EU’s Postseason Push Ends After Overtime in CCIW Championship

After playing a 19-9 campaign, the Elmhurst University’s men’s basketball team comfortably punched their ticket to the 2025-26 CCIW tournament. This is not an unfamiliar feeling for the team, as they have only missed the tournament twice since the 2015-16 season.

The postseason run began with a fast pace and a packed crowd at R.A. Faganel Hall against the sixth seed Carroll University in the quarterfinals on Feb. 24. 

The Bluejays would go on to defeat the Pioneers 95-85 in a contest that had constant lead changes and momentum swings. Junior forward Aidyn Boone led EU with 27 points, while Dominic Trelenberg and Luke Smith each added 16 points. 

“This is an unbelievable group we’ve got. The leadership and grit that the boys have is great, and Dom Trelenberg is a great captain and mentor to the younger guys,” said EU head coach John Baines.

EU came out aggressively on the offensive end, attacking the paint early and forcing Carroll’s defense into trouble with fouls. 

The Bluejays repeatedly capitalized from the free throw line, as they converted 27 of 31 free throws in the game. Their ability to convert in those moments proved to be crucial in a game where neither team was able to create much separation between leads. 

“We’re very distracted right now. We need to play with a lot more force, and we need to start playing for each other out there,” said Carroll head coach Taylor Jannsen. 

Despite 36 points from Carroll’s Michael McNabb, the Bluejays controlled all the momentum in the closing minutes. After both teams took turns trading leads throughout most of the night, EU pulled away to secure the 10-point win and advance to the CCIW semifinals as the home crown roared with excitement. 

“We had a fantastic crowd tonight, they brought all the energy,” said Baines. “It’s great when we get into February and the team’s winning; campus always shows out and gets buzzing.” 

With the win, EU advanced to the semifinals to face second seed Carthage College on Feb. 27.  

The semifinal matchup proved to be just as competitive, with the Bluejays beating the Firebirds 82-80 — by the skin of their teeth.

Dominic Trelenberg once again led the way for EU, as he finished the night with 21 points. Boone added 19 points, while Smith contributed 12 points. Sophomore Jack Cherry provided a spark off the bench with 11. 

The game ultimately came down to the final minute. After the Firebirds briefly took a 1-point lead with under a minute remaining, Trelenberg calmly stepped to the free throw line and sank four consecutive free throws to put EU in front, sealing the narrow victory. 

EU went on to the CCIW championship against number one seed Illinois Wesleyan University on Feb. 28. 

In the championship game, the Bluejays took the momentum early on as they built a 19-point lead in the first half. Behind a strong defense, they held the Titans to just 25% shooting before halftime. 

After the break is when the momentum shifted in IWU’s direction, where they slowly chipped at EU’s lead, eventually tying the game late in regulation. 

Luke Smith added a pair of free throws in the closing seconds to even the score at 56-56, forcing overtime.

In the extra period, the momentum completely shifted. The Titans opened overtime with an 11-0 run and held EU to just three points in the final five minutes. They secured a 69-59 victory, along with the CCIW championship.

Trelenberg led the Bluejays with 18 points and eight rebounds in the loss, while Vinnie Adjahoungbeta added 15 points on 5-for-6 shooting. Boone also had a team high 10 rebounds. 

Despite the tough ending, EU’s postseason run showed the team’s resilience and depth throughout the tournament, highlighted by a high scoring quarterfinal win and a gritty semifinal win that put the Bluejays one game away from a conference title.