ELMHURST, Ill. – The Elmhurst University men's basketball team advanced to the semifinals of the 2021 CCIW Tournament with a convincing 89-63 win over Carroll University.
 
Carroll (5-8) scored the game's first five points as both teams struggled to get rolling in the opening half. The Pioneers led 13-10 eight minutes into the contest before Elmhurst (7-2) started to click. A 10-2 Elmhurst run gave the Bluejays a five-point cushion with 10:31 left in the half. The team would not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the contest. Leading 30-26 with six minutes left, the Bluejays finished the half on a 15-6 run to open up a 45-32 lead at the break.
 
The Bluejays started quickly in the second half, scoring the first nine points to extend their lead to 22 points at 54-32. Carroll used a 10-2 run over the next two minutes to trim the deficit down to 14 points, but the Bluejays answered back, pushing their lead back over two points on a pair of Ocean Johnson free throws with 11 minutes remaining. The Pioneers came no closer than 19 points for the remainder of the contest as the Bluejays cruised to the 26-point victory.
 
Elmhurst shot 50.8 percent (30-of-59) from the floor in the victory, including a blistering 59.1 percent (13-of-22) from three-point distance. Elmhurst also outrebounded Carroll 40-29.
 
Jay Militello paced the Bluejays in the win with a career-best effort. Militello scored a career-best 27 points, shooting 10-of-13 from the floor, including 3-of-5 from downtown. He added five rebounds and two assists in the win. Johnson added 17 points and six rebounds while Dominic Genco also hit double figures in scoring with 10. Lavon Thomas added nine points while Wesley Hooker came off the bench to score seven points and collect six rebounds. Hunter Merritt and Tagen Pearson both knocked down a pair of three points to finish with six points apiece.
 
Carroll shot 39.3 percent (24-of-61) from the floor, including 30.4 percent (7-of-23) from beyond the arc. Tarren Hall led the Pioneers in the loss with 24 points and five rebounds. Hall shot 8-of-16 from the floor and connected on 6-of-10 attempts from long distance. Justin Steinike added 18 points for the Pioneers in the loss.
 
Elmhurst will play at Illinois Wesleyan University on Tuesday, March 9, in the CCIW Tournament semifinals. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.