CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Elmhurst University men's basketball team snapped a two-game losing streak Wednesday night, defeating the University of Lynchburg 87-73 in the finale of the inagural Jay Bilas Skills Camp Classic.

Elmhurst (8-4, 1-3 CCIW) was led by Tagen Pearson, who notched a career-high 28 points to power the Bluejay offense. Jonathan Zapinski recorded his second-straight double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds and adding five assists, while Wesley Hooker tallied a double-double of his own with 20 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, including a perfect 10-for-10 mark at the free-throw line. The Hornets (4-7, 1-3 ODAC) were led by a pair of 17 point performances from MilesTaylor and Trey Pittman.

Both teams began the game with steady back-and-forth scoring, with the score knotted at nine five minutes into the contest. A pair of baskets from Pearson and a fastbreak layup from Hooker put the Bluejays up seven at the first media timeout.

A 10-2 burst from the Bluejays extended the lead to 16 with 8:52 to go in the first half, and Elmhurst continued to respond to the Hornets throughout the first half. A trey from John Ittounas with less than two minutes to go grew the lead to 18, the Bluejays' largest of the half, and another three from Ittounas put the Bluejays up 15 with one half of basketball complete.

The Bluejays continued the scoring in the second half, with Hooker connecting with Zapinski on a fastbreak dunk to keep Elmhurst ahead by double digits. The Hornets brought the score to within 11 after the under-16 media timeout, but Elmhurst responded with five free throws from Hooker and Pearson's fourth trey of the night to extend the lead back to 17 with 12 minutes to go in the game.

Lynchburg refused to go away quietly, as a 10-5 run cut the Bluejay lead to eight with just under five minutes to go in the contest. The Hornets continued to put the pressure on the Bluejays, knocking down a pair of treys to keep the Bluejay lead to eight, but the Elmhurst defense forced three missed shots and a pair of free throws from Hooker sealed Elmhurst's 14-point victory in Charlotte.

UP NEXT

The Bluejays will wrap up non-conference play for the 2022-23 season on Friday, Dec. 30 when Calvin University visits R.A. Faganel Hall for a 7:00 p.m. CT tipoff. 

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