Sangamon Sun

The Illinois College men's basketball team was defeated by Grinnell in the semifinals of the Midwest Conference Tournament. The game, held at Glennie Gymnasium, ended with a score of 86-81 in favor of Grinnell.

Illinois College concluded its season with an overall record of 17-9, while Grinnell advanced to the title game with a record of 19-7.

During the match, Illinois College started strong and maintained a lead for most of the first half. They led by as much as eight points twice, the last being at 24-16 with just over 11 minutes remaining. However, Grinnell responded with an 11-0 run to take back the lead. By halftime, Illinois College had regained a slight advantage at 44-43.

In the second half, Grinnell took control early on and never fell behind again. Their lead extended to as much as 16 points (75-59) with just over eight minutes left in the game. Although Illinois College attempted a comeback, they could not close the gap beyond five points by the end.

Senior Buzz Ritzel led Illinois College with 20 points in his final game for the Blueboys. Fellow senior Josh Harris contributed 19 points and six rebounds. Sophomore Seth Doss added ten points and achieved a career-high of 18 rebounds. Junior Javonte McKenzie scored 14 points and secured eight rebounds.

The match marked the conclusion of careers for seniors Ritzel, Harris, and Matt Thompson at Illinois College. The team finished their season having won 66 out of their last 79 games.