Box Score JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – Illinois College used a stifling defense and rode that to a 63-40 victory over Blackburn in a non-conference game at Sherman Gymnasium on Monday.
With the victory, IC improved to 2-0 on the young season while Blackburn dropped to 0-3.
The Blueboys' defense was evident from the start as they held the Beavers to a .139 (5-36) field goal percentage in the opening half. The key stretch came after Blackburn took a 9-7 lead at the 14:01 mark. IC then went on a 12-0 run over the next seven-plus minutes and never looked back, taking a 27-13 lead into halftime.Â
The second half was much of the same as the Blueboys extended the lead to as much as 29 before the final margin. IC, which has held both of its opponents to under 50 points this season, outrebounded the Beavers 64-40.
The Blueboys were paced by the combination of
Buzz Ritzel and
Nestor Daboin. Ritzel scored a game-high 19 points while Dabion corralled a game-high 21 rebounds.
Jake Mazrimas added 10 points for the victors.Â
IC will return to action on Friday when it hosts the annual Bill Merrin Tournament. The Blueboys will open tournament play against Coe at 7:00 p.m. The consolation and championship games will be Saturday at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. respectively.
