BELOIT, Wisconsin - In front of a modest crowd of 152 at Flood Arena, Beloit College put together a second-half surge that fell just short against Illinois College (10-4, 3-2 MWC). The Blue Boys held on to secure a 71-62 road victory.

The Buccaneers' Anthony Carter (Greenfield, Wis.) tried to spark a comeback, scoring 21 points including four three-pointers, but Illinois College's early cushion proved too much to overcome. The visitors maintained their composure at the free-throw line down the stretch, with Buzz Ritzel (31 points) and Josh Harris (13 points) making crucial free throws in the final minutes.

The game featured several momentum shifts, with Illinois College's largest lead reaching 20 points early in the second half before Beloit mounted their comeback attempt. Despite getting within single digits late in the game, Beloit couldn't complete the rally.

Illinois College dominated the first half, building a 39-24 lead through strong defense and shooting 44% from the field. However, Beloit showed resilience in the second half, outscoring the visitors 38-32 behind the aggressive play of Azeez Ganiyu (Beloit, Wis.), who finished with a double-double (17 points, 13 rebounds).

Seth Doss provided important interior presence for Illinois College with 13 points and 8 rebounds, while Jabari Scuefield contributed 9 points and 7 rebounds in the losing effort for Beloit.

The victory helped Illinois College maintain its position in the upper half of the Midwest Conference standings, while Beloit dropped its second straight conference game.

The Buccaneers stay home on Saturday to host the Monmouth College Fighting Scots. Tip off from Flood Arena is set for 3 pm.