Feb. 6, 2011

Box Score

Men's Basketball: Lewis 71, Saint Joseph's 51 in PDF Format

Rensselaer, Ind. - Saint Joseph's Scharf Fieldhouse has been a house of horrors for the Lewis University men's basketball team in recent years, as the Flyers have not won a game in Rensselaer since 2003.

Lewis' six-game road-losing streak against Saint Joseph's, however, came to an end on Sunday (Feb. 6) afternoon, as the Flyers earned the 71-51 Great Lakes Valley Conference victory over the host Pumas to gain sole possession of first place in the GLVC North Division.

Lewis senior guard Dennis Thomas, Jr. (Milwaukee, Wis./Bradley Tech) posted a game-high 20 points for the Flyers, while junior forward Matt Toth (Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg) chipped in 16 points and seven rebounds in the victory.

"I thought we competed today and played hard," Lewis head men's basketball coach Scott Trost said. "We played (defensively) with a lot of effort, contested their shots and helped one another."

With the victory, Lewis improves to 14-11 overall and 7-7 in conference play, while the host Pumas are now 10-12 on the season and 6-8 in GLVC action.

The Flyers won in spite of themselves, turning the ball over a season-high 21 times. Lewis, however, countered their miscues by holding Saint Joseph's to a 31.5% (17-for-54) shooting performance from the field and knocking down 85.7% (24-for-27) of their free throw attempts.

Offensively, Lewis shot 51.2% (22-for-43) from the field, marking the ninth time this season that the Flyers have made at least half of their shots. The Flyers also enjoyed a sizeable advantage on the glass, holding a 36-21 rebounding advantage over the Pumas.

Saint Joseph's Jade Anthrop topped the Pumas with 11 points, including three trifectas, while Jon Smith came off the bench and scored 10 points.

The Flyers and Pumas return to action on Thursday night, as both teams will do battle at 7:45 p.m. (CST) at Lewis' Neil Carey Arena. Thursday's contest will be broadcast live on Lakeshore Public Television, which can be seen on DirecTV and Dish Network (Ch. 56) and on channels 18 and 21 in Chicago and its suburbs.

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.

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