The Millikin men's basketball team traveled to Kenosha, Wis. on Saturday, January 11 for a College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin matchup against the Firebirds of Carthage College. The men fell in a 55-64 contest. 

DeMarcus Bond was the leading scorer for the Big Blue with 14 points. JT Welch added 12 points and Nate Straughter pitched in 11. Millikin outshot the Firebirds with a 42.6 shooting percentage from the field. 

AJ Johnson and Ryan Johnson were the leading scorers for the Firebirds with 22 and 21 points, respectively, going a combined 14-for-25 from the field. 

Carthage held a 6 point lead at the halftime break, outscoring the Big Blue 23-29 in the first half. Within three minutes of the second half, Millikin erased the deficit on made shots by Lane Thomann, Welch, and Bond. Millikin continued to churn out a plethora of points, taking a 42-31 lead with 13:10 to go on a made three by Straughter. Carthage took the lead minutes later and though it remained back and forth up until the 3:00 minute mark when Bond tied the game at 53 apiece on a pair of free throws, it was all Carthage from there. 

Millikin will be back in action on Wednesday, January 15 when they meet the league leading, nationally ranked Titans of Illinois Wesleyan at the Griswold Center.