Mangas, Wildcats Run To Crossroads Title
MARION – Indiana Wesleyan men’s basketball won their third straight Crossroads League Tournament Championship Tuesday, downing the Pilots of Bethel University 109-77.
The Wildcats won the tournament in dominating fashion, outscoring their opponents by a combined 91 points, the largest margin in the last 15 years of Crossroads League Tournament.
With the victory, IWU now has five tournament championships in the Greg Tonagel era.
The duo of Kyle Mangas and Seth Maxwell led the Wildcats, with Mangas dropping 25 points and Maxwell 24 points. The duo combined to grab 12 rebounds while dishing out seven assists.
INSIDE THE BOX
- Spencer Piercefield gave IWU the lead at the half, knocking down a time expiring three-pointer just inside the volleyball line. Piercefield finished the half with six points and three rebounds.
- Kyle Mangas dropped 21 points in the first half, shooting 7-of-14 from the floor and 3-of-7 from deep. The junior finished the 25 points in the second half bringing his tournament average to 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists on 56 percent shooting.
- IWU took 19 threes in the first half, more than they took in the entire games against Mount Vernon Nazarene and Spring Arbor in games one and two of the tournament.
- IWU grabbed a season-high and program best in tournament play, with 52 rebounds besting their previous season-high of 48 set against Marian on December 7, 2019.
MOVING UP THE CROSSROADS LEAGUE SCORING LIST
- 3,700 – Steve Platt – Huntington
- 2,789 – Errick McCollum II – Goshen
- 2,696 – Eric Brand – Bethel
- 2,622 – Mark Galloway – Bethel
- 2,620 – Jody Martinez – Bethel
- 2,616 – Ben Falkenberg – MVNU
- 2,565 – Jeff Shepherd – Huntington
- 2,540 – Jerry Neigh – Spring Arbor
- 2,525 – West Stowers – Marian
- 2,504 – Chet Kammerer – Grace
- 2, 479 – Kyle Mangas- IWU
- 2,452 – Perry Frank – IWU
- 2,427 – William Walker – Bethel
- 2,409 – Durand ‘Speedy’ Walker – IWU
- 2,393 – Micah Lancaster – Spring Arbor