ELMHURST, Ill.- The Elmhurst University men's basketball team toppled Millikin University 75-73 Wednesday evening inside R.A. Faganel Hall.

Elmhurst (13-6, 5-5 CCIW) reached .500 in conference play for the first time this season, using clutch second-half baskets from John Ittounas to down the Big Blue. Ittounas finished with a game-high 24 points on 10-for-17 shooting from the field, adding four rebounds and four assists in the victory. Jonathan Zapinski blocked a pair of shots and contributed 12 points and seven boards on the evening, while Neshat Dalipi tallied 12 points and six rebounds. Ocean Johnson finished with a near double-double on 10 points and nine rebounds, while Matt Woloch contributed eight and Reece Taylor scored seven points for the Bluejays.

Millikin (9-10, 2-8 CCIW) was led by JT Welch, who tied Ittounas for a game-high 24 points, while Nate Straughter and Demarcus Bond contributed 19 and 13 points, respectively. 

The paint was busy in Wednesday night's matchup, with Millikin edging the Bluejays with 44 points in the paint compared to Elmhurst's 40, but the difference in the game was the Bluejay bench who tallied 21 points compared to Big Blue's 14.

Millikin started the game on an 11-2 run over the first five minutes of play, but Elmhurst quickly responded 12-5 run to bring the score within two. The Big Blue continued to add to their lead, but a pair of treys from Johnson and Dalipi moved the Bluejays back into the lead with seven to go in the first period.

Elmhurst widened their lead to four before Millikin stormed back, finishing the half on a 9-5 run to take a four-point lead into halftime.

The Big Blue continued to keep the pressure on Elmhurst, widening their lead to five in the opening three minutes of the second half before a trey from Ittounas and a pair of free throws from Johnson knotted the game at 44. Ittounas again responded offensively, knocking down a  pair of jumpers to move the Bluejays into a slim one-point lead with 13 to go. The teams began to trade buckets, keeping the game within two scores, before a Straughter three-pointer tied the game at 64 with 6:43 to go in the conference matchup.

After both teams layed the ball into the basket to move the score to a deadlock at 66, an emphatic and-one from Zapinski put the Bluejays up three with 4:24 to go. After a Millikin bucket, another layup from Zapinski kept the Bluejay lead at three and stayed there until Ittounas knocked down a smooth jumper to put the Bluejays up 74-71 with one minute to go. 

After Millikin used a Demarcus Bond layup to bring the visitors within one, a step-back three-point attempt from Ittounas knocked off the rim and back to Millikin with a chance to win it. The Bluejay defense came in the clutch at the end when Woloch stole the ball from the hands of Millikin and was fouled with 1.7 seconds to go. A made free throw and a wide lob from Millikin brought the tense conference matchup to a close in favor of Elmhurst.

UP NEXT

Elmhurst will take the weekend off before entering the home stretch of the conference season next Wednesday, Feb. 2 when the team travels to Bloomington, Ill. for a key conference matchup with Illinois Wesleyan. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. CT.

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