on a Doug Sexauer layup to give IWU the breathing room it needed to earn an 83-77 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin victory Sunday before a Shirk Center crowd of 700.
Johnson and Jordan Zimmer each tossed in four 3-pointers and Sexauer was his usual force in the lane as the No. 17-ranked Titans (14-3 overall) moved into a first-place tie with Carthage in the CCIW standings at 5-1.
“We’ve talked all season how we want to have a good balance,” Sexauer said. “It’s nice to see it work out in a game.”
North Park (10-7, 4-2 in the CCIW) trailed 58-46 after a Ryan Connolly three-point play but scored the next 10 points capped by a Nick Hoekstra 3-pointer at the 11:12 mark.
“North Park battled the whole time. We said in practice they were going to do enough stuff to keep them in the game with how athletic they are,” Johnson said. “We really kept the pedal to the metal and offensively we moved the ball real well.”
Johnson scored five of his 20 points and Sexauer four of his 17 as the Titans used a 9-1 spurt for a 67-57 lead with 5:58 remaining.
North Park rallied as close as five with 2:27 left, but Wesleyan connected on nine of 10 free throws down the stretch.
“We made it difficult on ourselves when we didn’t finish a few plays at the offensive end, and we didn’t get enough stops at the defensive end,” IWU coach Ron Rose said. “But I thought our offensive execution, especially that first half, was pretty sharp. I love how we pushed the ball and moved the ball and how aggressive we were.”
The Titans, who led 46-38 at the half, turned crisp ball movement into 10 3-pointers in 24 attempts as the Vikings made extensive use of a 1-3-1 zone.
“We have to have more focus on the defensive end if we’re going to hang in there. They got a lot of looks in transition when we struggled to get back,” said North Park coach Paul Brenegan. “They are a very good team. They shoot the ball well, they’ve got inside-outside and they’ve got a good point guard (Travis Rosenkranz).”
Both teams shot 50 percent from the field but the Vikings hit just 13 of 24 free throws and were outrebounded, 43-29.
“I was thrilled how we crashed the boards,” said Rose, who got 12 rebounds from Sexauer and six each from John Koschnitzky and Edmond O’Callaghan.
Johnson handed out a career-high nine of IWU’s 22 assists. Zimmer finished with 12 points and Rosenkranz 11.
Emanuel Crosby topped four North Park players in double figures at 17 points. Nick Williams chipped in 13, Roshawn Russell 12 and Hoekstra 10.
Wesleyan has surpassed its 2008-09 win total of 13 and matched last season’s number of conference victories with eight CCIW games remaining.
Titans fall at buzzer to Wheaton
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
WHEATON — Illinois Wesleyan junior Sean Johnson had the role of hero in his grasp Tuesday night at King Arena. Then Wheaton’s Andrew Jahns swiped the part.
Jahns’ offensive rebound and layup as time expired lifted the Thunder to a 66-65 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin victory moments after Johnson’s 3-pointer gave the Titans their first lead of the second half.
“It was a game where if we get that last rebound we feel like we stole one,” said Titans coach Ron Rose, whose team entered as the No. 17 team in the Division III national rankings. “We didn’t play particularly well and missed a lot of shots we normally make.
“But we showed a lot of heart and competitive spirit, especially at the end of the game.”
IWU, which fell to 13-3 overall and 4-1 in CCIW play, trailed by three at halftime and as much as seven in the second half. After pulling even twice, the Titans took a one-point lead on Johnson’s 3 with 12 seconds left off an assist from Travis Rosenkranz.
Wheaton senior Ben Panner missed a jumper with 3 seconds left, but the carom went directly to Jahns for the winning basket.
“If that shot bounces anywhere but where it did, we’re walking away with a win,” said Rose.
Sophomore standout Tim McCrary, whom Rose called a “handful,” totaled 31 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Thunder (11-5, 3-2), the CCIW’s preseason favorite. Panner scored 14, with Jahns and John Shackelford contributing six apiece as the Thunder shot 48 percent from the field.
Doug Sexauer, who finished with 23 points, gave IWU its last lead of the first half on a layup six minutes before the break. Sean Dwyer and Edmond O’Callaghan each scored 10 for the Titans.
“Doug Sexauer had a workmanlike game and did a nice job inside,” said Rose.
Sean Johnson, Titans handle Elmhurst
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
ELMHURST — Illinois Wesleyan junior Sean Johnson scored 16 of his game-high 21 points in the opening five-and-a- half minutes of the second half on Sunday at Faganel Hall.
That outburst gave the Titans a 20-point margin and IWU held on for a 77-67 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin victory before a crowd of 1,309.
No. 21-ranked Wesleyan saw its hefty lead trimmed as low as seven while advancing to 13-2 overall and 4-0 in the CCIW with its eighth straight win.
“We really came out the second half ready to play. The first four or five minutes we probably played as well as we have all year,” Titans’ coach Ron Rose said. “We were really moving the ball very crisply. Sean heated up. He was just terrific in that time.”
