From University of Chicago Athletics
The University of Chicago men's basketball team outscored Illinois Wesleyan University 40-24 in the second half of Monday night's home contest, using a 10-0 run out of halftime to pull away for the 74-57 win.
The No. 22-ranked Maroons (7-2 record) are riding a six-game winning streak and now own a 3-1 record against teams from the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW). The Titans dropped to 4-4.
UChicago came with a balanced offensive attack that featured four starters who scored in double digits. Senior forward Alex Voss sizzled from the opening tip, leading the Maroons with 18 points while shooting 4 of 8 from behind the arc. In addition, junior forward Waller Perez and junior guard Tyler Howard chipped in 15 apiece for the Maroons. The home team shut down the Titans' leading scorer senior guard Bryce Dolan, holding the 17 points-per-game scorer to seven largely behind the defense of Howard, who harassed the marksman all evening. IWU junior forward Trevor Seibring led all scorers with 20.
Hailing from downstate Bloomington – 134 miles away – the visitors showed up in force with a large contingent of fans of all ages donning Illinois Wesleyan green. After two early points from Perez to open the game's scoring, the Titans silenced the home crowd with a quick 14-0 run. UChicago's coaching staff called upon bench contributors early to inject life into the proceedings. Head Coach Mike McGrath mixed and matched, employing combinations to get his squad back in the game.
After falling behind 14-2, UChicago went on a 10-point run of their own to cut the deficit to 14-12. For much of the first half, it was back and forth. The Maroons took a 27-25 lead on a Voss three-pointer with 4:37 left in the first half. The home team carried a 34-33 lead into the half after the Titans were unable to convert on a buzzer-beating heave.
Senior guard Jordan Smith opened the second half scoring for the Maroons with a three-point field goal. He chipped in 10 points on the evening. One minute later, Voss added a three of his own. One Howard layup and a Voss jump shot later, the Maroons were in business with a 44-33 advantage. They didn't look back. With just north of 13 minutes left, junior forward Blaine Crawford splashed a jump hook in for two, giving the Maroons a 48-37 lead. They would not allow the visitors to cut the margin to single digits again, rolling to a 17-point win.
Half of UChicago's shots came from three-point range as the team made 11 of 29 attempts against IWU's zone defense. The 11 treys tied the team's single-game season high. Inside the arc, the Maroons shot an efficient 55 percent. UChicago stayed active on the boards and led in rebounding 37-29. The two teams combined for 24 turnovers.
UChicago Team Stats & Leaders
Field-goal Percentage – 46.6 percent (27-58)
Three-point Percentage – 37.9 percent (11-29)
Free-throw Percentage – 90.0 percent (9-10)
Alex Voss (Forward, Sr.) – 18 points, 5 rebounds
Tyler Howard (Guard, Jr.) – 15 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds
Waller Perez (Forward, Jr.) – 15 points, 5 rebounds