PICTURED ABOVE: Michael Berg scored a career-best 27 points and tallied the 14th "double-double" of his career in Wednesday's win.

Wheaton, Ill. – The Wheaton Thunder men's basketball team got a career night from senior team captain Michael Berg and had four players score in double digits to earn an 87-76 win at home against Millikin University (6-11, 0-6 CCIW).  Wheaton (5-12, 1-5 CCIW) will host Carthage College on Saturday night in a 7:00 p.m. tipoff against the Red Men.

Berg scored a career-high 27 points tonight, a mark that is the highest single-game point total for a Thunder player this season. The senior shot 8-of-11 from the field and was 10-for-12 at the free throw line. He also grabbed 11 rebounds to tally his sixth "double-double" of the season and the 14^th time in his four-year career that he has recorded double digits in points and rebounds in the same game. The senior also added three blocked shots, with two assists and two steals.

Senior Jonathan Berntsen scored 18 points and dished out a career-high nine assists for the hosts. Sophomore Ricky Samuelson (PICTURED LEFT) scored 17 points, making three three-pointers, and he added three assists with two assists. Sophomore Murad Dillard was the fourth Wheaton player to register a double-digit point total as he scored 14 points with six rebounds.

The majority of the first half of tonight's matchup was tightly contested Wheaton led the Big Blue 27-26 with 6:50 remaining in the opening half when the guests scored seven unanswered points to take a 33-27 lead with 4:45 left in the first half. Berg drained a three-pointer with 3:45 left in the half to cut the guests' lead to 33-30.

Berntsen followed with a layup on Wheaton's next possession and Berg tallied a traditional three-point play to give Wheaton a 35-33 lead with 1:35 remaining before halftime. Wheaton out-scored Millikin 12-5 in the final 3:45 of the first half to give the Thunder a 39-38 halftime lead. Berg scored 10 of Wheaton's 12 points in the run and he scored 15 of his game-high 27 points in the second half.

The second half remained close with 11 lead changes and the score tied six times. The final Millikin lead of the game was a 64-62 edge for the Big Blue with 7:24 left in regulation when a layup by Berntsen (PICTURED RIGHT) tied the matchup at 64-64.

Millikin's Bryn Agnew made a layup with 4:30 remaining in the game to trim Wheaton's lead to 70-69. Wheaton responded with an 11-2 run to extend its lead to 81-71 with 59-seconds left in the game.

Wheaton was effective at the free throw line in the final minutes to secure the win as the Thunder shot 81.2% (13-of-16) at the charity stripe in the final 4:30 of the game to close out the victory.

Wheaton shot a season-high 56.3% (27-of-48) from the field in tonight's game, including a 62.5% (15-of-24) field goal percentage in the first half. The Thunder shot 42.9% (6-of-14) from three-point range and tallied an 84.4% (27-of-32) free throw percentage.

Millikin shot a 44.4% (28-of 63) field goal percentage, including 29.2% (7-of-24) behind the three-point arc. The Big Blue shot 76.5% (13-of-17) at the charity stripe. Wheaton out-rebounded Millikin 31-29 and the Big Blue had a 10-5 edge on the offensive glass.