Elmhurst (5-10, 0-4) trailed 54-34 but scored the next 10 points and rallied within 62-55 at the 4:29 mark.
“We combined missing some shots we normally make with turning the ball over and fouling,” said Rose. “We didn’t put it away. But when they made their run at us, we kept our composure and made enough plays to keep them at bay.”
Travis Rosenkranz added 15 points and handed out eight assists and Doug Sexauer had 14 points for the Titans. Edmond O’Callaghan chipped in nine and matched a career high with 12 rebounds.
“I thought Travis really controlled the game and tempo from the point guard position,” Rose said. “Edmond turned in probably his best performance of the season. He’s really become a guy we can count on to get the tough rebound.”
Zack Boyd paced the Bluejays with 19 points. Mike McCurdy scored 16.
Wesleyan shot 56.5 percent from the field in the second half and 52 percent overall.
Titans survive against Big Blue, move to 3-0
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
BLOOMINGTON — Thanks to a buzzer-beater on Nov. 29, Manchester College knows it.
Now Millikin knows it, too.
Illinois Wesleyan junior Sean Johnson has a knack, a knack for hitting clutch shots. And the Titans desperately needed it Wednesday in a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin thriller at Shirk Center.
A tightly guarded Johnson tossed in a 3-pointer with six seconds left and at the shot clock buzzer to enable No. 21-ranked IWU to escape with a 75-71 victory over Millikin before a crowd of 725.
“It definitely wasn’t a textbook shot,” Johnson said. “But fortunately enough, I got a little home-court magic.”
A Sedric Ferguson steal and layup at the 45-second mark pulled the Big Blue within 72-71.
With the Titans whittling down the shot and game clock, Doug Sexauer lost control of the ball, chased it down in the corner and shoveled it to Johnson.
“I knew Doug got it poked away at about four (on the shot clock),” said Johnson. “He (Corey Mitchell) was right on me. I actually tried to jump into him hoping to get a bailout call.”
Johnson, whose 40-footer at the buzzer against Manchester turned a seemingly certain IWU loss into a two-point win, helped the Titans (12-2 overall) win their seventh straight game and move into sole possession of first place in the CCIW at 3-0.
“The kid is gutty, isn’t he?” marveled Wesleyan coach Ron Rose. “He’s unbelievable. The bigger the moment, the more he wants to be involved in it. If he misses that shot, they are coming at us with a chance to win.”
Millikin (6-8, 1-2) rallied from an eight-point deficit with 4:32 left before Johnson dashed the Big Blue’s upset hopes.
“I don’t think we can play it any better at the end of the game,” Millikin coach Marc Smith said. “It’s the end of the shot clock, he double clutches and hits a 3-pointer. That thing didn’t hit anything but net. That was a clutch shot and it really hurt us.”
A 24 percent 3-point shooting team entering the game, the Big Blue stayed close by draining 7 of 10 from beyond the arc. Freshman Colby Long, who joined the team in late December, was 5 of 5 on 3-point attempts and led all scorers with 21 points.
While Millikin forced key turnovers late, IWU was able to capitalize on the Big Blue’s overplaying defense with successful drives to the basket from Johnson, Travis Rosenkranz and Jordan Zimmer.
“We didn’t expect it to be (easy),” said Rosenkranz, who paced the balanced Titans with 15 points. “They were really trying to ball pressure. To counteract that, we have to get to the basket. That frees things up for Doug and the outside shooters.”
Johnson, whose 3-pointer with two seconds left in the opening half sent IWU to the locker room with a 38-37 lead, finished with 14 points. Zimmer also had 14, including two key 3-pointers that snapped a 50-50 tie, and matched a career high with eight rebounds.
Sexauer and Sean Dwyer added 10 each. Dwyer scored his season high off the bench.
Millikin shot 54 percent from the floor and received 13 points from Ferguson and 11 from Charles Warren.
Sexauer 10-11 from the field in win over Carthage
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
BLOOMINGTON — Of the memories launched by 87 former Illinois Wesleyan players Saturday as the school celebrated 100 years of men’s basketball, a few may have started in this vein: “Yeah, I remember the week I made 21 of 23 shots and we won twice.”
Someday, Doug Sexauer could utter that sentence and be telling the complete truth.
The IWU junior completed a week of uncommon accuracy and kept the Titans on target toward a 79-69 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin victory over Carthage before a crowd of 1,700.
“Doug has been absolutely unstoppable,” guard Sean Johnson said after Sexauer connected on 10 of 11 shots and scored 24 points to help the No. 25-ranked Titans improve to 11-2 overall and 2-0 in the CCIW with their sixth straight victory.
Sexauer was 11 of 12 from the field in a Wednesday triumph over North Central. On Saturday, his lone miss came from 3-point range as the 6-foot-7 forward was perfect on nine shots inside the arc.
