Box Score
Three free throws with 2.3 seconds remaining allowed the Elmhurst men's basketball team to hold off a fierce second half rally from Carthage College in a 73-70 victory.
Elmhurst led by as many as 22 points in the contest but had to rally late for the victory. The Bluejays scored the first nine points of the contest to set the tone early.
Kyle Wuest capped the early onslaught with a layup at the 16:30 mark of the half, his second in the stretch. The lead reached double figures when
Nick Sanford dropped home a layup with 14:10 to go in the half.
The double-digit advantage held for most of the half, reaching as many as 16 when
Nathan Rogers hit a jumper with just over six minutes to go in the half. Carthage clawed to within eight late before a 6-0 spurt. Elmhurst capped the half with an exclamation point on a no look pass from Wuest to
Erik Crittenden for a dunk just before the buzzer to make the score 42-28. Elmhurst collected 12 second-chance points in the half, holding a 25-14 edge on the glass.
The second half began similar to the first. Elmhurst opened the half with seven consecutive points to open a 49-28 lead.
Taylor Baxter struck with a quick three to open the run and
Nick Sanford capped it with a layup. Carthage did not score until a pair of free throws with 16:37 left in the game.
Baxter hit another three with 16:27 to play, putting the hosts in front 52-30. Carthage responded with an 8-0 run, pulling within 12. Trailing by 13 at the midway point of the half, the visitors scored nine straight to pull within four points. Still down seven with 5:35 left, Carthage (11-6, 4-2) scored nine straight to lead for the first time at 66-64 with 2:38 to go. The Red Men never led again, ending a four game win streak. The teams traded buckets over a two-minute span before a pair of free throws from
Will Nixon and a
Bryant Ackerman free throw on a technical allowed Elmhurst (11-6, 3-3) to collect the win.
Wuest led four scorers in double figures with 17 points. Nixon added 14. Baxter and Sanford also hit double digits with 10 apiece.
Elmhurst hosts Augustana on Saturday afternoon at 4:00 p.m.
