Dec. 2, 2010

Box Score

Men's Basketball: Lewis 60, Maryville 45 in PDF Format

St. Louis, Mo. - Lewis University guards Dennis Thomas, Jr. (Milwaukee, Wis./Bradley Tech) and Chris McClellan (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Wheeling) combined for 40 points, as the visiting Flyers claimed the 60-45 victory over Maryville in the Great Lakes Valley Conference opener at Moloney Arena on Thursday (Dec. 2) night.

Thomas posted a game-high 21 points, including three trifectas, while McClellan added 19 points, three three-pointers and tied a career-high with six rebounds. Junior center Marty Strus (Hickory Hills, Ill./Stagg) collected 10 points in the win.

With the win, Lewis improves to 4-4 overall and 1-0 in GLVC action, while the Saints drop to 2-3 on the campaign and 0-1 in conference play. The win also snaps a three-game road losing streak for the Flyers.

Lewis' defensive effort, however, proved to be the difference in the game, as the Flyers held Maryville to a 37.5% (15-for-40) shooting performance from the floor.

Maryville's 40 shots on Thursday night, was the fewest by a Flyer opponent since Quincy attempted 40 in a 62-38 loss to Lewis on January 30, 2004. The Saints only attempted 16 shots from inside the three-point arc.

"I thought we did some good things defensively tonight," Lewis head men's basketball coach Scott Trost said. "Maryville is a difficult team to guard, because they run the Princeton offense. They're very deliberate and they'll make you play defense, or they'll back-cut you."  

The Flyers dominated the glass on Thursday, as Lewis grabbed 35 rebounds, including eight offensive caroms, to Maryville's 19 boards.

Maryville forward Cody Sorenson topped the Saints with 17 points.

Lewis returns to action on Saturday (Dec. 2), as they head across town to square off with Missouri-St. Louis for a 3 p.m. (CST) tip-off.

Lewis University is a Catholic university offering distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs to approximately 6,000 traditional and adult students. Lewis offers multiple campus locations, online degree programs, and a variety of formats that provide accessibility and convenience to a growing student population. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis prepares ethically grounded, globally aware, and socially responsible graduates. The ninth largest not-for-profit university in Illinois, Lewis has been nationally recognized by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. Visit www.lewisu.edu for further information.

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