Sangamon Sun

Illinois College achieved a significant victory against Beloit in a Midwest Conference basketball game, winning 72-69 at Flood Arena on Saturday. The Blueboys' triumph maintained their lead in the league standings with an 8-1 record and improved their overall standing to 16-2. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers fell to 11-7 overall and 5-5 in conference play.

Key players for Illinois College included Buzz Ritzel, who scored 16 points, collected nine rebounds, and provided four assists. Jake Mazrimas also contributed 16 points, while Josh Harris added 14 points, scoring 11 of those in the first half to help overturn an early deficit. Austin Robinson supported from the bench with nine points and four rebounds.

The game was closely contested until late in the first half when both teams were tied at 27 with just over three minutes remaining. Illinois College then executed an 11-2 run to take a lead of 38-29 into halftime—a lead they maintained throughout the second half.

At one point, Illinois College extended its advantage to as much as 12 points (66-54) with under seven minutes left on the clock. However, Beloit made a final push, narrowing the gap to just one point (70-69) with five seconds remaining. Ritzel secured the win by successfully making two free throws with less than two seconds left.

Looking ahead, the Blueboys will return home for upcoming conference games next week. Their next match is scheduled against Cornell at Sherman Gymnasium on Tuesday evening.