RICHMOND, Ind. – No. 6 Indiana Wesleyan University men’s basketball was able to overcome a 13 point halftime deficit but eventually fell 80-79 to No. 9 IU East on Tuesday night in Richmond, Indiana. The Wildcats were unable to convert on two opportunities in the final 10 seconds and lost their first game of the 2017-18 season.
GAME VITALS
- Score: IU East def. Indiana Wesleyan, 80-79
- Records: Indiana Wesleyan 6-1 | IU East 6-1
- NAIA Top- 25 Rank: Indiana Wesleyan – No. 6 | IU East – No. 9
- Location: Lingle Court | Indiana University East | Richmond, Indiana
STAT TRACKER
- Joel Okafor: 8 points, 6 rebounds
- Kyle Mangas: 19 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists
- Jacob Johnson: 15 points, 8 rebounds
- Evan Maxwell: 11 points
- Ben Carlson: 10 points, 4-5 FG
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
- Indiana Wesleyan had won five straight games in the series with IU East. The last Red Wolves win was a 79-76 decision in Richmond on December 7, 2011. Indiana Wesleyan was ranked No. 1 at that time.
- IU East shot 60-percent (9 of 15) from beyond the arc while Indiana Wesleyan held a 40-24 advantage on the boards.
- The Wildcats had a pair of chances to win the game in the final 10 seconds. IWU missed a shot in the paint with 7.0 seconds to play. The Wildcats were forced to foul and the Red Wolves missed the one-and-one free throw. IWU forced the ball down the court but the ball sailed out of bounds on an attempted lob under the bucket with 0.9 seconds on the clock.
- IU East held a game-high 13 point lead at halftime. IWU scored 29 of the first 45 points of the second half and tied the score 59-59.
NEXT TIME OUT
- Indiana Wesleyan opens Crossroads League play a week from tonight at Grace (Ind.) in Winona Lake, Indiana. The men’s game begins at approximately 8 p.m. as the second game of a doubleheader.