NO. 11 TIGERS CAPTURE THE CCAC TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2015 IN 87-82 VICTORY OVER LINCOLN

BOURBONNAIS, Ill.  –  The No. 11 Olivet Nazarene University men's basketball team hosted the Lincoln College Lynx inside McHie Arena for the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) Tournament Championship on Monday night.  The Tigers captured their first CCAC Regular Season and Tournament Championship sweep since 2015 as they came back to down the Lynx, 87-82.   

Layups by Alex Gross and Tyler Schmidt saw the Tigers take an early 6-3 lead in the first half.  The Tigers and Lynx then went back-and-forth the next couple possessions and the score was 10-9.  Lincoln then controlled the tempo of the game as they went on a 10-0 run until Schmidt converted an and-one opportunity.  The Lynx led 19-12.  The Tigers got within four at 27-23, but the Lynx went on a 9-2 run and led 36-25.  Gross then marked the next seven points for the Tigers, but still trailed 38-32. 

Schmidt and Cade Chitty accounted for the final six points for the Tigers but still trailed 48-41. 

Halftime: Lincoln 48, No. 11 Olivet Nazarene 41

The Lynx started the second half hot and led by 10 at 53-43.  At the score, 58-49, The Tigers went on a 12-2 run and took their first lead since early in the first half, 61-59.  With 10 minutes left in the game, a Gross layup made the score 67-63.  Then, the Lynx went on a 7-0 run and led 70-67.  With six minutes left, Lincoln led 76-70, but Schmidt and Landon Pflederer drained a pair of free throws each and cut the Lynx advantage to 76-74. 

After a Lynx layup, the Tigers took over the game and finished the game on a 14-4 run and won the championship game, 87-82.

GAME VITALS

Final: No. 11 Olivet Nazarene 87, Lincoln 82

Records: No. 11 Olivet Nazarene: 30-3 | Lincoln: 16-17

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

QUICK HITS

• Gross led the Tigers with 41 points and 19 boards while adding five assists and three blocks. 
• Gross moved into fifth all-time with 1,964 career points. 
• Schmidt followed Gross with 26 points, six rebounds, and three assists. 
• Pflederer added 13 points and four assists on the game.
• The Tigers trailed by as much as 11 in the first half.
• The Tigers held the 16-2 advantage in second-chance points. 

WHAT'S NEXT?

The No. 11 Tigers will learn who their opponent is in the 2022 NAIA National Basketball Championship Opening Round on Thursday, March 3rd at 7 p.m.  The Opening Round inside McHie Arena is set for Friday, March 11 through Saturday, March 12.  The times in of those games have not been announced yet.

--ONU—

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