The Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team completed the first part of its mission -- to advance to the 1997 Division III NCAA Tournament Championship game -- with an 85-82 victory over Alvernia College on Friday night in the Salem Civic Center. Now the Titans will play for an opportunity to win their first-ever National Championship. Last season, IWU finished third after dropping a 79-77 decision to Rowan in the semifinal round.

Illinois Wesleyan (28-2) went to the premier player in Division III, 6-7 senior Bryan Crabtree, as he scored 16 second-half points to lift the Titans to the win. He scored 23 points, including 19-of-22 shooting from the free throw line, and hit just 2-of-11 field goals. But those two field goals proved to be the most pivotal of the game and gave IWU a lead it would not relinquish. Crabtree hit an eight-foot jump shot and was fouled with 4:18 left. He converted the free throw to cut the score to 68-67, and after an Alvernia turnover, Crabtree put in a transition lay up and was fouled. He again hit the free throw to put the Titans ahead 70-68. Crabtree would go on to stick 10-of-12 free throws in the last two minutes, including three-of-four in the last eight seconds.

Alvernia (26-5) lost despite the valiant efforts of their stellar backcourt tandem of Daimen Hunter and Tahir Lowrie. Hunter, a 6-0 junior, fired in 11-of-24 field goals for 24 points, and he contributed five assists and four steals. Lowrie, a 6-2 freshman, contributed 21 points, including five 3-pointers and 4-of-4 free throw shooting and three steals. The two created early ball handling problems for IWU and ended up firing in 45 of Alvernia's 82 points.

The Crusaders, making their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, raced out to an early 14-0 lead with center Lonnie Walker scoring seven points. But the Titans patiently battled back with the use of the 3-pointer. Freshman point guard Korey Coon was four-for-four from behind the arc and poured in 13 total first half points to pull the Titans to within 40-37 at the break. Alvernia was able to mount its largest lead of 56-45 with 12 minutes to play in the second half before Crabtree led the comeback.