WHEATON, Ill. – Elmhurst men's basketball put together a strong offensive showing on Wednesday night but came up just short in a tightly contested 82–81 road CCIW loss at Wheaton College. The Bluejays built multiple leads throughout the night and knocked down 11 three-pointers, but a late Thunder surge in the closing minutes proved to be the difference.

Elmhurst opened the game with efficiency, shooting over 53 percent in the first half and connecting on five threes to take a 45–40 lead into the break. Dominic Trelenberg fueled the early momentum with a series of perimeter shots, finishing the night with a team-high 27 points on 7-of-14 shooting, including 6-of-10 from deep. His offensive performance kept the Bluejays in front for much of the opening period and again often throughout the second half.

Aidyn Boone delivered a balanced performance, totaling 14 points and seven rebounds while knocking down two three-pointers. Luke Smith added 11 points and two steals, and Sebastian Blachut provided 12 points and three assists.

Wheaton countered with timely shot-making of its own, particularly in the second half. Despite Elmhurst holding the lead for more than 22 minutes of game time, the Thunder capitalized late and used a pair of key free throws in the final seconds to slip ahead for the one-point win.

The loss drops Elmhurst to 5–2 overall and 0–1 in CCIW play,. The Bluejays will now turn their focus to Saturday's CCIW matchup at home against Illinois Wesleyan inside R.A. Faganel Hall as they look to bounce back.