Sangamon Sun

JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – Illinois College's basketball team marked a significant milestone by securing their 1,000th win in program history with a victory over Cornell. The Blueboys triumphed 77-71 on Tuesday at Sherman Gymnasium.

The dynamic duo of Jake Mazrimas and Buzz Ritzel led the charge for Illinois College. Mazrimas contributed 27 points, five assists, and five rebounds, while Ritzel added 25 points and secured eight rebounds. Austin Robinson also played a crucial role off the bench with eight rebounds.

Cornell initially took control of the game with a 10-0 run that put them ahead 12-6. However, Illinois College responded strongly later in the first half with an 11-0 run to take a lead of 29-19. By halftime, the Blueboys were up 38-30.

In the second half, Cornell managed to regain momentum by keeping Illinois College scoreless for over six minutes and eventually taking a lead at 41-39. The game remained closely contested until it was tied at 64 with just under four minutes remaining. At this critical juncture, Ritzel hit a three-pointer followed by a jumper from Mazrimas, ensuring that Illinois College never trailed again.

This victory keeps Illinois College at the top of the Midwest Conference standings with a league record of 9-1 and an overall record of 17-2. Meanwhile, Cornell's records fell to 3-5 in conference play and 6-12 overall.

Illinois College will next face Grinnell on Saturday at Sherman Gymnasium in what promises to be an exciting match-up between two leading teams in the conference standings.