RV TIGERS KICKED OFF THE NEW YEAR WITH THEIR SEVENTH CCAC WIN OF THE SEASON

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – The RV Olivet Nazarene University men's basketball team welcomed the Lynx of Lincoln College for a New Year's Day CCAC matinee inside McHie Arena. The Tigers earned their seventh league win of the season, 96-72. 

Alex Gross, Barik Olden, Landon Pflederer, and Tyler Schmidt combined for the first 10 Tiger points early in the first half. The Tigers held a slim 10-9 lead.  With the Lynx up, 15-12, Pflederer and Schmidt both buried three's on back-to-back possessions which gave the Tigers an 18-15 lead. Then, four points by Gross and a three by Griffin Andricks extended the ONU lead to 10 at 25-15.  The Tigers kept chipping away as shots by Cade Chitty and Andricks down the stretch grew their lead to 49-36, going into the half.  Andricks led the Tigers with 11 points and Schmidt added 10.  Chitty and Pflederer led the team with five rebounds. 

Halftime: RV Olivet Nazarene 49, Lincoln 36

Gross jumpstarted the offense for the Tigers as he put in the first six points of the second half making the score, 55-42.  After the Lynx cut the game to nine at 61-52, Andricks knocked down one of his four three-pointers and extended the Tiger lead to 64-52.  Then, after a jumper by Lincoln, Gross and Schmidt went to work and spearheaded a 12-3 as the Tigers extended their double-digit lead to 76-57.  With less than six minutes to go, a Pflederer three sparked a 7-0 run in which the Tiger lead grew to 87-63. 

Gross took over the game for the Tigers scoring 22 second half points as ONU powered past the Lynx, 96-72.    

GAME VITALS

Final: RV Olivet Nazarene 96, Lincoln 72

Records: RV Olivet Nazarene: 13-3 (7-1 CCAC) | Lincoln: 5-11 (4-5 CCAC)

Location:  McHie Arena | Olivet Nazarene University | Bourbonnais, Ill.

QUICK HITS

• Gross led the Tigers with his 12th double-double of the season with a season-high 30 points and 14 boards. 
• Schmidt and Andricks followed with 18 and 16 points, respectively. 
• Olden and Pflederer followed with 11 and 10 points to round out the double-digit scorers. 
• Pflederer led the Tigers with nine assists. 
• Chitty and Pflederer both grabbed six rebounds to follow Gross. 
• Schmidt and Andricks were both perfect from behind the arc hitting a combined six three's.
• The Tigers shoot 62.5% from the field. 
• ONU outscored the Lynx 48-34 in points-in-the-paint and 21-5 off the bench. 

WHAT'S NEXT?

The RV Tigers welcome the Fighting Saints of University of St. Francis to McHie Arena on Wednesday, January 5th at 7:30 p.m.

--ONU—

*Contact: Sam Viebrock, Sports Information Director, stviebrock@olivet.edu