AURORA, IL – Forwards
Lane Thomann and
Ryheem Tyus led the Millikin men's basketball team with 24 and 15 points respectively, guiding the Big Blue to a season-opening 81-71 victory against the University of Dubuque at Thornton Gymnasium. The win was also the first under Head Coach Tom Noonan as well as his first win as a college head coach.
Tyus led Millikin with 13 rebounds while Thomann led the team from beyond the arc with four three pointers. Senior forward
McGrady Noyes, junior guard
Jacob Stellwagen, and sophomore center
Eli Stipp each contributed eight points.
Junior forward Josh Senica led Dubuque with 19 points and was one of four Spartans to hit double digits. Millikin shot 47.7% from the floor and 64.3% from the free throw line. 34 of the Big Blue's 81 points came off the bench.
"I thought our guys came out with great energy and purpose tonight. I'm proud of the way we shared the basketball and dictated tempo for most of the game," said Head Coach Tom Noonan. "Dubuque is a good team, and they made a run in the second half that challenged us. We need to do a better job of sustaining our energy level and toughness for 40 minutes. I was proud of how our guys responded and found a way to finish the game."
Millikin continues their six-game road-trip to open the 2026-27 season against Aurora University on Saturday Nov. 7 at 2 p.m.
