FAST START FIZZLES IN NON-CONFERENCE MATCHUP AT HUNTINGTON

HUNTINGTON, Ind. –  A strong start quickly fizzled out as the Olivet Nazarene University men's basketball team fell 79-64 at Huntington Monday night inside Platt Arena.

Eli Edwards helped ONU get out to one of their best offensive starts of the season. The junior forward scored three layups and knocked down a deep ball to fill in nine points in under seven minutes. And when Daniel Murphy, who also filled in a quick six points to open the game, made a jump shot at the 12-minute mark, the Tigers led 22-16.

The Foresters (12-2) eventually found their shooting stroke while the Tigers cooled off from the field, allowing Huntington to go on an extended 15-6 run to reclaim the lead. Tyler Curl converted on a pair of free throws to make it a one-point game, but HU closed out the half with a flurry of points to take a 40-34 lead into the break.

The Tigers came out firing in the second half. Edwards and Murphy scored four quick points to cut the deficit to two, and a Caleb Corro jumper tied the game at 44-44 a few possessions later.

Caleb Swearingen poured it on with a 3-pointer to give the Tigers their first lead since the eight-minute mark of the first half. Curl and Corro chipped in four more consecutive points to extend the ONU lead back to six with 12 minutes to play.

However, similarly to the first half, the Foresters got hot as the Tigers went cold down the stretch. Huntington closed out the game by outscoring ONU 33-12 to steal the win, dropping the Tigers to 4-9 on the season.

Four Tigers reached double figures in the loss. Edwards led the Purple & Yellow Gold with 17 points while snagging 10 rebounds. Corro finished with 12. Murphy and Swearingen both chipped in 11 points, apiece. Curly was responsible for all six of ONU's bench points.

ONU will look to snap their three-game losing streak when they host Indiana Northwest Saturday.

--ONU—

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