BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Illinois Wesleyan won the 2026 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Men’s Basketball Tournament championship Saturday night at the Shirk Center, defeating Elmhurst 69-59 in overtime after trailing by 18 points at halftime.
 
The top-seeded Titans improved to 23-4, earned the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament and secured their second consecutive tournament title and third since 2021. Illinois Wesleyan outscored the third-seeded Bluejays 13-3 in the extra period after pulling even in regulation.
 
It was the second overtime game of the tournament, fourth overtime game in league tournament history and the first championship game to go to overtime.
 
Elmhurst (19-9) controlled the opening half, building a 35-16 lead with less than a minute remaining before taking a 37-19 advantage into the locker room on 58.3 percent shooting. IWU tightened defensively after intermission, holding the Bluejays to 19 points on 19 percent shooting in the second half and tying the game at 56-56 to force overtime.
 
Mason Funk led the Titans with a game-high 23 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Karlo Colak recorded a double-double with 17 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, while Jackson Niego added 10 points and four assists. Brady Kuehl, who was recognized prior to the game as the Elite 26 Award winner, finished with nine points, five rebounds and three blocks.
 
Elmhurst was paced by Dominic Trelenberg with 18 points and eight rebounds. Vinnie Adjahoungbeta added 15 points and three blocks for the Bluejays, who were making their fourth tournament final appearance in the last five seasons.