ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – The Lewis men's basketball team used a 14-2 run in the final five minutes to break a 71-71 tie to pick up an 86-79 win over Benedictine in its home opener on Tuesday night at Neil Carey Arena.

Kendale McCullum (Elgin, Ill./Elgin Larkin) led four Flyers (2-1) in double figures with 23 points and also had a game-high nine assists. Delaney Blaylock (Wyoming, Mich./Godwin Heights) added 13 points while Jake Reinhart (Bloomington, Ill./Central Catholic) and Adam Pischke (Cary, Ill./Marian Central Catholic) contributed 12 and 11 points respectively.

Troy Burrows tied the game for the Eagles, who were playing this as an exhibition contest, on a layup with 5:50 left in the contest. McCullum answered on the other end with a layup and was fouled on the play but was unable to hit the free throw to finish the three-point play.

Kenny Bogus was fouled on the ensuing possession and had a chance to tie the game but made only 1-of-2 at the line. McCullum and Pischke then combined to score the next eight points in the span of a minute to push the lead to 81-72 with 3:10 remaining.

After a missed three from Burrows, Blaylock threw down a dunk to give the Flyers a double digit lead and then Reinhart capped it with a layup to make it 85-73 with 1:43 to play.

Bryan Jacobsze hit a three-pointer and an old fashioned three-point play in the final minute to cut the final margin to seven points.

Benedictine shot 65 percent (15-for-23) from the field in the first 20 minutes and were 7-of-10 from the three-point line. It led by as many as four late in the first half before Lewis closed the frame scoring the final six points to take a 49-44 advantage into the locker room.

The Flyers did a better job in the second half defending the three-point line holding the Eagles to 3-of-11 shooting from downtown and held them to 50 percent shooting overall in the frame.

Lewis finished the game shooting 53 percent (33-for-62) from the field but was only 4-of-16 from three and shot 70 percent at the foul line. It outrebounded Benedictine 32-27 and turned 22 Eagle turnovers into 25 points.

The Flyers also dominated in the paint outscoring Benedictine 42-24 and 15-5 in second chance points.

Bogus and Eric Grygo led five Eagles in double figures with 17 points apiece. Burrows added 15 while Jacobsze and Collin Mergl finished with 13 points each.

Lewis is back in action this Saturday as it travels to Detroit to take on Wayne State at 2 p.m. (CST).