Nov. 20, 2009

Box Score

Men's Basketball: #22 Southwest Minnesota State 69, Lewis 62 in PDF Format

Marshall, Minn. - No. 22 Southwest Minnesota State, behind a game-high 19 points and five three-pointers from redshirt freshman Jordan Miller, rallied for a 69-62 non-conference victory over the Lewis University men's basketball team in the opening day of the SMSU Classic, presented by State Farm Insurance, at the R/A Facility on Friday night.

The Mustangs used a strong effort on the offensive glass, as they grabbed 13 offensive caroms on the evening, leading to 18 second-chance points. SMSU also capitalized on 16 Lewis turnovers, scoring 17 points off of the Flyer miscues.

Lewis sophomore forward Matt Toth (Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg) posted a career-high 17 points, while sophomore center Marty Strus (Hickory Hills, Ill./Stagg) had 16 points on 6-for-6 shooting.

With the victory, SMSU improves to 2-0 on the campaign, while the visiting Flyers drop to 1-1 on the season.

The Flyers, who held as big as a nine-point lead in the first half, saw that lead evaporate in the opening four minutes of the second stanza, as SMSU went on a 13-0 run, led by five points from Jon DeRock (10 points), to take a 37-31 lead with 16:44 left in regulation.

A few minutes later, the balance of the game shifted back in the favor of the visiting Flyers, as they went on a 10-2 run, led by a pair of three-pointers from sophomore forward Justin Jarosz (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) to take a 47-44 lead with 9:41 left in the contest.

SMSU, however, would not go away quiety as they clawed back to tie the game at 55, following a pair of free throws from Lavione West with 4:36 left in the game.

On the ensuing possession, Strus was whistled for a charge, turning the ball over to the host Mustangs with 4:23 left in the contest. Lewis head coach Scott Trost was whistled for a technical foul for arguing the call.

The Mustangs went on a 10-2 run over the next four minutes, led by five points from DeAnthony Zanders (8 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists) to secure the victory.

Lewis returns to action on Saturday (Nov. 21), as they take on Upper Iowa at 3 p.m.

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 10th largest private, not-for-profit university in Illinois is being honored for the sixth consecutive year by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. For more information please visit www.lewisu.edu.

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