The Carthage College men's basketball team (16-10, 9-5 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) lost to No. 4 Illinois Wesleyan University (23-3), 76-71, on Friday, Feb. 28 in the semifinals of the CCIW Men's Basketball Tournament at Illinois Wesleyan's Shirk Center in Bloomington, Ill. 

In Friday's first semifinal contest, No. 40 Wheaton College (Ill., 18-8) defeated No. 32 Augustana College (Ill., 19-7) by a 67-55 margin.  Illinois Wesleyan will take on Wheaton (Ill.) in the 7 p.m. tournament-championship game on Saturday, March 1.
 
In the Carthage-Illinois Wesleyan game, there were nine ties and seven lead changes in the first half.  Carthage had a seven-point lead, 31-24, at 5:34, but a 12-3 Illinois Wesleyan run to close out the period gave the Titans a 36-34 edge at the break.  Illinois Wesleyan went up by eight points early in the second half, 44-36, at 16:46.  The Red Men came back to take a two-point lead, 48-46, and again at 50-48 at 11:59.  Following a 52-52 tie at 10:27, Illinois Wesleyan took the lad, to stay, 54-52, on a tip-in by Mike Marietti.  From there, the Titans built an 11-point lead, 68-57, at 4:59. 

The Red Men closed to within three points, 74-71, on a jumper by Donte Logan with 23 seconds left.  Kevin Sykes Jr. missed a three-point attempt with 16 seconds left that would have tied the game, and two free throws by Jordan Nelson with 13 seconds remaining gave IWU its winning, five-point margin, 76-71.
 
Illinois Wesleyan shot 51 percent (28-55), including seven-of-19 three-pointers, while Carthage shot 48 percent (24-50), including five-of-17 from three-point range.  The Titans got to free-throw line 19 times and made 13, while the Red Men connected on 18-of-23.  Illinois Wesleyan out-rebounded Carthage, 35-26.
 
Jordan Nelson came off the bench to lead the Titans with 17 points on five-of-eight shooting, including three-of-six three-pointers.  Andrew Ziemnik had 16 points.  Three Carthage starters scored in double figures, with Marlon Senior (Sr., Skokie, Ill./Niles North) leading the way with a game-high 19 points on six-of-10 field goals, including three-of-six from three-point range, along with four-of-five free throws and a game-high nine rebounds.  Malcom Kelly (Sr., Kenosha, Wis./Reuther) scored 16 points on five-of-13 shooting and five-of-seven free throws, and Donte Logan (Jr., Evanston, Ill./Skokie-Niles West) added 10 points.