Bloomington, Ill. - The Alma College men's basketball team opened the 2017-18 season on Friday (Nov. 17) night, falling by a 94-75 margin to Illinois Wesleyan University.

Sophomore Ryan Stevens (Lowell, Mich./Lowell) led the Scots (0-1 overall) with 19 points on 8-for-15 shooting from the floor, while three other Scots were in double-figures.

Junior Kevin Gamble (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Mt. Pleasant) and sophomore Preston Laketa (Concord, Mich./Hanover-Horton) scored 13 and 12 points, respectively, with Laketa hitting a team-high four three-pointers. Junior Doug Bradfield (Mason, Mich./Mason) scored 12 points , while senior Kevin Scheibert (Sanford, Mich./Sanford-Meridian) led Alma with eight rebounds.

The Titans (2-0) were paced by Brady Rose's 35 points, while Zach Knobloch came off the bench to score 30, including a school-record 10 three-pointers. As a team, IWU hit a school-record 20 shots from behind the arc. 

How It Happened

• Alma opened the game with a 4-0 lead on a pair of jumpers from Kevin Gamble for its' largest of the game. The teams kept within two points of each other for the first 10 minutes of the half.
• With the Scots leading, 20-18, at the halfway point of the opening stanza, Illinois Wesleyan went on a 12-0 run in a span of three minutes to take a 30-20 advantage with 7:00 left in the half. 
• The Titans led by as many as 16 points in the first half, but a late surge by the Scots in the final minute cut the lead to 10 with Alma trailing 44-34 at the break.
• The Scots opened the second half with a pair of baskets to cut the deficit to six points at 44-38, but Illinois Wesleyan scored on three straight possessions to regain a double-digit lead, which it would maintain for the rest of the game. 

Up Next

The Scots will continue their season-opening four-game road trip on Saturday, Nov. 18, traveling to Rock Island, Ill., to face No. 2 Augustana College. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.