“He is so hard to stop one-on-one,” said Wesleyan coach Ron Rose. “He is such a huge part of what we’re trying to do at the offensive end. When he produces, everything is easier.”
After Sean Dwyer’s off-balance 19-footer at the buzzer sent the Titans into halftime with a 32-31 edge, Sexauer scored eight quick second-half points as Wesleyan pulled ahead, 44-36.
“When we start a half and focus on one thing and that goes well, it can open up the whole floor for everybody else,” Sexauer said. “When I was able to score, it opened things up. We took advantage of it and pulled away from them a little.”
With Carthage star Steve Djurickovic missing 12 of his first 16 shots, a Sexauer bucket from the lane with 4:16 remaining stretched the Wesleyan margin to 68-53.
The Red Men (9-4, 1-1) rallied within eight at the 2:30 mark but got no closer.
“We gave them too many opportunities at the beginning of the second half,” said Carthage coach Bosko Djurickovic, Steve’s father. “This is a little more vintage Wesleyan in the fact they are really good offensively. They have a really nice balance of inside and outside game.”
Johnson added 19 points and matched Sexauer with a game-high seven rebounds.
“Seeing all the guys Titan basketball means so much to, we wanted to put on a good show for those guys,” Johnson said of a contingent of former players that dated back to 1944. “We joked if we were 1-13 in the CCIW, it wouldn’t matter if this was the one we got.”
Djurickovic finished with 22 points and was 8 of 21 from the field. A freshman averaging 4.5 points, Malcom Kelly nailed four 3-pointers on his way to 16 points.
“It wasn’t one of Steve’s vintage games,” Coach Djurickovic said. “The shots he usually makes in his sleep, not today. That’s to their credit. They did a very good job defensively. They played better than we did.”
The Titans shot a scorching 72 percent (13 of 18) in the second half, while limiting the Red Men to 25 percent (5 of 20) with effective use of a 1-3-1 matchup zone.
“We turned the ball over too much in the first half, and the second half we didn’t rebound well enough,” said Rose. “But overall I’m thrilled.”
Sexauer leads Titans to road win in CCIW opener
By Pantagraph Staff
NAPERVILLE -- Holding Illinois Wesleyan sharpshooters Sean Johnson and Jordan Zimmer to five 3-point attempts was only half the battle for North Central Wednesday at Merner Fieldhouse.
The Titans looked inside to senior forward Doug Sexauer, who delivered 23 points on 11 of 12 shooting to lead IWU to an 84-79 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin victory.
“Teams have to pick and choose how they’re going to guard us,” Wesleyan coach Ron Rose said. “They were going to make it difficult for Sean and Jordan. That really freed up Doug and Ryan Connolly. They didn’t have an answer for our guys inside.”
The 25th-ranked Titans improved to 10-2 in the CCIW opener for both teams.
North Central (7-5) pulled as close as 50-48 in the second half. IWU responded with a 7-1 spurt that featured 3-pointers from Dan Schouten and Zimmer and a Schouten tip-in.
“Those were two big shots,” Rose said of the 3-pointers. “When teams have closed in, we’ve done a great job of keeping our composure and running our stuff.”
North Central stayed close behind freshman Derek Raridon, who scored a career-high 34 points. David Twyman added 24 points and Brian Evans 16, both career highs, as only four Cardinals scored.
Johnson chipped in 12 points, Connolly and Zimmer 10 each and Schouten and Travis Rosenkranz nine apiece for IWU, which shot a season-best 62 percent from the field (31 of 50) and also had season highs in assists (25) and turnovers (17).
Senior Sean Dwyer matched a career high with nine assists.
The Titans quickly overcame an early 9-2 hole with 13 straight points and led 39-31 at the half despite 13 turnovers.
North Central shot 45 percent from the field (27 of 60) but connected on just 2 of 13 from beyond the arc.
Zimmer scores 35 as Titans move to 9-2
By Pantagraph Staff
SAN ANTONIO -- Illinois Wesleyan sophomore Jordan Zimmer knew exactly what to do for an encore after scoring a career-high 28 points on Monday.
Zimmer stayed hot and grew even hotter, burning Southwestern for another career high of 35 points Tuesday as the Titans captured a 91-75 victory and the championship of the Trinity Classic at Sams Gym.
"The offense was running pretty well today, and the guys got me the ball when I was open and I got hot there for a while," Zimmer said. "Most of my shots just came in the flow (of the offense), but I did get in there and get a couple of offensive rebounds."
Wesleyan completed its nonconference schedule at 9-2 as Zimmer nailed 13 of 17 shots from the field and 7 of 11 from 3-point range. It is the most points by a Titan since Korey Coon scored 42 against North Central on Feb. 23, 2000.
"I can't say enough about Jordan Zimmer. He has expanded his game to not just being a shooter," IWU coach Ron Rose said. "He shot it exceptionally well, drove the ball and got on the boards. He really gave them problems guarding him."
