Sangamon Sun

The Illinois College men's basketball team secured a 76-58 victory over Blackburn at the Woodward Athletic Center on Monday. This win improved their season record to 2-0, while it marked the opening game for Blackburn.

The game began closely, with both teams tied at 13 points and 11:47 remaining in the first half. However, Illinois College then executed a strong run, outscoring Blackburn 24-9 over the next nine minutes to lead by 15 points. By halftime, they maintained an advantage of 40-29.

In the second half, Blackburn narrowed the gap to five points at one stage, trailing only 48-43 with over 14 minutes left. Nonetheless, Illinois College regained control and increased their lead significantly by scoring an additional 28 points against Blackburn's 15.

Josh Harris played a pivotal role for Illinois College, leading with a game-high of 25 points and eight rebounds. Ty Lenhardt contributed with a double-double performance that included 14 points, twelve rebounds, and five assists. Buzz Ritzel also added to the scoreboard with thirteen points.

Further support came from bench players Javonte McKenzie and Austin Robinson. McKenzie scored nine points and collected six rebounds while Robinson secured seven boards.

Illinois College has shown impressive form recently, winning thirty-four of its last thirty-nine games and fifty-one out of fifty-six overall. They have also been dominant in non-conference regular-season games with eighteen wins in nineteen matches.

Looking ahead, Illinois College is set to host the annual Bill Merris Invitational this weekend. The event will feature Nebraska Wesleyan facing Franklin on Friday at 5:30 p.m., followed by Illinois College playing against Concordia of Wisconsin at 7:30 p.m. Saturday's schedule includes a consolation game at 1:00 p.m., leading up to the championship match at 3:00 p.m.