JOLIET, Ill. – The 12th ranked Lewis men's basketball team scored a season-high 90 points in its 90-59 win at crosstown rival St. Francis on Wednesday evening at the Pat Sullivan Center in Joliet, Ill. The Flyers (6-1) led wire-to-wire in the contest for its fifth straight victory.
Lewis scored the first six points of the contest but the Fighting Saints (9-3) fought back to within 14-12 after a three-pointer from Terrion Howard with 13:12 left in the first half. The Flyers responded with an 11-0 run over the next two-plus minutes behind four points from
Kendale McCullum (Elgin, Ill./Elgin Larkin), three from
Delaney Blaylock (Wyoming, Mich./Godwin Heights) and two apiece from
Donovan Oliver (Kewanee, Ill./Kewanee) and
Brandon McCombs (Jacksonville, Ill./Jacksonville) to extend their lead to 25-12.
USF cut the deficit to under 32-23 after a pair of free throws from Lewis Holey with 7:05 remaining in the stanza. Lewis then ended the half scoring 16 of the final 24 points highlighted by Blaylock's alley-oop dunk from
Marco Pettinato (Mokena, Ill./Lincoln-Way West) with nine seconds left in the half.
The Flyers shot 65 percent (20-for-31) in the opening half and forced 17 turnovers which they turned into 20 points and outscored the Saints 18-to-4 in fast break points and 30-to-12 in points in the paint. Blaylock led Lewis with 11 points while McCullum dropped in 10.
The Flyers opened the second half on a 27-10 run over the first 10-plus minutes to extend their halftime lead to 75-41 on a layup from McCullum. The lead eventually grew to 36 points on a layup from
Joffery Brown (Burr Ridge, Ill./St. Joseph's) with 6:34 left in the contest.
St. Francis scored 13 of the last 22 points to reach the final margin.
Lewis shot a season-high 58.5 percent (38-for-65) from the field in the contest and also forced a season-high 24 turnovers in the game. They outscored the Saints 58-to-24 in the paint, 28-to-10 in points off turnovers, 19-to-4 in second chance points and 24-to-4 in fast break points.
McCullum led four Flyers in double figures in scoring with 17 points. Blaylock added 15,
Dusan Mahorcic (Montenegro, Serbia/Notre Dame College Prep) scored 14 off the bench and
Adam Pischke (Cary, Ill./Marian Central Catholic) finished with 12. Oliver grabbed 10 rebounds while McCullum had eight assists and five steals.
Holey led USF with 14 points and 15 rebounds in the contest. They were 22-for-51 (43.1 percent) from the field, shot 35 percent from three and were 8-of-9 at the foul line.
Lewis closes out its pre-Christmas schedule next Wednesday against Findlay at 7 p.m.
