JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – The Illinois College men's basketball team used an 11-0 run in the first half to power past Monmouth, 77-62, in a Midwest Conference game on Saturday at Sherman Gymnasium.
The victory moved IC to 9-4 overall and 2-2 in league play while Monmouth dropped to 8-4 and 2-1.
IC 77 Monmouth 62
Monmouth jumped to an early five-point lead in the game's first four minutes. IC clawed back and tied the game at 18 with 10:19 remaining in the half. The Blueboys then uncorked an 11-0 run keyed by seven points from
Josh Harris and three from
Javonte McKenzie. IC led by as much as 13 before heading to halftime with an 11-point advantage (43-32).
The second frame was all Blueboys. The Fighting Scots got as close as eight points with 8:26 to play, but a pair of three-point field goals from
Nathan Bobikiewicz and a
Buzz Ritzel layup put out the fire. The Blueboys cruised from there, growing the lead to as much as 18 before bringing home the victory.
Ritzel led IC with a team-high 20 points. Harris added 19 points and
Ty Lenhardt chipped in with 14. McKenzie had a team-high eight rebounds to go with his nine points.
Blue Notes
Harris now sits at 994 career points in his quest to join the 1,000-point club… the Blueboys have won 41 of their last 50 games (41-9) and 58 of the past 67 (58-9). IC has also won 30 of its last 36 Midwest Conference contests.
Up Next
It's back on the road for the Blueboys as they travel to Beloit for a Midwest Conference contest on Wednesday. The game time is 7:30 pm.
