Illinois Wesleyan uses mid-game surge to top Wilmington

Posted on November 21, 2015

Brian Nelms had three points and five assists ts IWU’s win over Wilmington on Saturday. (Photo by WJBC)

By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – Illinois Wesleyan broke a 31-31 tie by closing the first half on a 9-2 run and carried that momentum into the second half with a 13-1 opening surge as the Titans cruised to an 84-61 win over Wilmington on the opening night of the Holiday Inn Express West Men’s Basketball Tournament at Shirk Center.

IWU (2-1) moves on to play Rose-Hulman at 4 p.m. Sunday. The Fighting Engineers defeated Fontbonne 81-61 earlier in the day.

PODCAST: Listen to the postgame interviews with senior Brian Nelms and coach Ron Rose.

Bryce Dolan connected on all five of his three-point attempts on his way to a game-high 19 points. Trevor Siebring added 15 points and seven rebounds. Alec Bauch, making his first start for the injured Ryan Coyle, finished with seven points and nine rebounds.

While Wilmington’s style was a sharp contrast to Greenville’s frenetic full-court run-and-gun style which the TItans scorched for a school-record 150 points, the Quakers (0-2) often employed a full-court press which IWU had little trouble attacking.

The TItans made 57 percent of their field goal attempts (31 of 54) and committed 12 turnovers.

WJBC will have the championship game at 3:45 p.m. Sunday after the Chicago Bears postgame.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year. It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city. Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University. We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk. Going to work every day for some people means…