MEN’S BASKETBALL

The #RV Huntington men’s basketball team ran into a red-hot Indiana Wesleyan squad Wednesday night, falling 93-71 inside Luckey Arena in a game where the Wildcats’ offensive prowess proved too much to overcome.

The loss snaps HU’s five-game win streak, marks the largest margin of defeat this season and evens the regular-season series after the Foresters edged IWU 66-63 in December. Huntington slips to 17-6 overall and 8-5 in CL action, while Wesleyan remains firmly in the league’s top tier.

Despite shooting a strong 50.0 percent from the field and committing just eight turnovers, Huntington couldn’t match the Wildcats’ scorching efficiency. IWU connected on 60.0 percent of its shots, buried 14 three-pointers at a 51.9 percent clip and turned the ball over only six times.

No. 5 Indiana Wesleyan (20-3, 10-3) controlled the game from the opening tip, leading wire-to-wire much to the frustration of Coach Jared Jauch and his Foresters. The Wildcats took a 46-36 lead into halftime, with the glaring difference coming on the offensive glass. IWU turned four offensive rebounds into eight second-chance points, while Huntington failed to secure any offensive boards in the opening 20 minutes.

Huntington was efficient early, shooting 56.0 percent in the first half, but couldn’t maintain that rhythm after the break. The Foresters converted just 44.0 percent of their shots in the second half, while IWU continued to pour it on, steadily extending the margin on the way to the lopsided final score.

Kaden Johnson led the Foresters with a stellar performance, scoring 21 points on a perfect 9-for-9 shooting night, while adding seven rebounds and four assists. Jackson Paul finished with 14 points and five assists, while Miles Good chipped in 13 points, knocking down a pair of triples. Landon Biegel provided a spark off the bench, hitting three threes on his way to nine points, and Matthew Spears added six points in limited minutes.

Indiana Wesleyan was paced by a balanced and explosive attack. Caedmon Bontrager scored 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting, while Isaac Andrews poured in 19 points, including four triples off the bench. Millen McCartney added 18 points and Jake Smith chipped in 14, as five Wildcats reached double figures.

With five regular-season games remaining, Huntington finds itself tied for third place with Taylor, two games behind IWU and Bethel, who are knotted for second.

The Foresters will look to respond quickly, returning home Saturday afternoon to face #10 Bethel at 3:00 p.m. inside Platt Arena, aiming to get back on track and avenge a six-point loss to the Pilots from January 3.