Hawk men now 4 & 0 with 71-65 win at Illinois Wesleyan

The game matched two of the top ranked teams in Division III and the game lived up to it’s hype. The UW-Whitewater men’s basketball team rode a 32 point performance by Darnell Harris on the way to a 71-65 victory over Illinois Weseyan at the Shirk Center in Bloomington, Illinois.

Harris, a freshman from Christian Life Academy Prep in Humble, Texas, hit 6 of 8 of his three point attempts in leading the Hawks to the high profile, non-conference win.

Luke Knoble also was red-hot by hitting 8 of 9 from the field for a season high 18 points.

Quardell Young chipped in with 11 points and a game-high 7 assists for the Warhawks.

UWW found itself down 8-0 to start the game. Whitewater eventually whittled the margin to 17-16 with 5:17 left in the half and found itself down 28-25 at halftime.

The Warhawks changed the complexion of the game in a hurry, outscoring IWU 14-2 to open the second half.

The Titans answered with a run of their own, 11-2, to knot the score at 41-41 in what was a “game of streaks.

Holding a slim 49-48 lead with 7:32 left, Whitewater used a 7-0 run to own some distance at 56-48 with 6:43 on the clock.  The Warhawks eventually increased the lead to eleven, 68-57, with just 1:10 left in the game.

The difference in the game was UWW being able to force IWU to turn the ball over. Whitewater forced 24 Titan turnover marking the third time in four games that the Hawks have forced at least 20 turnover.

Wesleyan had four players in double figures led by Victor Davis’ 13.

The third-ranked Warhawks stay on the road when they open conference play on Saturday at UW-Stout in a men’s-women’s doubleheader.

The men will kick off Saturday’s action with a 4 p.m. tipoff. 

To read Boomington Pentagraph game story CLICK HERE