DECATUR, Ill. — The Millikin men's basketball team battled until the final buzzer but came up just short in a 53–52 loss to Illinois Wesleyan on Wednesday night at the Griswold Center. The setback moves the Big Blue to 13-10 overall and 5-9 in CCIW play.

Millikin controlled stretches of the contest and led for over 31 minutes, building a second-half advantage of nine points. Illinois Wesleyan responded late, using a key run in the closing minutes to narrowly escape with the one-point victory in a game that featured six lead changes.

The Big Blue were led offensively by Nate Straughter with 13 points, while Lane Thomann recorded a strong all-around performance with 12 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. McGrady Noyes also finished with 9 rebounds, helping pace Millikin .

Defensively, Millikin held Illinois Wesleyan to just 35.7 percent shooting from the field and forced key stops throughout the night, but the Titans capitalized late to secure the win.

Millikin will look to bounce back in its next contest against Carroll.