KENOSHA, Wis. - Five Elmhurst players reached double-digit points as the Bluejays held on for a tight 78-75 road win over Carthage College.
 

The Bluejays, ranked No. 19 in the latest D3hoops.com national poll, received double-digits contributions from Kyle Wuest (17 points), Erik Crittenden (16), Brandon Schwebke (12), Will Nixon (11), and Eric Leonard (11). 

Neither team led by more than six in the first half, with the Red Men out in front for the majority of the period. Elmhurst used a two-minute 6-0 run to take a 26-21 lead. A layup by Wuest with one minute left gave the Bluejays a 30-26 lead at the break.

Elmhurst came out firing in the second half, making nine of its first 10 shots from the field and jumping out to an 11-point lead. A Bryant Ackerman free throw with 7:50 to go extended the Bluejays' lead to 17, their largest of the contest. 

The Red Men stormed back with a 13-1 run over the next four minutes. During that stretch, Carthage made both of their three-point shots and five of six attempts from the free-throw line. On the defensive end, they only allowed Elmhurst to take one shot over the four minute period, while forcing seven turnovers. 

Elmhurst's success at the free throw line kept their lead at two possessions in the final minutes. Wuest, Schwebke, and Leonard converted on 12 consecutive free throw attempts to put the game away. 
 

Wuest led the way for the Bluejays, scoring 12 of his 17 points in the second half, while shooting 50 percent from the floor and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw stripe. Crittenden scored his 16 points by converting on eight of 13 shots from the field. Nixon led Elmhurst with seven rebounds, while Crittenden and Wuest pitched in six apiece. 

Dante Logan led the Red Men with 17 points, all of which came in the second half. Mike Stevenson and Mike Leazer joined Logan in double figures with 13 and 11 points respectively. 

Elmhurst (17-4, 7-3 CCIW), shot over 50 percent from the field in the game and 72 percent in the second half, but turned the ball over 18 times to Carthage's (7-13, 3-7 CCIW) 13 in the victory.

This Saturday, February 7, the Bluejays travel to Wheaton College with tip-off scheduled for 7:00 p.m.