CHICAGO, Ill. – Jake Rhode became just the seventh player in Elmhurst history to score 40 or more point in a game, pumping in a career-best 41 to lead the Elmhurst men's basketball team to its 11th consecutive victory, a 98-73 win over North Park University
Elmhurst, ranked fourth in the latest D3hoops.com poll, ran its record to 17-1 overall and 8-1 in the CCIW.
North Park (3-15, 1-8 CCIW) scored the game's first nine points as Elmhurst missed its first five shots of the contest. The Bluejays followed with the next eight points to pull to within a point, before moving in front for good at 16-15 with 13:23 left in the half. The Bluejays pushed their lead up to 11 points at 32-21 with eight minutes remaining before North Park pulled to within two points with 2:43 left. Elmhurst led 47-42 at the half.
Leading 54-49 earl in the second half, the Bluejays used an 18-6 run to open up a 17-point cushion and blow the game open. Elmhurst led by as many as 26 points before coasting to the 25-point win.
North Park had no answer for Rhode as the Elmhurst junior had a career day. Rhode finished with 41 points, shooting 11-of-15 from the floor, 5-of-6 from beyond the arc and 14-of-15 from the free throw line. He added five rebounds, four assists and two steals in the victory. His 41-point performance is just the 11th time in school history an Elmhurst player has scored 40 or more points. Only six other players had previously scored 40 or more in Elmhurst history (Bill Simpson and Claude White each scored 40 or more on three separate occasions). Rhode's 41-point performance ties him for the eighth-highest single-game total in school history and it's the most points scored by a Bluejay since the 1974-75 season.
Three other Bluejays reached double figures in scoring in the victory. Derek Dotlich totaled 16 points while pulling down seven rebounds. Lavon Thomas added 12 points and six rebounds while Dominic Genco came off the bench to total 11 points and six boards. Jay Miltitello added seven rebounds to go with four points.
Elmhurst shot 51.6 percent (33-of-64) from the floor, including 33.3 percent (8-of-24) from three-point distance. Elmhurst hit 24-of-28 attempts (85.7 percent) from the foul line. The Bluejays also dominated the game inside, outrebounding North Park 52-28 and outscoring the Vikings 42-14 in the paint.
North Park shot 36.4 percent (24-of-66) from the floor, including 33.3 percent (11-of-33) from downtown. The Vikings hit 14-of-21 from the foul line (66.7 percent). Toby Marek led the Vikings with 20 points while Izaiah Sanders scored 12 and Alex Flute finished with 11.
Elmhurst travels to Augustana College on Wednesday, January 29.
