Buccaneers Cruise to Win over Blueboys

Box Score
BELOIT, Wis. – Mitchell Patterson scored 24 points for the Illinois College men's basketball team, but it wasn't enough as a balanced scoring attack from Beloit College helped the Buccaneers earn a 66-54 win over the Blueboys on Wednesday night. Beloit improves to 6-14 (5-10 Midwest Conference), while IC slides to 7-13 (4-11 MWC).

Beloit started with Cody Risseeuw draining a three on the team's first possession to go up 3-0 early. After going down 4-0, Max Stutsman hit a short jumper to spark a 7-0 run for IC, as the Blueboys took their only lead of the contest at 7-4. With the Buccaneers holding a small 12-11 lead, an 8-0 run by Beloit increased it to a nine-point margin and the Bucs went to the break leading, 35-27. 

The second half opened up identical to the first, as Risseeuw hit a three-pointer on Beloit's first possession to extend its lead to 38-27. Patterson quickly answered with a layup to bring the deficit back to single digits, 38-29. Mike Gulve scored eight of his team-high 14 points in the half, and his layup with 13 minutes remaining gave the Buccaneers their largest lead of the contest, 50-34. Mason Speer connected on a layup to cap off a 6-0 run that brought Beloit's lead down to 10, 50-40, midway through the second half. That would be the closest that Illinois College would come to pulling off a comeback however, as Illinois College never pulled within single-digits and Beloit cruised down the stretch to come away with the 12-point victory.

Though Beloit committed 21 turnovers in the game, the Buccaneers shot 24-of-41 from the field (.585) to make up for the lost possessions. Andrew Bremner came away with a double-double, scoring 13 points and pulling down 12 boards for Beloit. Payton Dugan was the only other player in double-figures for IC with 10 points. Stutsman and Mason Speer had nine points apiece.

The Blueboys return home to take on Ripon College for Senior Day on Feb. 11. Game time is set for 3 p.m.