Feb. 17, 2007

Box Score

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. - Jason Genova and Brandon Dagans combined for 46 points, and the Lewis University men's basketball team took another step toward qualifying for the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championship tournament by edging Indianapolis 65-60 on Saturday.

The Flyers, who improved to 15-10 overall and 10-7 in the GLVC with a third consecutive win, remain in second place in the GLVC East Division with two games to play. Lewis would clinch a spot in the eight-team conference tournament by defeating Wisconsin-Parkside at home Tuesday night.

Genova scored a game-high 24 points and was 6-of-11 from 3-point range for a second consecutive game.

Dagans' 22 points included an 11-of-13 effort at the foul line, and he added a career-best nine rebounds. Matthew Marino and Stephan Bolt had game highs of nine assists and 12 rebounds, respectively.

The Flyers had to withstand two second-half charges by Indianapolis (12-11, 8-8) to earn the season sweep of the Greyhounds.

Lewis expanded a 30-24 halftime lead to 46-32 at the midpoint of the second half. Dustin Warfield scored all seven of his second-half points during that 16-8 run.

After an 8-0 Indianapolis spurt cut the Lewis margin to just six points, the Flyers responded with a 13-3 outburst that gave them their largest lead of the game. Dagans scored 10 of his 18 second-half points in the run that resulted in a 59-43 Lewis cushion at the 4:56 mark.

But the Greyhounds, whose 16 GLVC games this season include 12 decided by seven or fewer points, began pressing and clawed their way back in. When Justin Barnard nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the key and was fouled with 24 seconds left, the Lewis lead was a precarious 61-58.

Barnard did not convert the four-point play, however, and Dagans made four consecutive free throws in the closing seconds to secure the victory.

Lewis was in front the entire way and led by as many as nine points in the first half before settling for a six-point advantage at the break.

Barnard led Indy with 13 points, and Keith Radcliff and Braxton Mills netted 12 apiece. Mills gathered a team-high eight rebounds, while Tyke Cockerham and Scott Strahm registered six and five assists, respectively.

Lewis shot just .438 from the floor but held Indianapolis to a .333 mark that included a chilly .240 (6-of-25) from 3-point range. The Flyers were 9-of-19 from beyond the arc and outscored the Greyhounds 14-8 at the foul line.

Tuesday's Lewis-Parkside game at Neil Carey Arena tips off at 7:30 p.m.