Peter Wangechi

Box Score

Luke Chicone

John Carroll JCU 23-7,11-5 NCAC

Ill. Wesleyan IWU 25-4,13-3 CCIW

John Carroll JCU

23-7,11-5 NCAC

Final

Mar. 07, 2026

Ill. Wesleyan IWU

25-4,13-3 CCIW

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
John Carroll JCU	38	22	60
Ill. Wesleyan IWU	38	35	73

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 3/7/2026 11:38:00 PM | Aiden Ramsden, Staff Writer

Memorable Journey Ends for Men's Basketball at #8 Illinois Wesleyan

The Blue Streaks' fantastic season came to a close in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - A storybook season ended for the Blue Streaks tonight as John Carroll Men's Basketball fell to the Illinois Wesleyan Titans on the road, 73-60.

In a season where there were very little expectations, this Blue Streak squad did nothing but grind, as they fought their way to an North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament Title and an appearance in the Round of 32.

"They surpassed my expectations. This is the type of group that accepts my personality. These guys allow me to coach the way I want to coach. They're tough kids and talented young men." said head coach Pete Moran, talking about the type of team he had this year. "The growth of some of these young guys has been phenomenal. We only returned one starter from last year. There was a lot of uncertainty going into this year. These guys stepped up and I couldn't be more proud of them for their effort and for what they set out for the year."

The game started out tight from the beginning, as Luke Chicone scored the Blue Streaks' first 11 points as they held a one point advantage after 4 ½ minutes. After a media timeout, Brandon Rose nailed a mid-range jumper and Jack Zapolnik buried a triple for a 6-point lead.

The Titans responded with a 9-0 run to take a lead halfway through the opening frame. The scales evened out as the teams went into a battle, exchanging scores, with nobody being able to seize momentum. Threes from Zapolnik and Aidan Fitzgerald kept John Carroll close. After a Titan free throw Chicone went the length of the court for a floater off the glass in under 4 seconds to beat the first half buzzer and send the game into the break knotted at 38.

Unfortunately, the second half was a completely different story. The hosts opened up on a 20-1 run as they took a 19-point lead. The run finally ended with a Zapolnik mid-ranger, Kyle Irwin and Fitzgerald followed with back to back 3-pointers to give the Blue Streaks some life.

The Titans didn't blink, as they quickly built the lead right back up. John Carroll simply had no answer for the size and length of IWU. The deficit remained consistent, floating around 15 points for the remainder of the game.

With 44 seconds left, Luke Chicone was subbed out and left the court for the last time in a Blue Streak uniform. He was celebrated with a much-deserving standing ovation from the Blue Streak faithful that made the trip.

Chicone finished off arguably the greatest season in John Carroll history and an incredible career. In this season alone, Chicone set the single season records in points, assists, and steals while taking home NCAC Player of the Year and Top Defensive Player honors.
Luke leaves a lasting impact on this program.

"A lot of wins and championships, but at the end of the day, looking back on it, we're not going to talk too much about that," said Chicone, when asked about the importance this program and this team has had on him. "It's the 18 relationships that we made there with the players, coaches, and managers from top to bottom. We've had an impact on the program, but the program has made an even bigger impact on us."

Chicone finished with 18 points, 4 assists, and 3 steals.

Jack Zapolnik finished with a team-high 19 points.

It wasn't the ending they wanted, but this Blue Streak senior class has finished off one of the greatest 4-year eras of John Carroll basketball ever. Together, the class won a conference trophy each year and made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament each year. The mark they left on the program will not be forgotten anytime soon.

"They stuck with it. A lot of these guys didn't get a lot of minutes last year. Both of these guys to my right didn't get a lot of minutes. They stayed patient. They know the culture," said Moran. "You come to John Carroll to compete in basketball games and win championships and you walk out of there with a hell of a degree. These guys won four championships with four NCAA Tournament appearances. That's something that has never been done before by a class. These guys have been instrumental in accomplishing that."

As I close off the final recap of the year, on behalf of the John Carroll Men's Basketball program, a big thank you to everyone who supported the team all season long. The 2026-27 season will be here before you know it and we are looking forward to seeing all of you back in the Tony DeCarlo Varsity Center.

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