MOUNT VERNON, Iowa – The Illinois College men's basketball team started the second half on a 12-0 run and didn't allow a point for nearly seven minutes, riding that fast start out of the break to a 77-69 win at Cornell College on Saturday. The Blueboys improve to 3-6 (1-3 MWC).
Despite 11 points on 4-for-4 shooting from
Isaac Collins in the first half, the Blueboys went to halftime trailing Cornell, 44-42. The Rams shot nearly 60 percent from the floor and opened up what was at one point an eight-point lead, 21-13, before Illinois College began to come back. Collins accounted for nine straight points for IC in the middle of the half and his third three brought the Blueboys back within a point at 25-24. The lead went back and forth from there, but it was Cornell that took the 44-42 lead into halftime.
A different Illinois College team that came out of the locker room for the second half. After Cornell shot nearly 60 percent from the field in the first half and outrebounded the Blueboys by one, IC took control defensively and on the glass the rest of the way. The Rams shot only 36 percent in the second half and were outrebounded by eight. Illinois College began the half on a 12-0 run and did not allow Cornell to score until the 13:07 mark. Though the Rams got as close as four after that, IC took over once again and ballooned the lead to 14 on another Collins three with 6:21 to play.
Collins and
Kane Wildermuth ended as co-leading scorers for Illinois College with 14 points.
Riley Mehrens added 12 and matched Collins with four three-pointers, helping IC make 12-of-24 from distance as a team.
Sean McDonald corralled 10 rebounds on the day for the Blueboys and both Mehrens and
Mason Speer ended with six assists.
Illinois College returns to action on Dec. 16, traveling to face Grinnell College for a 5 p.m. contest.
