JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – Nebraska Wesleyan men's basketball made a statement, earning a 67-59 victory over Franklin College in a non-conference matchup on Friday evening in the first round of the Bill Merris Tournament hosted by Illinois College. The win marked the Prairie Wolves' first meeting with a Grizzlies team coached by Chris Hamilton, a former assistant under NWU head coach Dale Wellman.

How it Happened:

The Prairie Wolves got on the board early with a jump hook from senior Jack Groeteke, setting the tone for a first half dominated by NWU's disciplined zone defense and ball movement. A quick 11-0 run, capped by senior forward Conner Brown's steal and dunk, gave NWU an early 28-17 advantage. Franklin responded with a pair of buckets, trimming the deficit to ten just before the break.

Late in the first half, a key sequence saw junior Seth Newton drop a dime to Nick Howard for a dunk. Nebraska Wesleyan closed the half to take a 36-24 lead into the locker room.

Franklin came out firing in the second half, including a deep three that brought the Grizzlies within six with 12:08 left to play. Nebraska Wesleyan weathered the storm, leaning on its depth to keep fresh legs on the court. Junior Nick Howard ignited the NWU crowd with a transition pull-up jumper, following a steal from Jared Townsley. Howard controlled the paint with key rebounds and putbacks.

In the game's final minutes, Franklin cut the lead to single digits However, the Prairie Wolves were able to hold off the run and secure the win, 67-59.

Inside the Numbers:

• Nebraska Wesleyan shot 41.1% from the floor (23-for-56) and 36.8% from beyond the arc (7-for-19).
• Christian Winn tallied 9 points, three assists, and a steal.
• Carter Glenn added 12 points, hitting 4-of-7 free throws.
• The Prairie Wolves capitalized on turnovers, scoring 13 points off Franklin's 11 giveaways.
• Franklin was led by Cooper Matthews, who finished with 19 points and two rebounds.

For the Record:

• Head coach Dale Wellman is now 9-2 in matchups against his former NWU assistants.

Up Next:

The Prairie Wolves will face the winner of host Illinois College and Concordia (Wisconsin) on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 3:00 p.m. in the championship of the Bill Merris Tournament.