Box Score
Wheaton (Ill.) 84, Ohio Wesleyan 62

Senior post Nick Carlson (Dublin/Coffman) connected on a 3-pointer that brought Ohio Wesleyan within 21-17 midway through the first half, but sixth-ranked Wheaton pulled away with a 20-2 run and went on to a win in the first round of the Lee Pfund Classic, hosted by Wheaton on Friday in Wheaton, Ill.

Wheaton moves on to Saturday's championship game to face Wisconsin-Eau Claire, a 72-56 winner over Nebraska Wesleyan in Friday's opener.  The consolation-game matchup between Ohio Wesleyan and Nebraska Wesleyan will be the first between the teams since 1988, when they met in an NCAA Division III national semifinal with Ohio Wesleyan winning by a count of 87-71.

Carlson knocked down an early 3-pointer to pull the Bishops within 4-3 in the opening minutes of the game, and it was still a 1-point game when junior post Grant Spicer (Cincinnati/Lakota East) went for a lay-in to make it 8-7.

The Thunder got 3-pointers from Cade Alioth and Nyameye Adom to open up an 18-11 lead, and after Carlson and Adom traded trifectas, it was Carlson again connecting from downtown for a 21-17 count with 12:40 remaining in the half.

Adom hit 2 more 3-pointers and Tyson Cruickshank added another, and Eli Considine contributed a lay-in and a dunk during Wheaton's 20-2 run, which wrapped up with a 3-point play from Nick Schiavello that gave the hosts a 41-19 lead at the 4:41 mark.

The Bishops rallied early in the second half, cutting the deficit to 12 points after a 3-pointer from freshman guard Henry Hinkle (Powell/Olentangy Liberty) at 48-36, and again coming within a dozen after a Hinkle jumper made it 54-42 with 12:36 left, but Wheaton reeled off the next 11 points, including 3-pointers from Eddie Scott and Daniel Garza and a 3-point play and a lay-in from Cruickshank to open up a 65-42 lead with 10:19 to play.

Carlson led the Bishops with 15 points.  Junior wing Jack Clement (Bellefontaine) added 14 points and a team-high 9 boards, and Spicer finished with 12 markers.  Hinkle recorded 3 assists.

Cruickshank led Wheaton with 24 points.

Box Score