Men’s Basketball hosted Illinois College in a back-and-forth game that ended with Millikin pulling away in the second half, 75-66.
Millikin’s offense was on fire today, finishing 52.4% from three and 50% overall from the field.
Millikin players expressed their confidence in their shooting ability and in their ability to rely on it when times get hard.
“It’s confidence from him all the way down to him. We are all confident in our ability,” Chris Ketchum said.
The teams went back and forth in the first half, with Millikin ending the half leading by 2, 38-36. But when the 2nd half started, it was a whole new game for the Big Blue.
“The second half is a new game, a new 20 minutes. Anything can happen. We wanted to be the first ones to punch them in the mouth,” Nate Straughter said.
Millikin would go on many runs throughout the second half, including a 14-5 run that helped them build a double-digit lead early in the second half. Millikin expressed how they stay working hard during these grueling back-and-forth games.
“The word we use a lot is, ‘bootcamp,'” Lane Thomann said. “When you’re tired, when it’s getting tough, who’s gonna get in the dirt and get it done?”
Millikin was also very successful on defense and was a huge reason they were able to pull away and keep any runs from Illinois College short.
“It’s all about five guys stopping their five guys, it’s not necessarily one guy stops one or one stops another, it’s five guys together stopping their squad, and I think we settled in and did that in the second half,” Coach Kramer said.
The team emphasized the importance of keeping their friendship and brotherhood intact, which has helped them succeed and extend their 4-game winning streak against tough teams.
“Look around this, what we got is a brotherhood, it’s a family. You can’t ask for more,” Chris Ketchum said.
The players are very confident, emphasizing how tough this team really is and how different it is from other teams.
“We’re just a tougher team. We did what we had to do to outlast them, and that’s what we did out of the whole game,” Chris Ketchum said.
The Big Blue support was unbelievable today, loud enough for all to hear, which really helped the team show out at home.
“This has been two home games in a row that we have had a great turnout, not only from the local community but also from our students. Our students are what I want it to be because, when they get going, it revs our guys up, so we try to give them as much action as we can. We got them a couple of dunks today, so that was good, but it makes a difference. So I’m going to keep calling on them to support us,” Kramer said.
The team is also confident in bringing the energy themselves to give back to all the Big Blue fans out there, and they also share what to expect when you come watch Millikin Basketball.
“Fans come out for a show, so why not give them a show?” Thomann said. “Keep on coming, you’re gonna see more of this.”
Millikin advances to 4-0 and continues its undefeated streak as it moves to take on Ripon College on Friday, November 21st. They look to keep the streak alive and are ready for what’s to come.
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