Straughter, Nate
Aubrey Staton
76
Winner Elmhurst ELM 12-1,4-0 CCIW
62
Millikin MIL-U 6-7,2-2 CCIW
Winner
Elmhurst ELM
12-1,4-0 CCIW
76
Final
62
Millikin MIL-U
6-7,2-2 CCIW
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Elmhurst ELM 34 42 76
Millikin MIL-U 33 29 62

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Morgan Vogels

Men's Basketball Falls to #17 Elmhurst

Fresh off a three game win streak before the holiday break, the Millikin men's basketball team geared up for their first contest of 2024 against #17 Elmhurst University on Wednesday, January 3. The Blue Jays came into the game after losing their first game of the 23-24 campaign against Whitworth, posting an 11-1 record overall and 3-0 in conference play. Millikin entered the game in fourth place in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin standings with a 2-1 conference record.

Elmhurst used a strong first five minutes of the second half to pull away and despite an evenly contested 35 minutes, defeat the Big Blue 62-76.

At the half, the Big Blue trailed by one in a 33-34 game. After an evenly matched first fourteen minutes and the game tied at 27, the Blue Jays scored seven unanswered. Nate Straughter hit back-to-back jumpers with under two minutes to go to cut the seven point deficit to three, then Jacob Bullock's layup brought MU within one with 30 seconds to go in the half. 

Jaden McClain scored the first bucket of the second half to put MU up one, then Elmhurst used a 12-0 run in the first four minutes of the half to pull away, then held a double digit lead for the remainder of the half.

Straughter was the leading scorer for Millikin, notching 21 after going 9-for-13 from the field. JT Welch went 3-for-5 from three point range and added 13 points. McClain was the leading rebounder with seven. 

The Big Blue shot 44.8% from the field while Elmhurst shot 46.7%.

John Ittounas and Tagen Pearson each posted 16 point performances for Elmhurst, and Jonathan Zapinski and Ocean Johnson each recorded 13 points. Pearson and Zapinski each reeled in nine boards.

Millikin men's basketball falls to 2-2 in conference play with the loss, 6-7 overall. The Big Blue will continue CCIW play on Saturday, January 6 when they travel to Kenosha, Wis. for a matchup with Carthage College.
Print Friendly Version