FOND DU LAC, Wis. - The 23rd-ranked Elmhurst University men's basketball team remained perfect on the young season, downing the Marian Sabres 86-68 Wednesday evening inside Sadoff Gym.

Despite a three-point deficit at the half, their first of the season, the Bluejays were able to turn it on in the second half and handle the Sabres to improve to 3-0 on the season. Ocean Johnson again led all Bluejay scorers with 20 points to go with seven rebounds, while Jonathan Zapinski recorded his first double-double of the season (15 points, 11 rebounds) and blocked three shots in the road victory. Wesley Hooker added 12 points of his own, while John Ittounas recorded 11 points. As a team, Elmhurst scored 56 of their points in the paint and 27 second chance points off of the same number of offensive rebounds.

The Sabres (0-1) were led by Tyler Gouin, who led all scorers with 25 points, and 12 points from both David Britton and Akeemis Williams.

HOW IT HAPPENED

It was a defensive battle to begin the game, with the Bluejays jumping out to a quick 6-0 lead before the Sabres gained a one-point lead with 12 minutes to go in the half. The two teams traded baskets to even the score at one before a seven-point burst from Marian gave them their largest lead of the first half. The Sabres continued to put pressure on Elmhurst in the final minutes of the first half, holding the Bluejays to five points in the final four minutes to allow Marian to head into the intermission up by three.

Though the defensive pressure by Marian continued to begin the second half, Hooker added a trey, fastbreak layup, and a pair of free throws to help the Bluejays flip a seven-point deficit into an eight-point lead with 13 minutes to go in the contest, a lead they would not vanquish the rest of the game. Myles Thomas added a layup and a pair of free throws to help grow the Bluejay lead, and a dunk by Hooker continued Elmhurst's scoring run. A layup and a free throw from Ittounas gave the Bluejays their largest lead of the night (18) and sealed Elmhurst's 86-68 victory in Fond du Lac.

UP NEXT

The Bluejays will wrap up their road trip this Saturday, Nov. 19, traveling to Storm Lake, Iowa to take on Buena Vista University for a 2:00 p.m. CT tipoff.

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