KENOSHA, Wis.- The Elmhurst University men's basketball team took down Carthage College 70-64 Saturday evening inside Tarble Arena.

Elmhurst (12-6, 4-5 CCIW) used a late second-half run powered by five different players in double digit scoring to get back in the win column and stay in the race for a spot in the CCIW Tournament.

The highlight player of the night was Jonathan Zapinski, who passed Will Nixon for the most blocks in a Bluejay career. Zapinski, who tallied three blocks on the evening, now owns 139 career blocks. Zapinski also added ten points and eight rebounds in the Bluejays' victory.

John Ittounas reached double figure scoring again for Elmhurst, tallying 16 points to lead the Bluejays. Tagen Pearson notched 15 points on the evening and Matt Woloch added 12, while Ocean Johnson scored ten points. 

The Firebirds (12-5, 5-4 CCIW) were led by Filip Bulatovic's game-high 20 points, while Antuan Nesbitt added 18 points for the home team on a trio of three-pointers.

Elmhurst started fast, jumping out to an 8-0 lead before the Firebirds responded with an eight-point run of their own to knot the game. The run for the home team continued, and a 14-0 run put Carthage in the lead early. The Bluejays responded and kept the pressure on Carthage, leading 28-21 with five to go in the first half. It was Carthage who gained the momentum into the locker room, however, ending the half on a 11-2 run to take a two-point lead into halftime.

The Firebirds continued their first-half momentum into the second period, jumping out to a six point lead a few minutes into the half before a trio of free throws from Pearson and a good jumper from Ittounas tightened the deficit to one. The Bluejays breifly regained the lead on a Woloch layup, but Carthage responded quick to regain the lead. The two teams continued to trade the lead before the score evened at 49 with under eight to go.

Balanced scoring from the Bluejay offense late in the half allowed the visitors to build a six-point lead with five to go, but a Bulatovic layup with 1:42 to go kept the game close. Johnson knocked down a jumper to extend the lead, but Bulatovic and the Firebirds again responded with a driving layup to keep the score within one. With Carthage needing to foul to extend the game, Zapinski and Woloch knocked down five free throws to seal the Bluejays' six-point league victory.

UP NEXT

Elmhurst will return to R.A. Faganel Hall next Wednesday, Jan. 25 to take on Millikin University in CCIW action. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. CT.

FOLLOW THE BLUEJAYS

Be sure to keep up with all Elmhurst University Athletics content by following the Bluejays on Twitter (@elmhurstbluejay), Facebook (Elmhurst University Athletics) and Instagram (@elmhurstbluejays), and tune in to elmhurstbluejays.com for the latest news and information.