Jan. 22, 2011

Box Score

Men's Basketball: Lewis 69, Missouri S&T 58 in PDF Format

Romeoville, Ill. - Basketball is a game of momentum, and good `ol `Uncle Mo' swung towards the Lewis University men's basketball team at just the right time, as the Flyers used an 11-2 run over the final four minutes to pick up the 69-58 Great Lakes Valley Conference victory over Missouri S&T at Neil Carey Arena on Saturday (Jan. 22) afternoon.

Lewis senior guard Dennis Thomas, Jr. (Milwaukee, Wis./Bradley Tech) posted a game-high 23 points, including four three-pointers, while junior forward Matt Toth (Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg) narrowly missed a double-double with 17 points and nine rebounds.

"We gutted out a win," Lewis head men's basketball coach Scott Trost said. "It may have not been pretty, but we found a way to make some plays down the stretch."

With the victory, Lewis improves to 12-9 overall and 5-5 in GLVC action, while the Miners fall to 6-12 on the campaign and 2-9 in conference play.

Lewis, who had the lead for a majority of the contest, owned a 49-37 advantage over the Miners with 10:44 left in the second half. S&T made a last ditch effort and responded with a 19-9 run over the next six minutes to cut the lead to 58-56 with 4:19 left in the game.

The Flyers, who knocked down a season-high 23 free throws against the Miners, hit 9-for-10 of their charity tosses and added a Marty Strus (Hickory Hills, Ill./Stagg) dunk down the stretch to claim the victory.

Lewis was solid on the defensive end, as they limited Missouri S&T to a 35.1% (20-for-57) shooting performance and claimed a season-high eight blocks, with three swats apiece from both Toth and Strus.

"We're not pretty on offense, so we have to defend them on the half court," Trost said. "Defensively when we get running and get some transition baskets, that helps us. We're pretty good at that end of the court."

Lewis returns to action on Thursday, as the Flyers head to Evansville, Indiana to square off with Southern Indiana for a 7:30 p.m. (EST) tip-off.

Lewis University is a Catholic university offering distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 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.

##LEWIS##