MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Titan Q]

#4-Illinois Wesleyan (3-0) at Alma (1-1), 7:30pm ET...

#4-Illinois Wesleyan (3-0)
G - Luke Yoder, 6-0 Jr.  6.7 ppg, 3.7 apg
G - Cory Noe, 6-2 Sr.  20.7 ppg, .583 3-point
G - Pete Lambesis, 6-4 Sr.  13.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.0 apg
F - Cody Mitchell, 6-7 Jr.  12.3 ppg, 8.3 rpg
F - Matt Leritz, 6-7 Sr.  15.0 ppg, 11.3 rpg
---
G - Ryan Sroka, 6-5 So.  4.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg
G - Lucas Heflen, 6-2 Jr.  4.0 ppg, 1.3 apg
G - Nick Roper, 6-7 Fr.  2.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg

Alma (1-1)
G - Brandon Whiteside, 6-0 Sr.  11.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.0 apg
G - Cole Kleiver, 6-0 Sr.  17.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.0 apg
G - Peyton Bush, 6-2 Fr.  3.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg
G - Gabe Bourdeau, 6-2 So.  2.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg
C - Brandon Rake, 6-8 Sr.  14.5 ppg, 11.0 rpg
---
G - Nate Deyman, 5-11 Jr.  7.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg
F - Isaiah Williamson, 6-5 Sr.  6.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg
G - Landen Moore-Pierce, 6-0 So.  2.5 ppg, 1.0 apg


IWU Game Notes: https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/iwusports.com/documents/2021/11/18/mbb2122game04_Michigan05.pdf

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_fsvXcmNdo

[GoPerry]

The Lee Pfund Classic will once again take place this weekend in King Arena.  Today's 5 pm tip-off game will feature the Prairie Wolves of Nebraska Wesleyan (1-0) taking on the Blugolds of UW-Eau Claire (3-0).  This will be followed by the host Thunder (2-0) taking on the Battling Bishops of Ohio Wesleyan (1-1).  Consolation and Championship games will take place at the same times tomorrow.  Come out and watch some good hoops being played.

[iwu70]

In a high scoring affair, Alma up on IWU at the half 45-43.  Titans having foul trouble, missing about half of their FTs.  Lambesis in street clothes.  Alma hanging tough so far . . . with some nice trey shooting and almost perfect from the charity stripe.  IWU better pick it up . . .  make some adjustments.  Leritz had a good first half, but sat with 2 fouls for some minutes.  Interesting game, running up and down.  The refs calling it pretty close . . . Alma was in the one-and-one quite early in the first half.  More to come. 

IWU"70

[iwu70]

The Titans roar in the second half, outscoring the Scots 48-29 and winning going away, 91-74.

A Leritz and Yoder show . . . with many supporting cast members, esp. Noe.  Lambesis was missed . . . not sure why he was sitting on the bench in civies.  The Titans need to improve on FT shooting, for sure.  But, they got some good minutes from all the supporting players tonight -- Heflen, Heaton, Wolfe, Hardy and especially Roper . . . Sure like the looks of many of these rotational players, giving the Titans some great minutes, good depth.  Lots of fouls in this one . .  the Titans really turning it around in the second half and playing some great basketball, with good rebounding, high pace, and good ball movement. 

Another good challenge tomorrow in Calvin.  3 p.m. as memory serves.

I don't think I've ever seen a game where there were so many cheerleaders, mostly just filling the sidelines waving their pompoms.  There must be 80 or so Alma cheerleaders. 

Great to see such a comeback second half after a less than totally inspiring first half.

More when we see the boxscore.

IWU'70

[iwu70]

Calvin over Augustana, 78-60.

IWU'70

[iwu70]

IWU 91 Alma 74:

Leritz 28
Yoder 13
Noe 13
Mitchell 10 & 9
Heflen 10

A tougher challenge in Calvin tomorrow at 3 p.m. EST, 2 p.m. in Illinois.

IWU'70

[Next Man Up]

The Titans roar in the second half, outscoring the Scots 48-29 and winning going away, 91-74.

A Leritz and Yoder show . . . with many supporting cast members, esp. Noe.  Lambesis was missed . . . not sure why he was sitting on the bench in civies.  The Titans need to improve on FT shooting, for sure.  But, they got some good minutes from all the supporting players tonight -- Heflen, Heaton, Wolfe, Hardy and especially Roper . . . Sure like the looks of many of these rotational players, giving the Titans some great minutes, good depth.  Lots of fouls in this one . .  the Titans really turning it around in the second half and playing some great basketball, with good rebounding, high pace, and good ball movement. 

Another good challenge tomorrow in Calvin.  3 p.m. as memory serves.

I don't think I've ever seen a game where there were so many cheerleaders, mostly just filling the sidelines waving their pompoms.  There must be 80 or so Alma cheerleaders. 

Great to see such a comeback second half after a less than totally inspiring first half.

More when we see the boxscore.

