Jan. 8, 2011

Box Score

Men's Basketball: Lewis 64, Quincy 59 in PDF Format

Romeoville, Ill. - When it comes to close contests this season, the Lewis University men's basketball team has found itself on the short end of the stick, as the Flyers entered Saturday's contest against Quincy with a record of 0-4 in games decided by five points or less.

The Flyers put an end to that trend on Saturday night, as they broke a 57-all tie with a 7-2 run over the final 1:24 of the game, as Lewis earned the 64-59 Great Lakes Valley Conference victory over the visiting Hawks at Neil Carey Arena.

"I thought our guys competed hard tonight," Lewis head men's basketball coach Scott Trost said. "Defensively we did pretty good overall and we made some big plays when we had to."

With the win, Lewis improves to 10-7 overall and 3-3 in GLVC action, while the visiting Hawks are now 9-4 on the season and 2-3 in conference play. The win puts the Flyers in a tie for first place in the GLVC North with UW-Parkside.

Junior forward Matt Toth (Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg) led four Flyers in double-figures with a game-high 20 points and seven rebounds on 9-for-13 shooting. Senior guard Dennis Thomas (Milwaukee, Wis./Bradley Tech) finished with 17 points, including three trifectas, while backcourt mate Chris McClellan (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Wheeling) added 13 points, six assists and zero turnovers in the win. Sophomore guard David Bryant (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) finished the game with three trifectas and 10 points.

"I thought Toth was really good and I thought Chris McClellan really stepped up," Trost said. "Any win we get, will help our confidence just a little bit and gives you an extra lift.

"And that's what I think our guys needed."

Lewis had the lead for the majority of the second half and even had a nine-point advantage over the Hawks, as a Toth jumper pushed the Flyers ahead 44-35 with 13:32 left in the game.

Quincy, however, would not go away quietly, as they went on a 22-13 run over the next 10 minutes and tied the game up at 57-apiece with 3:53 left following a Tyler Thompson (15 points) three-pointer.

Both teams went scoreless on their next four possessions, culminating with a Quincy turnover by Thompson. Trost called time-out and on the ensuing inbounds play, Bryant was whistled for what appeared to be a five-second call. Trost, however, was able to call a time-out to the official on the opposite side of the court which overruled the turnover.

Bryant quickly responded with a NBA range three-pointer to break the deadlock and put the Flyers ahead for good at 60-57.

The Flyers took care of the ball on Saturday, as they committed a mere seven turnovers against Quincy. They also took advantage of the Hawks' turnovers, as the Flyers scored 18 points off the Quincy miscues.

Quincy forward Andreas Coleman came off the bench to score 15 points for the Hawks.

Lewis returns to action on Saturday (Jan. 15) evening, as the Flyers host Indianapolis for a 7:45 p.m. tip-off. The game will be aired live on Lakeshore Public Television.

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.

##LEWIS##