The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) men’s basketball teams saw notable achievements in the week leading up to the Christmas holiday, with several programs posting significant wins and individual players reaching new milestones.
Illinois Wesleyan secured a comeback victory over fourth-ranked WashU on December 18, ending the Bears’ undefeated run. Mason Funk’s last-second putback sealed the 78-76 win. Sophomore Noah Cleveland was central to this effort, scoring a career-high 36 points and collecting 12 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season. Cleveland currently leads the conference in rebounding and blocked shots.
North Park senior guard Kolden Vanlandingham made CCIW history by recording just the eighth triple-double ever in league play during a win against Cornell, tallying 11 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. This marked North Park’s first triple-double in nearly three decades. Freshman Marquis Vance also contributed significantly with a 32-point performance against Greenville. Despite losing narrowly to No. 20 Wisconsin–Eau Claire, North Park demonstrated strong offensive balance heading into the break.
Augustana gained national attention by winning the Wisconsin Dells Tournament with consecutive victories over top-10 opponents Calvin and Wisconsin-La Crosse. The Vikings lead the conference in free-throw percentage and turnover margin.
Millikin delivered a high-scoring game with a 133-83 win over Greenville on December 19, led by Nate Straughter’s career-best 33 points while maintaining his status as conference leader in free-throw percentage. Carthage’s Riley Brooks tied for second-most single-game three-pointers in program history during a win over Olivet, hitting nine from beyond the arc.
On defense, North Central freshman Ethan Marlowe recorded five blocks against Rhodes before helping secure a win over MUW through team defense that generated turnovers and fast-break points. Alejandro Diaz continues to log heavy minutes for North Central.
Carroll maintained momentum with Michael McNabb scoring efficiently at both ends of the court; he remains CCIW’s leading scorer at this point in the season.
As teams pause for the holidays, statistical leaders have emerged: McNabb leads all scorers at 22.5 points per game; Mike Vuckovic follows closely; Cleveland tops rebounding charts; Ryan Johnson of Carthage is close behind while also leading in double-doubles; Vanlandingham paces assists and steals; Wheaton’s Carson Grier leads field-goal percentage; Carroll’s Peyton McKenna has made more three-pointers per game than any other player so far this season.
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