IWU, which had a 14-point first-half lead trimmed to four by halftime, led just 61-60 midway through the first half before Zimmer connected on three straight 3-pointers for a 10-point cushion.
Zimmer, who scored 63 points in just 45 minutes on IWU's Texas trip, had 14 straight Titan points over that stretch.
Wesleyan hit 13 of 22 3-point attempts for 59 percent and shot 55.6 percent overall.
Doug Sexauer added 16 points, Sean Johnson 15 and Travis Rosenkranz 11 for the Titans. Johnson and Rosenkranz also combined for 13 assists.
"This was the second straight game both Jordan and Sean played really well together. When both wings are shooting it as they did, it really stretches the defense," said Rose. "We had great point guard play from Travis and Sean Dwyer."
Sexauer's 10 rebounds helped IWU to a 36-29 edge on the boards.
Travis Barber led Southwestern (8-2) with 17 points. Zach Bergstrom chipped in 16.
The Titans open their College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin schedule on Jan. 6 at North Central.
Zimmer, Titans pull away from Trinity
By Pantagraph Staff
SAN ANTONIO — For about three minutes, the Illinois Wesleyan men’s basketball team showed the signs of a two-week layoff.
Trailing 10-2 just 2 minutes, 57 seconds into Monday’s game, the Titans responded to a timeout called by Coach Ron Rose and went on to roll Trinity University, 96-67, in the opening round of the Trinity Classic at Sams Gym.
The Titans took their first lead with 13:13 left in the first half on one of five 3-pointers by Jordan Zimmer, who scored a career-high 28 points.
“We were just a half-step slow in the first couple of minutes,” Rose said. “(Trinity) scored on five of their first six possessions. We just needed to wake up. After the timeout, we settled in a little bit more.”
Zimmer shot 10 of 14 from the field, including 5 of 9 from the 3-point arc.
“We have not shot the ball particularly well this year, especially from behind the arc,” Rose said. “Tonight we showed much more of the ability to shoot it the way we are capable of.”
Sean Johnson added 15 points as the Titans (8-2) shot a season-best 61 percent from the field overall and 48 percent (11 of 23) from the 3-point line.
“That’s really the first game that Zimmer and Johnson have shot it well together,” Rose said. “That made us difficult to guard.”
Sophomore Ryan Connolly provided 11 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Junior Dan Schouten corralled 10 rebounds as the Titans finished with a 42-25 advantage on the backboards.
IWU completes its Texas trip with a 2 p.m. game today against Southwestern (7-1).
Defense leads Titans past Illinois College
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
JACKSONVILLE -- Leaning on its defense, the Illinois Wesleyan basketball team wasn't disappointed Tuesday at Bruner Center.
The Titans held Illinois College 25 points below its average while claiming a 70-59 nonconference victory.
"One of the keys was guarding the 3-point shot. That's an area we've been working on, and I thought we did a great job getting out to their shooters," IWU coach Ron Rose said. "Our defense got critical stops to maintain the lead."
The Titans improved to 7-2. Illinois College (6-2) shot just 16 percent (4 of 25) from 3-point range and 29 percent (19 of 65) overall.
IWU led 34-29 at the half and extended its margin to 50-39 on a Dan Schouten 3-pointer with 13:05 remaining. The Blueboys got as close as 65-59 at the 1:17 mark.
"We were able to take an early lead. I don't think we ever trailed," said Rose. "It's so much easier to play from ahead than behind."
Sean Johnson and Doug Sexauer scored 16 points each to lead the Titans. Travis Rosenkranz had 10 points, while Edmond O'Callaghan chipped in nine points and 10 rebounds.
David Stewart topped Illinois College with 23 points. Jacob Tucker contributed 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Titans defeat MacMurray, move to 6-2
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
BLOOMINGTON -- Scrapping for a nine-point decision over a one-win opponent won't do a lot for the Illinois Wesleyan basketball team's ego.
Yet the Titans believe Saturday's 79-70 victory over MacMurray before a Shirk Center crowd of 325 will serve a valuable purpose.
"This was a good test of our character," junior point guard Travis Rosenkranz said. "They were playing well and the game was going to be hard fought. It's good we were able to come out with a win."
Rosenkranz and backcourt running mate Sean Johnson keyed a second-half surge that transformed a five-point deficit into a seven-point lead.
"Travis did a great job getting to the rim. We ran our motion and got our shots better," said Johnson, who scored 10 of his 17 points after halftime. "In the end, these games will help us learn how to win close games."
The Titans improved to 6-2, while MacMurray slipped to 1-8.
"We just have to learn to finish plays," Wesleyan coach Ron Rose said. "If you look at the flow and watch the game, if we complete plays it's not as interesting."
A Brady Slagle 3-pointer gave the Highlanders a 44-39 lead early in the second half before Rosenkranz awoke the slumbering Titans with two straight flashy drives for layups.
