Nov. 15, 2008

Box Score

Lewis 77, Lake Superior State 73 (OT) in PDF Format

Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. – The Lewis University men’s basketball team was put to the test in their season-opening contest against Lake Superior State, and the Flyers passed with flying colors, earning the 77-73 overtime victory over the host Lakers at Bud Cooper Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.

   Lewis senior guard Brandon Dagans (Harvey, Ill./Thornton) paced the Flyers with 18 points and eight rebounds, while teammates Jason Genova (Chicago, Ill./St. Patrick/Saint Xavier) and Lonnie Lawrence (Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington) added 11 points in the win. The Flyers also received 10 points and five assists from sophomore guard Dennis Thomas (Milwaukee, Wis./Bradley Tech).

   The Flyers had a sizeable advantage on the boards against Lake Superior State, as Lewis out-rebounded the Lakers, 46-37, behind a team-best nine caroms from Lawrence.

   “We found a way to win today,” Lewis University head men’s basketball coach Scott Trost said. “We didn’t play great, but we made the plays when we had to against a very formidable opponent. We got some good minutes from our bench, but we didn’t play our best game.

   “It was a gut check win.”

   With the victory, Lewis improves to 1-0 on the season, while the Lakers drop to 0-1 overall.

   Lake Superior State’s Tim VanOudheusden led the Lakers with 22 points, while teammate Scott Perkins chipped in 19 points – including five three-pointers in the loss. The Lakers also received solid performances from Ryan Kuhl (11 points) and Mark Morse (10 points).

   Free throws and poor shooting proved to be the downfall for Lake Superior State in the extra session, as the Lakers missed four of their charity shots and knocked down just 25.0% (2-for-8) of their field goal attempts.

   Conversely, Lewis shot 75.0% (6-for-8) from the charity stripe in overtime and was 2-for-3 from the field.

   Lake Superior State held a 72-71 lead with less than a minute and a half remaining in the overtime, before Lawrence knocked down a jumper to put Lewis up for good. Thomas and senior guard Mike Robinson (Chicago, Ill./Hales Franciscan/Eastern Illinois) each converted a pair of free throws down the stretch to ice the victory for the Flyers.

   Dagans proved to be clutch in regulation, as he knocked down a three-pointer with 1:54 left to give Lewis a 66-64 advantage. Lake Superior State’s Garrett Konuszewski answered with a trey of his own to push the Lakers ahead 67-66 with 59 ticks left on the clock.

   Trost put the ball in Dagans hands for the ensuing possession and the senior guard drew the foul and split a pair of free throws to send the game into overtime, tied at 67-apiece.

   Lewis returns to action on Sunday (Nov. 16) night, as the Flyers square off with Michigan Tech for a 6:30 p.m. tip-off.

   A Catholic University sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis offers nearly 80 undergraduate majors and programs of study, accelerated degree completion options for working adults, various aviation programs and 22 graduate programs in nine fields. The mid-sized university is being honored for the fifth consecutive year by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. For more information please visit www.lewisu.edu.                                                 

##LEWIS##