BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Third-seeded Elmhurst and top-seeded host Illinois Wesleyan advanced to the championship game of the CCIW Men’s Basketball Tournament with semifinal victories Friday at the Shirk Center in Bloomington, Ill.. Elmhurst outlasted second-seeded Carthage, 82-80, before Illinois Wesleyan earned an 80-70 win over fourth-seeded North Park to set up Saturday’s title matchup.
 
Saturday’s championship will mark a rematch of the 2024 CCIW Tournament final, a 68-64 Elmhurst victory in the Shirk Center, and the fifth all-time meeting between the programs in the conference tournament (series tied 2-2). Elmhurst is seeking its fourth tournament title, all since 2020, while IWU is pursuing its third tournament crown, all since 2021. The teams split the regular-season series and have split the last 10 meetings dating back to January 2022.
 
#3 Elmhurst def. #2 Carthage, 82-80
Elmhurst earned an 82-80 win over Carthage in the opener of Friday’s doubleheader. The victory moved the Bluejays to 19-8.
 
EU managed a game that included 18 lead changes and 14 ties, working back from an early 13-point deficit in the first half. Senior Dominic Trelenberg finished with a team-high 21 points and went 6-for-6 at the free-throw line.
 
The final minute featured multiple late lead changes. Carthage took a 79-78 lead on an AJ Johnson jumper with 52 seconds remaining before Trelenberg converted two free throws to put Elmhurst back in front, 80-79, with 32 seconds left. Following a defensive stop, Trelenberg added two more free throws with three seconds remaining to extend the margin to 82-79. Carthage made a free throw with one second left to set the final score.
 
Aidyn Boone added 19 points and six rebounds for Elmhurst, while Luke Smith scored 12 points. Vinnie Adjahoungbeta pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds.
 
Carthage fell to 18-8. Ryan Johnson and Riley Brooks each scored 19 points, and Johnson recorded 10 rebounds. The Firebirds held a 34-31 rebounding edge, but Elmhurst connected on 13 three-pointers.
 
#1 Illinois Wesleyan def. #4 North Park, 80-70
Illinois Wesleyan (22-4) earned an opportunity to defend its conference tournament title with an 80-70 victory over North Park in Friday’s nightcap.
 
Senior guard Karlo Colak led all scorers with 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting from the floor. Casen Lawrence provided 15 points while connecting on four 3-pointers and Mason Funk added 13 points with a game-high three blocks.
 
Illinois Wesleyan carried a 35-29 lead into halftime and maintained control in the second half while shooting 55.6 percent from the field. Defensively, the Titans limited North Park to 40 percent shooting for the game.
 
North Park (16-11) was paced by Kolden Vanlandingham, who finished with 30 points, seven rebounds and six steals. William Bates contributed 14 points and Lazario Cornish added 13 points for the Vikings.