Box Score HILLSDALE, Mich. – Lewis University's men's basketball team got the start it wanted but was unable to maintain it in a 67-52 loss at No. 16 Hillsdale on Tuesday evening in Hillsdale, Mich.
The Flyers (0-4) led by as many as 10 points in the opening half at 22-12 on a jumper in the paint from
Deon Ejim (Toronto, Canda/TRC Academy) with 7:25 to play in the stanza. The Chargers (4-1) countered with a 10-0 run to even the score at 22 on two free throws from Austen Yarian with less than five minutes to play in the half.
The final four minutes of the half went back-and-forth with Lewis scoring seven straight to regain the lead and push it to 29-22 but Hillsdale went on an 8-0 run in the span of 90 seconds to take its only lead of the half at 30-29 on a three-pointer from Jack Gohlke with 0:42 left in the frame. The Flyers took a 31-30 lead into the break on a layup from
Utku Kurtulus (Istanbul, Turkey/First Love Christian Academy) with 0:24 remaining in the stanza.
Lewis shot 46 percent (12-for-26) from the floor in the half, were 2-of-8 from three and were perfect at the foul line (5-for-5). It outrebounded the Chargers 18-12 and outscored them 9-3 in second chance points.
Connor Niego (Western Springs, Ill./Lyons Township) scored 14 of his team-high 16 points in the half.
Hillsdale opened the second half on a 10-7 run to turn the one-point halftime deficit into a two-point lead.
The Flyers went cold over an eight-minute stretch as it was held to just five points while the Chargers scored 18 themselves to extend their lead to 15 after an old fashioned three-point play from Patrick Cartier.
Lewis cut the deficit to 11 on a layup from Ejim with 4:35 remaining but that would be the closest it got as Hillsdale scored eight of the final 12 points of the contest to seal the win.
The Flyers were held to just 35 percent (9-for-26) from the field in the second half and just 40 percent for the game. They shot 33 percent from three for the game and didn't attempt a free throw in the second half. Niego finished with a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds while Ejim added 10 points and eight boards.
The Chargers had four players reach double figures in scoring led by Cartier with 17 points while Yarian and Gohlke had 12 points apiece and Kyle Goessler added 10 more. Hillsdale shot 52 percent from the field in the second half to finish the contest shooting 45.5 percent (25-for-55) from the floor.
Lewis concludes its four-game roadtrip on Saturday afternoon traveling to Sault Ste, Marie, Mich., to take on Lake Superior State at 2 p.m. (CST).