IWU'70

With regard to the bolded paragraph, cheerleading is apparently a big deal at Alma. They have a competitive team with 36 members last year, and a stunt team with 39 members. There is some overlap between the two teams. The competitive team has won the National championship something like 3 times, and the stunt team won the inaugural D3 championship last year. Gimme an A   

[GoPerry]

Wheaton 84
Ohio Wesleyan 62

Tyson Cruickshank   24 pts 6 asst 4 rebs
Nyameye Adom   20 pts
Cade Alioth   11 pts, 15 rebs (third straight double-double)

It was a close game for the first 6 minutes until Wheaton went on a 20-2 run at the end of the first half.  OWU never threatened after that.  When both Cruickshank and Adom are in a good scoring rhythm the Thunder are really tough to defend and can run away quickly.

Wheaton got good production from a few players not seen much before.   Eddie Scott (9pts) started in place of Collin Uveges who did not dress and was wearing a boot.  Good minutes from Nick Schiavello and Dan Garza.

No cheerleaders tonight.

[Titan Q]

IWU played without starting G/F Pete Lambesis yesterday, a 6-4 Sr.  It looked to me like Pete was on the bench in street clothes with some kind of cast on his right hand/wrist area.  (He is left handed.)

Pete is kind of IWU's glue guy, and a lockdown defender - always gets the best perimeter player on the opposing team.  He is the heart and soul of the team in my opinion.  It's a big loss.

[iwu70]

NextUp, I'll give you that "A" -- have never ever seen so many cheerleaders, cheer staff.  They circled the entire gym floor area.

IWU really looked great in the second half . . . with perimeter scoring, slashing by Yoder and Noe, and just such a ton down low with Leritz and his 28 particularly, and also Mitchell.  They have lots of weapons and lots of pretty good bodies to run in and out in the rotation too.  Too much fouling and poor FT shooting last night . . . needs to be cleaned up.   I was impressed with Roper this game.

If Lambesis is out for a few weeks, that is a huge loss. 

Looking forward to the Calvin challenge . . .  and then Yeshiva in NYC over the holidays.

IWU'70

[Titan Q]

#4-Illinois Wesleyan (4-0) at Calvin (2-0), 3:00pm ET...

#4-Illinois Wesleyan (4-0)
G - Luke Yoder, 6-0 Jr.  8.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.8 apg
G - Cory Noe, 6-2 Sr.  18.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.0 apg
G - Ryan Sroka, 6-5 So.  3.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg
F - Cody Mitchell, 6-7 Jr.  11.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg
F - Matt Leritz, 6-7 Sr.  18.3 ppg, 9.3 rpg
---
G - Lucas Heflen, 6-2 Jr.  5.5 ppg
G - Connor Heaton, 6-5 Fr. 2.5 ppg
F - Nick Roper, 6-7 Fr.  2.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg
F - Grant Hardy, 6-8 So. 2.0 ppg
G - Landon Wolfe, 6-5 Jr.  1.0 ppg

Injured/Out: G Pete Lambesis, 6-4 Sr.  13.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.0 apg


Calvin (2-0)
G - Thad Shymanski, 6-1 GS  11.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 4.0 apg
G - Luke Morrison, 6-5 GS  19.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 5.0 apg
F - Uchenna Egekeze, 6-4 So.  18.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 3.5 apg
F - Emmett Warners, 6-6 GS  8.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 3.0 apg
F - Jordan Katje, 6-5 Sr.  8.5 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 2.0 apg
---
G - Eli Sensenig, 6-3 Jr.  6.5 ppg
F - Marcus Bult, 6-6 So.  4.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg
G - Alec Fruin, 6-4 GS  4.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.0 apg
F - Nate Minderhoud, 6-3 Sr.  1.0 ppg



IWU Game Notes: https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/iwusports.com/documents/2021/11/18/mbb2122game04_Michigan05.pdf

Video 1: https://vimeo.com/event/1246203

Video 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85lg4MR77-E

IWU Radio (Eric Stock): https://www.iwusports.com/watch/?Archive=23&type=Live

Stats: https://calvinknights.com/sports/mbkb/2021-22/boxscores/20211120_64gq.xml

[iwu70]

Q, any notion of how long Pete Lambesis might be out? 

Calvin should be another good test today.  Glad the Titans have so much depth, a new guy stepping up each time.  I'm quite impressed with Heflen, Hardy and Roper so far.

IWU'70 

[iwu70]

Titans had a big lead early, as many as 13, but Calvin has come back.  IWU 31 Calvin 29, at the half.  IWU has to defend the three point line better.

IWU'70

[iwu70]

IWU 81 Calvin 72, another strong second half.

Leritz 28 and 12
Mitchell 15 and 8
Yoder 11
Noe 10

Strong bench, rotational play again -- Heflen, Roper and Heaton

For Calvin:

Luke Morrison 28

Two Ws in Michigan.  Always a good thing.  One fifth of the regular season done, and the Titans are 5-0.

IWU'70

[Next Man Up]

Saw the end of a very tough NPU 119-117 loss to Greenville. Greenville of course gives up a ton of layups, NPU took, and missed, only ONE 3 point shot in the entire game. The big nail in the NPU coffin was going 15 of 32 (46.9%) from the line. It seems poor FT shooting is a malady many teams are suffering from early this season, but 15 of 32 is especially inept. Vikings really missed a good chance to put a check mark in the W column.