Wildcats use dominant first half to defeat Saint Francis
By Sean Douglas
With all the talent they possess up and down the lineup, the No. 1 ranked Indiana Wesleyan University Wildcats are a team that has very little trouble scoring the basketball.
However, when their defensive effectiveness matches their offensive output, it creates a lethal combo that renders the Wildcats almost impossible to contain.
Behind a tremendous first half defensive effort, and some key plays down the stretch, the Wildcats won their eighth straight contest, defeating the University of Saint Francis Cougars 100-83.
With their 100-point performance Saturday, the Wildcats recorded their 11th such game of the season, breaking the record set back in the 1970-1971 season.
“That first half was especially fun,” IWU guard Kyle Mangas said. “We came out with a ton of energy. I think it started with our defense. We just guarded them well and guarded their tendencies well, and that led to our offense getting great shots and running in transition.”
The Wildcats did not waste any time, quickly building a 10-0 lead in the first 3:45 of the contest. Dylan Alderson scored the first two buckets to open the scoring for the Wildccats, and Mangas, Seth Maxwell, and Michael Thompson followed with field goals of their own to complete their opening surge.
“Alderson came out strong. He is getting back to his normal self, which obviously gives us another punch in the offense,” IWU Head Coach Greg Tonagel said.
Armed with that advantage, the Wildcats buckled down defensively and completely shut down one of the most explosive offenses in the Crossroads League. Guards Antwaan Cushingberry and Jalen Mull are the engine that make the Saint Francis offense run, and while Cushingberry scored 11 in the opening 20 minutes, the Wildcats made him earn every single point.
“They are the fastest team in our league for sure, so you really have to sit down on them,” Mangas said. “The guy on-ball has to guard, but also the guys next to them have to be in their gaps. First half, we did a great job with that.”
“We had a great week of practice,” IWU guard Noah Smith added. “We watched a lot of film, and we were able to dissect what they do best and really just work on that. We were able to get some stops. It was good to get back to that energy.”
The Wildcats increased their lead to 26-16 at the 9:35 mark of the first half and outscored the Cougars 24-10 over the rest of the opening frame to take a 48-26 at the halftime.
Saint Francis struggled mightily in the first half, hitting just 10 of their 30 shots and four-of-11 from beyond the arc. Conversely, the Wildcats shot 19-of-38 (50 percent) from the field, with Mangas and Smith scoring 14 and 10, respectively, in the opening 20 minutes.
“That’s as locked in as we’ve been all year long,” Tonagel said. “I loved the way we came out. I felt like we were extremely aggressive, but free, and playing with a ton of energy. It was really a fun half. It was all about our activity level. We were in two places at once, and to me, that is what defense comes down to. You have to be in two places at once.”
The Wildcats continued to cruise throughout most of the second half, building their advantage to a game-high 27 points with 13:09 to play.
However, the Cougars, slowly but surely, began to push back.
Over the course of the next 11 minutes, the Cougars chipped away at the Wildcats’ lead, and a basket by Mull in the paint made it a 90-79 lead with 2:17 to play.
However, IWU never relinquished control, and clutch free throws from Mangas, Alderson, and Tim Adetukasi in the final 2:09 helped the Wildcats secure the victory.
Adetukasi played well in 19 minutes of action, finishing with five points and six rebounds.
“They made a great run. They are good team,” Tonagel said. “But our guys responded well. Tim Adetukasi came in when Seth got in foul trouble [and played] one of his best games. He was extremely efficient for us.”
Mangas put together another remarkable performance, collecting 35 points and 13 rebounds to go along with six assists and a career-high six blocks.
“He is unbelievable,” Tonagel said with a smile. “He gets better every time, and I still sit back and get caught watching him.”
Maxwell, despite only playing 20 minutes due to foul issues, was dominant, finishing with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks.
“I just wanted to work my butt off today,” Maxwell said. “I didn’t want to worry about the outcome. I just knew my teammates had my back today, so I went out there and played as hard as I could.”
Smith finished the game with 16 points, while also adding four rebounds and five assists.
“Noah is playing really well right now,” Tonagel said. “He is shooting the ball well. He was in this morning getting shots up, and when you do that, you are going to have more opportunities.”
For Saint Francis, Cushingberry finished the game with 25 points, while Mull scored 20.
