Chicago, Ill. – A valiant comeback by the Illinois Tech men's basketball team fell just short, as host University of Chicago held on for a 65-63 win over the Scarlet Hawks Saturday afternoon at the Ratner Athletic Center. The Scarlet Hawks fell to 1-5 on the season, as they transition to conference play next week. The Maroons improved to 4-2.

How It Happened:

First Half

• The Scarlet Hawks Kyle Hornacek made a layup at the 15:24 to tie the game at 4-4.
• A Brandon Beckman layup completed an 8-2 run for the Maroons to build a 12-6 lead.
• A pair of free throws by Otis Reale at the 9:31 mark completed an 8-0 run for the Hawks to give them a 14-12 lead.
• The teams traded baskets over the next eight minutes before the Maroons closed out the half with a pair of free throws and a layup by Bryce Hopkins to enter the half with a 31-26 lead.
• Milos Dugalic had eight points and eight rebounds in the half. Reale added eight points.
• Beckman and Hopkins paced the Maroons with nine points each in the half.

Second Half

• Zach Munson made a pair of layups as part of a Maroons 6-0 run to start the second half, boosting their lead to 37-26.
• A Reale layup at the 15:39 mark cut the Hawks deficit to 41-35.
• The teams would go scoreless over the next two minutes before a Calvin Schmitz layup at 13:29 pulled the Hawks with four at 41-37.
• The Hawks would stay within four until an Alec Bryan jumper started a 10-1 run for the Maroons to extend their lead to 51-41 with just over 10 minutes to play.
• The Maroons would maintain an eight-point lead until a Dugalic layup at the 3:44 mark pulled the Hawks within six.
• The Hawks chipped away at the Maroons lead until an Ahmad Muhammad three-pointer with 23 seconds remaining tied the score at 63 all.
• After a Beckman layup with five seconds remaining put the Maroons up by two, a last-second layup by Reale out of an Illinois Tech timeout wouldn't fall, as the Hawks fell 65-63.
• Reale paced the Hawks with 11 points in the second half. Dugalic added 10 points, and Schmitz eight points.
• Bryan led the Maroons with 10 points in the half. 

Scarlet Hawk Standouts

• Reale paced the Hawks with 19 points, while adding four rebounds and four assists.
• Dugalic added 18 points to go along with a team-leading 13 rebounds.
• Schmitz finished with 12 points and six rebounds.

Maroons Watch

• Hopkins led a balanced Maroons offense with 15 points.
• Beckman had 13 points to go along with five rebounds and four assists.

Inside the Box Score

• The Hawks shot 29.4% from three-point range on 5-17 shooting. The Maroons finished at 20% from three (3-15). 
• The Hawks committed 13 fouls in the contest; the Maroons were whistled for 10 fouls.
• Dugalic was the minutes leader for the Hawks, playing 36 minutes. Beckman led the Maroons in playing time with 31 minutes.

Up Next

• The Scarlet Hawks open up NACC conference play on Wednesday December 1^st when they travel to Aurora University to take on the Spartans at 7:15pm.