ONU DROPS CONFERENCE CONTEST AT SAINT XAVIER 97-87

CHICAGO, Ill. – Despite five Tigers scoring double figures and scoring a new season high in points, the Olivet Nazarene University men's basketball team fell to Saint Xavier 97-87 Wednesday evening in the Shannon Center.

Eli Edwards led all scorers with 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting and a perfect 5-for-5 performance from the free throw line. Daniel Murphy and Caleb Corro chipped in 16 points apiece. Caleb Sweraingen finished with 11 points and Andrew Bennett came off the bench to fill in 10.

The effort produced the most points in a game so far this season with 87. But it was not enough as Saint Xavier (4-1, 1-0 CCAC) pulled away late in the second half to hand the Tigers their fourth loss in as many games to start the season.

The Tigers trailed by as many as 12 late in the first half until Swearingen sparked a big run to close out the period. Trailing 36-24 with under four minutes remaining in the period, the senior guard drove for a layup that ignited a 15-2 ONU run. And when Bennett capped the big run with a 3-point shot, the Tigers held a one-point lead.

ONU built off that momentum early into the second half, with Edwards scoring three points the old-fashioned way with a basket and a foul to make it a 47-43 ONU advantage. A Corro layup at the 13-minute mark maintained the four-point lead, but the Cougars responded with a barrage of three consecutive 3-pointers to retake the lead.

Corro got the Tigers back to within one basket with a three-point play of his own, but SXU went on an extended 14-2 run to take control of the game down the stretch as the Tigers fell on the road.

The Tigers shot better than 51-percent from the floor and outrebounded the Cougars 40-31, but were killed from deep. ONU connected on just four of their 19 three-point attempts, while SXU shot nearly 48-percent from beyond the arc (11-of-23).

Edwards recorded his first double-double of the season, hauling in 12 rebounds to go with his game-high 21 points. Swearingen and Luke Braman both recorded seven boards. Bennett dished out a team-high four assists.

ONU will take a brief intermission from conference play to take on Indiana University Kokomo Saturday.

--ONU—

*Contact: Evan Wild, Sports Information Director, ewwild@olivet.edu