By: The Prairie Wolves went on a 17-0 run to start the second half and opened up a lead that Illinois College could not come back from.
Box Score
JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – In the championship game of the Bill Merris Tournament, Nebraska Wesleyan University used some hot shooting from beyond the arc to pull away from Illinois College and take home a 107-78 win over the Blueboys. The Prairie Wolves (2-0) made 18-of-38 shots from the 3-point line and used a 17-0 run out of halftime to get the win over the Blueboys (1-1). Representing Illinois College on the all-tournament team were
Payton Dugan and
Max Stutsman.
Nebraska Wesleyan started out hot, taking a 5-0 lead inside a minute on a short jumper by Nate Schimonitz and a three-pointer from tournament MVP Jack Hiller. The Prairie Wolves lead reached 10-3 before the Blueboys called timeout, but a three-pointer by Cooper Cook after that made it 13-3.
Illinois College responded quickly with a 12-0 run to take a 15-13 lead.
Cody Hildebrand got the Blueboys back on the board and that was followed by a three-pointer from Stutsman to make it 13-8.
Sean McDonald had the next four points before
Mason Speer connected on a trey to give IC its first lead of the game. A three-pointer from
Tim Parks gave Illinois College a five-point lead at 20-15 before Hiller answered back with a pair of triples that helped NWU take a 23-20 advantage.
Hildebrand hit a straightaway three-pointer to tie the game and start a 9-0 run from the Blueboys that gave IC its largest lead at 29-23. Nebraska Wesleyan got right back into it with a 10-0 run, though a bucket from McDonald and a pair of free throws from Hildebrand tied the game at 33-33. The Prairie Wolves pulled ahead in the closing minutes of the half and extended the lead to 48-39 at the break when Christian Clinton hit a three-pointer with 24 seconds left in the half.
NWU put the game away early on in the second half with a big run to go on top, 65-39. Dugan finally got the Blueboys back into the scoring column, but he was answered by a Hiller three-pointer. The closest that Illinois College would get from that point on was 15 points after a Speer three-pointer made it 78-63 with 8:24 remaining. Dylan Dirks hit a three on the next Prairie Wolves possession and the lead crested at 30 inside the final three minutes before all was said and done.
Five Illinois College players ended in double-figures on the night, led by Dugan's 13. Stutsman, Hildebrand and Parks all had 11 in the game and McDonald added 10.
Illinois College begins Midwest Conference play on Nov. 22, squaring off with Monmouth College at 7:30 p.m. in Monmouth, Ill.