"Travis did what Travis does. He was breaking down the defense and creating open looks," said MacMurray coach Todd Creal, a former assistant at Augustana and Millikin. "They are a heckuva club, an offensive machine. They've got the right personnel in the right places."
A Rosenkranz fast break bucket set up by a Johnson steal extended the Wesleyan lead to 59-52 with 8:45 remaining.
The Titans led by at least three the rest of the way but needed four Sean Dwyer free throws in the final 16 seconds to finally dispatch the Highlanders.
"We were a lot better offensively the second half. The first half we took the first available shot," Rose said. "We were waiting for that all game, to get up to a seven- or eight-point lead."
Doug Sexauer matched Johnson at 17 points with 10 coming in the final 5:40. Jordan Zimmer added 13 and Rosenkranz 12.
Sophomores Stephen Rudnicki and Dan Schouten, who each had played 11 minutes total entering the game, saw 18 and 17 minutes, respectively.
"They've really been playing well in practice," said Rose, "and I wanted to give them an opportunity."
Ryan Connolly, a 6-foot-9 sophomore averaging 10.0 points for the Titans, did not play. Rose called it a "coach's decision" and "not disciplinary."
C.J. McClellan scored 20 points and Slagle 16 for MacMurray, which connected on 9 of 18 from 3-point range.
Zimmer scored the game's first seven points and Wesleyan's initial nine. MacMurray quickly struck back for an 11-11 tie and led 28-22 after the fifth of five 3-pointers without a miss.
A Johnson 3-pointer from the corner brought IWU into a 33-33 tie. Edmond O'Callaghan's 16-footer at the 1:01 mark sent IWU into the locker room with a 39-37 edge.
4 of 24 3-point performance does in Titans
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
CHICAGO — The University of Chicago sank 7 of 9 shots from 3-point range in the first half, building a 36-24 lead, and went on to 68-60 nonconference victory Saturday over Illinois Wesleyan in men’s basketball action at the Ratner Center.
Chicago (5-1) ended 8 of 14 from beyond the arc while IWU (5-2) was 4 of 24 on 3-point attempts.
“We did not come out and execute our game plan very well,” Titans’ coach Ron Rose said. “We did not have the urgency or the focus to take away the things we needed to.
“Offensively, we were sluggish and did not work hard enough to get easy shots. The shots we did get, we did not shoot very well.”
The Titans were 1 of 9 from 3-point range in the first half and ended with 39 percent field goal shooting. Chicago shot 44 percent.
“Close to half of their shots come from behind the arc,” Rose said of the Maroons. “We said going in that to win this game, we needed to win the arc. The timeouts we took reinforced that early after they hit three of them. We just didn’t play with the urgency on either end that we needed.”
Junior forward Doug Sexauer led IWU with 16 points and nine rebounds. Junior guard Sean Johnson added 14 points.
Sexauer and Johnson were a combined 13 of 23 from the field, while their teammates went 10 of 36.
Steve Stefanou led Chicago with 16 points. Tom Williams added 13 and Chase Davis 12.
Williams fueled the hot 3-point shooting, making all three of his attempts.
“The second half I thought we played a lot harder. As a result, we won the second half,” Rose said. “But we dug ourselves too big of a hole. I just felt like we were running uphill all day long. We were fighting ourselves.
“We not only competed against the University of Chicago, but we competed against ourselves. That’s the disappointing part.”
Defense leads Titans over Monmouth
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
BLOOMINGTON — Illinois Wesleyan junior Edmond O’Callaghan was “trying to do anything to get us going.”
Although he certainly didn’t try to miss two free throws, O’Callaghan stumbled upon exactly what the Titans needed.
O’Callaghan shot down the lane to retrieve his second miss, took one large step and powered home a dunk for the key basket in a nine-point spurt that enabled IWU to escape with a 65-55 victory over Monmouth Tuesday at Shirk Center.
“Everyone pretty much cleared out like the Red Sea,” O’Callaghan said of his only points. “I just grabbed the ball and dunked it.”
Ranked No. 16 in the d3hoops.com national poll released earlier Tuesday, Wesleyan improved to 5-1 before a crowd of 630.
“We can look at the offensive end and be disappointed, which I am,” IWU coach Ron Rose said. “At the same time, you look at the defensive end and it’s nice to be able to win a game because you defended. To hold a team to 55, I’m thrilled about that.”
Monmouth (1-3) closed to 42-41 on a Zach Ott rebound basket with 8:43 remaining. After Titan Doug Sexauer banked in a short jumper, O’Callaghan was fouled hard on a drive and went to the free throw line. When the second miss caromed off the front of the rim, O’Callaghan pounced.
“Coach has been yelling at him all year ‘dunk the ball, dunk the ball.’ He stepped up and hammered it,” said junior Matt Schick. “It got the crowd excited and got everybody back into the game. It helped us pull away at the end.”
