ANGOLA, IND.-- A late run led Elmhurst to a 67-58 victory over Trine in non-conference action Wednesday night in Hershey Hall.
A 12-2 run over a span of 2:38 turned a 47-47 game into a 10-point Blue Jay lead with 3:31 to play. Elmhurst shot 58 percent (14-of-24) in the second half, including a 5-of-9 (56 percent) effort from long distance in the final 20 minutes. Bryant Ackerman led the Blue Jays with 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting and hit 4-of-6 attempts from three-point range. He scored 13 of his points in the second half. Will Dixon (Indianapolis, Ind./Zionsville) led three Thunder in double-figures with 20 points on an 8-of-17 effort from the field. Trine falls to 0-2 on the season. Elmhurst improved to 3-0 with the win.
Jared Holmquist (Reed City, Mich./Reed City) notched 16 points on 8-of-15 shooting for the Thunder. The junior added five rebounds and three blocks. Tyler Good (Swanton, Ohio/Evergreen) added 15 points, five boards and three assists. Trine shot 43 percent from the field (23-of-54).
Erik Crittenden provided a spark off the bench for Elmhurst, scoring 11 points. The Blue Jay bench produced 29 points on the night. Elmhurst also held a 38-27 edge on the glass. The Blue Jays shot 50 percent from the field (23-of-46) and 9-of-15 (60 percent) from three-point range.
The game featured six ties and 12 lead changes through the first 33-plus minutes of action. Trine led by as much as five after a 9-4 start, which included four points from Holmquist, two from Dixon and a three by Good. Elmhurst's largest lead prior to the deciding run was a six-point advantage, which came after a 7-1 run to open up the second half.
A layup by Crittenden broke the 47-all tie with 5:49 to play. A three by Ackerman, a driving dunk by Crittenden, and another Ackerman three after a pair of Good free throws pushed the Elmhurst lead to eight.
A Jalen Loving layup capped the run and made the score 59-49 with 3:31 to play. Trine was never able to close the deficit under seven the remainder of the contest.
Trine returns to action next Tuesday, Nov. 25 when they travel to Franklin. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
