Box Score BOXSCORE

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Playing for the second time in as many nights to open the 2011-12 season, the Benedictine University men's basketball team suffered a 99-70 setback at perennial power Illinois Wesleyan University to lose for the first time this year.

The Eagles played with the Titans for much of the first half and found themselves down six with just under five minutes left in the half before Illinois Wesleyan closed the opening 20 on a 17-4 run to take a 51-33 lead into the break. The hosts scored 11 points off turnovers and also netted 11 second chance points in building the lead.

Illinois Wesleyan, playing its season opener, quickly stretched the lead to 28 points early in the second half and never looked back, shooting 51 percent for the game.

Nate Green led Benedictine in scoring for the second consecutive contest, netting a game high 21 points as the lone Eagle in double figures. Mark Pace and Matthew Mackowiak scored nine points each off the bench while Andy Crutchfield also tallied nine points. Benedictine shot 40 percent for the game and was outrebounded 44-27 with Illinois Wesleyan registering 17 on the offensive glass.

Benedictine (1-1) closes the opening week of play on Friday night with a 7:00 p.m. date against Cornell College at the Rice Center.