The Millikin University men's basketball team used a strong start to roll past Wheaton College 86-46 at the Griswold Center in Decatur, Illinois on January 21. The Millikin win was the first time the Big Blue had defeated the Thunder since 2000-2001 season breaking a 25 game Wheaton winning streak.
Millikin has been hampered by slow starts all season long, but a determined Millikin team finally found the hot start it needed. The Big Blue opened the game on a 19-4 run sparked by five straight three pointers. Millikin's Tommy Pilackas tied the game at 2-2 to get the Big Blue going. Millikin then started raining threes with TJ Griffin, Pilackas, TJ Sims, Jacob Kueker and Griffin all connecting from long range to make it 17-4. Griffin scored a two pointer to close out the opening run. Millikin shot 70 percent from the field in the first five minutes of the game. Millikin would close out the half with an 11-0 run to make it 44-21 at halftime. Griffin had eight of Millikin's 11 points in the closing three minutes of the half. Griffin had 16 points and three steals in the first half including hitting on 4-4 from three point range. Sims scored 12 first half points.
Millikin shot 54 percent from the field including 61 percent in the second half when the Big Blue blew open the game. Wheaton shot 33 percent from the field. Millikin out rebounded Wheaton 37-31. Millikin forced Wheaton into 20 turnovers while Millikin only turned the ball over six times.
Sims was Millikin's top scorer with 19 points, four assists and two steals. Griffin didn't score in the second half finishing the game with 16 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals. Pilackas had 11 points and three assists. Kueker had seven points and a team high nine rebounds.
Wheaton's top scorer was Jonathan Bernntsen with nine points Brayden Teuscher added eight.
Millikin is now 7-10, 2-4 while Wheaton falls to 8-9, 1-5.
The Big Blue host #1 Augustana College on Saturday, January 24 at 7 p.m.