O’Callaghan also contributed a steal and an assist to the key sequence, and Sean Dwyer hit a reverse layup to hand the Titans a 50-41 lead. A Schick 3-pointer, Sean Johnson’s fast-break bucket and two Johnson free throws extended the Wesleyan margin to 59-45.
“The guys off the bench gave us a great lift in energy,” Rose said. “On the offensive end it’s come pretty easy for us at times. When it didn’t come easy, we started pressing. Instead of pressing we need to concentrate on executing better.”
The Titans rolled to a 16-4 start only to see the Fighting Scots score the next 12 points for a tie. A Schick 3-pointer with 25 seconds remaining helped IWU to a 30-26 edge entering halftime.
“It was pretty ugly out there. One positive for sure is we played pretty good defense,” Schick said. “Sometimes last year if the offense wasn’t working we might lose that game. This year hopefully our defense can win us some games like tonight.”
Johnson paced Wesleyan with 18 points. Sexauer added 15 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Sophomore Ryan Connolly chipped in 11 points in his first career start.
“We did a nice job of not giving them too many open looks,” said Monmouth coach Mark Vershaw. “We were hoping to put a few more baskets in to get it a little closer down the stretch. We knew it was very hard to keep that team down with the amount of talent they have offensively. We felt we had to get close to 70 to have a chance to win.”
Monmouth shot just 32 percent from the floor. Eric Cogdill led the Scots with 22 points and nine rebounds.
Johnson's miracle shot at buzzer lifts Titans
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
BLOOMINGTON —Doug Sexauer still felt like kicking himself as Illinois Wesleyan teammate Sean Johnson drove past him at midcourt.
One long, accurate shot later, and tackling Johnson emerged as a much better option.
Johnson erased a critical Sexauer turnover with a twisting 40-footer at the buzzer to hand Wesleyan a miracle 79-77 victory over Manchester on Sunday before a Shirk Center crowd of 375.
“It’s one I’ll never forget,” Johnson said of the final three of a career-high 32 points. “I put it up, saw it was on line and just had that feeling.”
The feeling was despair for the Titans after a wayward Sexauer pass led to a Mitch Schaefer 3-pointer with 3.4 seconds remaining that gave Manchester its first lead (77-76) since 32-31.
“I felt bad for the length of that timeout. Then Sean made me not feel so bad,” said Sexauer. “I was standing at halfcourt and he drove right by me. He let it go right next to me. I watched it and just tackled him.”
Johnson took the inbound pass and sprinted toward the middle of the floor. The junior guard’s left foot pushed off the center court circle as he elevated.
“I glanced up at the clock and took my dribbles. When I had to put it up, I kind of floated in the air,” Johnson said. “We shoot a lot of halfcourt shots during conditioning so I guess it kind of paid off.”
Wesleyan (4-1) led 61-49 after a Jordan Zimmer 3-pointer with 10:37 remaining. Manchester (4-2) scored the next 10 points to move within two.
IWU extended its lead back to 74-65 but a Tyler Delauder 3-pointer at the 15-second mark sliced the Spartans’ deficit to 76-74. Tyler Henn stole an ill-advised Sexauer pass to set up Schaefer’s go-ahead shot.
“We did a dozen things to lose it. We really were our own worst enemy,” Titans’ coach Ron Rose said. “We would build a lead, then give it right back. Sean made a miraculous shot. I’ve been on the other side of that shot a lot. We’re going to take it and run with it.”
Manchester connected on 8 of 12 second-half 3-point attempts while shooting 61.5 percent overall.
“At the end of the game, we made some plays and they made the ultimate play,” Spartans’ coach Brad Nadbourne said. “It was an incredibly competitive game. Our kids are pretty tough, but so are the Illinois Wesleyan kids.”
Henn paced five Manchester players in double figures with 14 points. Nathan Ferch and Delauder chipped in 13 each.
Zimmer scored 13 and Ryan Connolly 10 for the Titans. Sexauer was held to nine, eight under his average, while playing just 18 minutes because of foul trouble.
“This will be a great learning tool. I’m glad we played a game like this,” said Rose. “We need to learn how to put a team away when we have the chance.”
Wesleyan, which returns to Shirk Center for a 7:30 p.m. game Tuesday against Monmouth, also received seven assists and no turnovers from point guard Travis Rosenkranz.
Experienced Wash U edges Titans
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
BLOOMINGTON — An extra year on campus did more than get Washington University basketball players closer to their degrees Sunday at Shirk Center.
The seasoned two-time defending national champion and senior-dominated Bears withstood a determined effort from junior-laden Illinois Wesleyan to capture a 76-71 victory in the championship game of the Titan Tip-Off Tournament before a crowd of 1,000.
“With four years of experience, a lot of those with Sean (Wallis), Cam (Smith) and Zach (Kelly) on the floor with me, you really learn to stay calm under those situations,” said Washington senior guard Aaron Thompson, who led all scorers with 31 points.
