LEBANON, Ill. – Lewis' men's basketball team dropped its 2019-20 season opener to a hot shooting Northern Michigan squad 76-63 on Saturday evening at the Melvin Price Convocation Center in Lebanon, Ill.
Anthony D'Avanzo (Harwood Heights, Ill./Notre Dame) led all scorers with 19 points in the contest.
The Flyers led by as many as seven in the opening half after D'Avanzo three put them ahead 24-17 with less than three minutes to play in the stanza. The Wildcats closed the half scoring the final six points to cut Lewis' lead to 24-23 at the half.
The Flyers shot 48 percent (11-for-23) from the field but was 2-of-6 from three. D'Avanzo scored 12 of his points in the half.
Northern Michigan opened the second half hot from the perimeter knocking down their first four attempts to take a 35-28 lead less than three minutes into the half.
Lewis was able to cut the Wildcat lead to four after a pair of free throws by
Donovan Oliver (Kewanee, Ill./Kewanee) with 12:57 left in the contest. That would be the closest they got though as NMU responded with an 11-2 run over the next 2:43 to take a 13 point lead.
The Flyers wouldn't get closer than eight points the rest of the contest as Northern Michigan hit its free throws down the stretch for the 13-point victory.
The Wildcats shot 59 percent in the second half and nearly 70 percent from three while hitting 12-of-14 free throws. Alec Fruin led five NMU players in double figures with 17 points while Dolapo Olayinka added 13, Marcus Matelski had 12, Ben Wolf added 11 and Sam Taylor Finished with 10.
Lewis shot 48 percent in the second half and finished the game 21-for-44 (47.7) percent from the field, it shot 33 percent from three and was 18-for-20 at the foul line.
Adam Pischke (Cary, Ill./Marian Central Catholic) joined D'Avanzo in double figures with 14 points while
Artese Stapleton (Chicago, Ill./Kenwood) and
Dre Bell (Detroit, Mich./River Rouge) added nine points apiece.
The Flyers take on Michigan Tech on Sunday afternoon in the GLVC/GLIAC Challenge at 1 p.m. in Lebanon, Ill.
