Explosive Second Half Propels Blueboys Past Rams

Box Score

JACKSONVILLE, Ill.- Illinois College outscored Cornell College by 22 points in the second half, overcoming a 12-point halftime deficit, to defeat the Rams, 78-68, on Wednesday evening. The win propels the Blueboys to 6-5 (1-4 Midwest Conference). Cornell falls to 7-5 (2-3 MWC) on the year.

Cornell came out firing on all cylinders. The Rams kicked off the game with an 8-0 run, which was started by a Jon Anderson jumper and finished by a Brad Hund layup. It took Illinois College over four minutes to finally put a number up on the scoreboard, as Brady Hays nailed a three-pointer, placing the game in favor of the Rams, 8-3. IC pulled within four, 11-7, when Mason Speer hit a turnaround jumper with 13 minutes remaining in the first half.

The Blueboys inched even closer, 13-10, following a Hays free throw.  Another Anderson bucket put Cornell up by six, 16-10, midway through the first. Max Stutsman scored four points, with Sean McDonald supplying the other two, putting together a 6-0 Illinois College run that tied the game, 16-16, with just over nine minutes remaining in the half.

Craig Engle drilled a three to reclaim the lead for Cornell, and Corey Davis drove for a layup to push the Rams' lead to 21-16. After a Speer layup pulled IC within three, 21-18, Cornell's offense exploded, going on a 13-4 run which saw the Rams take the largest lead of the half, 34-22, after Scott Gasik sank a corner three. Following the run, the Blueboys pulled within eight, 34-26, when Stutsman hit a 15-footer with two-and-a-half minutes remaining in the opening half. That turned out to be as close as IC could come in the half.

On Cornell's ensuing possession after Riley Dugan's layup made the score 39-30 with 30 seconds left, Michael Fiorito hit a three from the corner with one second remaining, ending the half with Cornell leading the IC, 42-30. Hays and Stutsman each hit double-figures in the half, scoring ten points each. Stutsman also grabbed seven rebounds and blocked one shot. For the Rams, Fiorito finished with three three-pointers en route to an 11-point half. Davis scored 10, while also snatching two steals.

Much like the beginning of the first half, a large run started off the scoring. However, it was Illinois College constructing the run, and it was of massive proportions. The Blueboys began the second half on a 24-2 run, which erased the 40-32 halftime deficit, putting IC up over Cornell, 54-44. Tim Parks scored seven points during the run, which extended through the first nine minutes of the half. Davis converted a layup, helping Cornell pull within seven, 56-49, with nine minutes left. Speer countered with a three to put the Blueboys ahead by double-figures, 59-49.

Anderson survived the contact to hit the layup and the and-one free throw, cutting Illinois College's lead down to six, 61-55, with just over seven minutes left in the game. That would be all that the Rams could muster. The Blueboys put together a 6-0 run that was finished off by two Hays free throws, giving IC a 12-point lead, 67-55. The Rams returned the lead to single-digits one more time, with Anderson's layup bringing the score to 67-59 with under five minutes left to play.

Parks extended the IC lead back up to 13 points, 76-63, after hitting a layup with one minute to go. Keegan Van Kooten hit a deep three with one second left, bringing Cornell within ten, 78-68, where the game would stand as final. Illinois College shot 50 percent in the half, improving from 34.3 percent in the first. Cornell dropped from 53.6 percent, down to 30.8 percent shooting in the second half.

Hays was the points leader for Illinois College, scoring 17, helped by going 6-of-7 from the charity stripe. Speer finished the night with 15 points for the Blueboys along with eight assists. Parks contributed 11 points and four steals to IC's effort. Stutsman constructed a double-double, finishing with 12 points and 14 rebounds. Cornell's Davis led the game in scoring and the team in rebounds, scoring 18 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Anderson finished with 15 points for the Rams, and Fiorito tallied 11 points.

Illinois College travels to Beloit College on Jan 6, where the Blueboys are scheduled for a 1 p.m. tip-off. IC returns home on Jan 12 to face the Green Knights of St. Norbert College. Starting time for that game is set for 5:30 p.m.