“When other teams come at you and get the lead, you’ve got to go to what works for you. That’s what we did.”
The top-ranked Bears (3-0) saw Wesleyan (3-1) rally for short-lived edges in the second half before making uneasy late leads hold up.
“Wash U. is a tremendous basketball team. They made plays at critical times,” IWU coach Ron Rose said. “I thought we competed hard. We played to win. The next step for this group is finding out how to win games like that.”
The Titans trailed by as many as seven early in the second half.
A driving basket from Sean Johnson brought Wesleyan within 53-51. Shortly thereafter, two Jordan Zimmer free throws knotted the score at 57-57. Zimmer followed with a three-point play with 7:52 remaining.
Wesleyan’s last lead came at 64-63 on a Doug Sexauer free throw. A 15-footer and two free throws from Thompson and a Wallis 3-pointer at the 3:49 mark gave Washington a 71-64 lead.
“I thought it was a great game,” said Bears’ coach Mark Edwards. “One thing that sticks out is Sean hitting that big shot at a tough time over in the corner. When you’re trying to come back, it demoralizes you when somebody hits a shot like that.”
Sexauer scored from inside with 1:18 remaining to slice the Wesleyan deficit to 73-69, but the Titans would get no closer.
“We certainly had opportunities, but we didn’t quite take full advantage of those opportunities,” Rose said. “We didn’t finish plays, we missed a couple key boxouts and they’re able to get a three- or four-point lead. That was the game.”
Titan point guard Travis Rosenkranz fared well in an intriguing matchup with Wallis and scored a season-high 17 points.
“The coaches told me to be a little more aggressive. Good things happen when I’m aggressive and get people involved,” said Rosenkranz. “It’s really frustrating. We’ve been close to them the last two years. We really wanted to win this year.”
Sexauer added 12 points, Johnson 11 and Zimmer 10 for IWU, which received a career-high 12 rebounds from Edmond O’Callaghan. Caleb Knepper chipped in 11 points and Wallis had eight points and eight assists for the Bears.
Ohio Wesleyan 73, Johnson & Wales 65: Pat Pellerite scored 18 points as Ohio Wesleyan (1-1) prevailed in the third-place game.
Lamonte Thomas led Johnson & Wales (0-4) with 21 and Calvin Jones added 20.
All-tournament team: Named to the all-tournament team were Thompson, Wallis, Sexauer, Pellerite and Thomas.
Big men lead IWU over Johnson & Wales
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
BLOOMINGTON — The Johnson & Wales basketball roster features only one player taller than 6-foot-3.
That nugget of information did not elude Illinois Wesleyan’s detection Saturday in the Titan Tip-Off Tournament at Shirk Center.
IWU gorged 6-foot-7 Doug Sexauer and 6-9 Ryan Connolly with entry passes into the post, and the Titan big men feasted for 21 first-half points as Wesleyan seized control early in a 101-62 victory.
“When we were patient enough to get them the ball, they didn’t have an answer for our posts,” IWU coach Ron Rose said.
IWU will face No. 1-ranked Washington University for the tournament title Sunday at 4 p.m. Ohio Wesleyan and Johnson & Wales meet at 2 p.m. for third place.
Sexauer (21 points), 6-7 Duncan Lawson (13) and Connolly (11) all scored in double figures and Jordan Zimmer nailed five 3-pointers for 15 points.
“We definitely had a size advantage,” said Sexauer. “With the shooters we have, it’s hard to guard everything.”
The 3-0 Titans did not mind the Wildcats’ run and gun style. “We defended pretty well most of the game,” Rose said. “That allowed us to get out and run on our own.”
Wesleyan led 19-6 after a Lawson 3-pointer. That margain stretched to 39-17 on six straight points from Connolly and the Titans held a 46-24 halftime lead.
Zimmer tossed in a trio of 3-pointers in the first five minutes of the second half, the last of which pushed the Titans’ advantage of 60-30 with 15:11 remaining.
Sean Johnson grabbed a career-high eight rebounds and handed out seven assists for the Titans. Edmond O’Callaghan also handled eight rebounds as IWU dominated the boards, 53-23.
Lamonte Thomas paced Johnson & Wales (0-3) with 21 points.
IWU’s third five of sophomores Eliud Gonzalez, Dan Schouten and Stephen Rudnicki and freshmen Kevin Reed and Daniel Oswald rung up 26 points over the final eight minutes.
Washington 85, Ohio Wesleyan 68: Washington trailed 45-41 at the half but opened the second half with a 33-7 spurt and cruised to the victory.
All-American Aaron Thompson paced the Bears (2-0) with 28 points. Sean Wallis, another preseason All-American, contributed 16 points and 11 assists. Pat Pellerite led Ohio Wesleyan (0-1) with 18 points.
