NO. 11 ONU ADVANCES TO THE CCAC TOURNAMENT FINALS IN WIN OVER ROOSEVELT

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – the No. 11 Olivet Nazarene University men's basketball team hosted the Lakers of Roosevelt University for the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) Tournament Semifinals inside McHie Arena on Friday night.  The Tigers set a school record winning their 17th straight game as they took down Roosevelt, 81-63. 

The Tigers took an early 9-5 lead after Cade Chitty, Alex Gross, and Tyler Schmidt combined for the first nine points.  After the Lakers made a three, Gross made a jumper and Barik Olden buried a three making the score, 14-7. At 14-11, Schmidt and Caleb Swearingen led the Tigers on a 9-0 run.  The Tigers extended their lead to 23-11.  With seven minutes left, Roosevelt fought its way back into the game, by going on a 7-0 run until Chitty hit a layup. The Tigers still hung onto a 28-24 lead. 

The Tigers outscored the Lakers, 6-4 the rest of the half as ONU led by six at 34-28 at the half.  Schmidt led all scorers with 14 and Gross pitched in 11. 

Halftime: No. 11 Olivet Nazarene 34, Roosevelt 28

The Lakers were clinging to a six-point lead, consistently, in the first five minutes of the second half.  Then Landon Pflederer buried one of his two threes' in the game and grew the Tiger lead to 10 at 44-34. After a Laker three, Chitty and Gross dropped in layups making the score, 50-39.  At 50-41, The Tigers then went on an 11-2 run highlighted by a three-ball off the hands of Pflederer.  The Tigers ballooned their lead to 61-43.

The Tigers saw baskets down the stretch from Swearingen, Schmidt, Gross, and Logan McCann as they took down the Lakers, 81-63. 

GAME VITALS

Final: No. 11 Olivet Nazarene 81, Roosevelt 63

Records: No. 11 Olivet Nazarene: 29-3 | Roosevelt: 19-12

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

QUICK HITS

• The Tigers broke the school record for the longest winning streak, as they won that elusive 17th game-in-a-row. 
• Gross and Schmidt led the Tigers with 27 points.
• Gross grabbed 17 rebounds, which rounded out another double-double.  
• Pflederer led the Tigers with eight assists while Gross and Schmidt followed with six and five assists. 
• The Tigers shot 55.8% from the field and they led by as much as 22 points. 

WHAT'S NEXT?

The No. 11 Tigers look to sweep the CCAC Regular Season and Tournament Championships for the first time since 2015 as they host the Lynx of Lincoln College in the CCAC Tournament Championship on Monday, February 28th at 7 p.m. The Tigers swept the season series winning 78-45 and 96-72. 

--ONU—

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