Jake Bruns hit three shots from beyond the arc on Wednesday (photo credit: Steven Joncus)
Posted: Jan 03, 2019
MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The Illinois Tech men's basketball team put on an impressive display on Wednesday night, taking down Wisconsin Lutheran College 84-65 in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) contest. Behind season-high marks in points scored and free throw percentage, the Scarlet Hawks (7-5, 4-3 NACC) moved into a three-way tie for third place in the conference.
How it Happened
- The Warriors (5-7, 3-4 NACC) came into the contest with one of the league's best players in Collin Kennedy. He established himself early, as the scorer helped the host take an 18-11 lead with 12 points over the first six and a half minutes.
- Lutheran's lead would reach as high as eight before Tech reeled itself back in. With Tech down 23-15, Anthony Mosley Jr. scored seven points in 77 seconds, giving Tech its first lead since 2-0 and prompting a Warriors timeout.
- The stoppage in play did little to halt Illinois Tech, as the Scarlet Hawks managed to build its lead to as high as 12 in the half. With Mosley Jr.'s 19 first-half points leading the way, Tech led 43-35 at intermission.
- After both teams went scoreless over the first 2:35 of the second half, the Scarlet Hawks opened up a 6-0 run to take a 49-35 lead.
- With the lead never dropping back below double-digits, Tech coasted in the second half. A balanced attack helped the Scarlet Hawks carry the load, with nine Jake Bruns points on three three-pointers headlining the final twenty minutes.
Scarlet Hawk Standouts
- Mosley Jr., the two-time reigning NACC Student-Athlete of the Week, led all players with 24 points on 7-of-11 shooting. He was also 8-of-8 from the foul line and added five assists.
- Jake Digiorgio was ultra-efficient, tallying 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting with six rebounds.
- Max Hisatake had one of his best statistical games of the season, scoring 10 points, adding 16 rebounds, and blocking two shots. He was also a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe.
- Tech also had big boots off the bench from Milos Dugalic (11 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals) and Bruns (nine points).
Stats to Know
- Tech's 95% free throw percentage (19-of-20) and 84 points are both season-best marks. The team's 54.7% mark from the floor is Tech's second highest percentage, trailing only its 55.6% mark on December 19 at Concordia University Wisconsin.
- The Scarlet Hawks dominated on the glass, outrebounding the Warriors 41-29.
- Lutheran was held to just 38% shooting.
Up Next
- On Saturday, the Scarlet Hawks will square off with Lakeland University at 2:00 p.m. on the road.
- The Muskies, along with Rockford University, are a part of the three-team tie for third place in the NACC standings.
- The two teams have met once this season, with the Scarlet Hawks downing Lakeland on December 15 74-55 in the Keating Sports Center.