Bench helps Titans past Webster
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
BLOOMINGTON — When Illinois Wesleyan starter John Koschnitzky departed with a foot injury just 2:39 after tip-off, it was obvious the Titans’ bench would play a key role in Wednesday’s nonconference basketball game.
It turned out the IWU reserves held the key to victory in a 78-49 defeat of Webster on Wednesday before a Shirk Center crowd of 675.
The Wesleyan bench outscored the starters, 49-29, as the Titans moved to 2-0.
“It really does show our depth,” said sophomore Jordan Zimmer, who scored a team-high 16 points in a reserve role. “When you can run guys in and out and keep fresh legs in there, it really does help having a deep bench.”
All five IWU starters were out when Zimmer, Matt Schick, Sean Dwyer, Duncan Lawson and Ryan Connolly ignited the decisive run.
Lawson hit two baskets, Connolly connected on two free throws and Schick converted a driving shot to extend the Titans’ lead from 43-35 to 51-35.
“Sean gave us a real spark when he came in with a real toughness,” Wesleyan coach Ron Rose said. “Matt made some plays and Duncan was really active and got on the boards.”
Connolly reached double figures for the second straight game off the bench with 13 points. Sean Johnson and Doug Sexauer added 12 each.
“The second group gave us a huge run the second half,” said Johnson.
A disjointed first half saw the Titans hit just 8 of their first 24 shots. But an 11-4 spurt to close the half gave IWU a 34-28 edge entering the break.
“It was really a frustrating half in the sense there was a lot of wasted effort and lack of execution,” Rose said. “There were times on the offensive end you couldn’t really tell what we were trying to accomplish. On the defensive end, the same thing. It was really a lack of understanding the team concept.”
Johnson said the Titans discussed at halftime making a needed adjustment.
“Shots weren’t falling, there was limited communication and we didn’t have much energy,” Johnson said. “It was a frustrating first half to watch when you were out and to be a part of. We knew it had to be a totally different second half.”
Jerry Strickland topped Webster with 12 points. Drew Moore added 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds. The Gorloks shot just 24 percent in the second half of their season opener.
Sexauer grabbed 11 rebounds as the Titans held a 39-38 edge on the boards.
Koschnitzky will have an X-ray today to determine the extent of his injury.
“He planted and had some pain in his foot,” Rose said. “It’s certainly something we’re concerned about.”
IWU big men too much for Benedictine
By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com
BLOOMINGTON —Doug Sexauer can attest to the difficulty of guarding 6-foot-9, 275-pound Illinois Wesleyan teammate Ryan Connolly in practice.
“You can’t get around him,” Sexauer said. “He’s too big and too strong.”
Joining forces in IWU’s basketball season opener Sunday at Shirk Center, Sexauer and Connolly were both too big and too strong for Benedictine in an 89-79 Titans’ victory before a crowd of 785.
Sexauer scored a career-high 25 points and Connolly added 12 in only seven minutes off the bench as IWU shot 60 percent from the field and did not trail after the first three minutes.
“We showed an understanding when we needed to get a basket where we needed to go,” said Wesleyan coach Ron Rose. “Doug was really a load down in the post. He’s getting better and better at reading double teams, knowing when to take it to score and when to kick it out.”
Sexauer was 11 of 16 from the field and teamed with guard Sean Johnson to repel a Benedictine second-half rally.
“Those were shots I should be able to finish,” said Sexauer, a 6-foot-7 junior. “The guards got me (the ball) in great positions. It’s easy when you get low like that.”
Connolly showed off added mobility from a 20-pound offseason weight loss in a highly productive cameo role.
“I had two or three inches on their biggest post player,” Connolly said. “We knew we needed to get it inside. Our guards were trusting our big men to be able to finish it and that’s what happened.”
Rose thought Connolly “played his role great. He allowed us to give Doug some breaks in the middle of halves. There were times last year we ran Doug to death.”
IWU led by 12 at the half and held a 51-37 margin early in the second half. With Cameron Snelling scoring nine of his 18 points, Benedictine surged to within 58-54 at the 11:50 mark.
The Titans regained control behind some three-point fever. Sexauer converted two three-point plays sandwiched around another from Johnson. Sexauer nailed a baseline jumper before Johnson’s 3-pointer from beyond the arc boosted the IWU lead to 72-57.
“They fought back. But we were able to regroup and always kind of keep them at bay,” Rose said. “That showed an increased maturity on our part.”
Johnson connected on three of the Titans’ five 3-pointers and finished with 20 points. John Koschnitzky contributed nine points and a team-high eight rebounds.
Rob Bridgeman topped the Eagles with 22 points off the bench. Benedictine shot 48 percent and was outrebounded, 31-29.
“They are a very good offensive team. You can’t relax at all,” said Eagles’ coach Keith Bunkenburg. “I thought our post defense was poor. They outworked us in there, and we didn’t have great positioning.”
IWU returns to Shirk Center on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. against Webster.