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Men’s Basketball Falls Short to MVNU 82-72



Livonia, MI – The Lawrence Technological University Blue Devils opened up the Bernie Holowicki Classic against Mount Vernon Nazarene University hosted by Madonna University. The men battled but came up just short in the last couple minutes of play as they lost 82-72.

In just 30 minutes of action, Alek Ivanovic led LTU in scoring with 15 points. Shooting the ball 4-of-9 from the field was Gunnar Gustafson who finished with 14 points and six rebounds. Brandon Beavers had a solid game as well shooting 6-of-15 from the field finishing with 13 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Two other Blue Devils in double figures were Carter Frantz, and Andrew Rinn who came off the bench.

In the early minutes of play, the action was back and forth between the two squads. An Ivanovic three-pointer gave LTU the lead 12-9 with 13:27 to go in the first half.

Rinn came off the bench just eight minutes in, and caught fire going on a 5-0 run by himself off a jumper, layup, and free throw to put the Blue Devils up five with nine minutes to go. Blake Lund was able to extend their lead shortly after, off a deep three-point field goal to put the Blue Devils up 23-17.

A couple of buckets from the Cougars cut the lead back to four after a Carter Jones three-point dagger. LTU was up 28-24 with 5:25 remaining.

LTU kept converting on the offensive end when Rinn found the bottom of the net again with two minutes to go. 

LTU lead 39-31 at the half as the Blue Devils shot the ball 42.8% from the field, 38.1% from behind the arc, and 100% from the charity strike.

Gustafson started the second half with a made layup on the first possession after a couple of ball reversals. MVNU answered back with a 6-0 run off back-to-back triples from Clay Hillard and Kade Ruegsegger to cut the lead to two.

The Cougars took their first lead with 16:25 left off a Gage Milton jumper with at 46-44.

After the 11-2 run by MVNU, LTU was forced to call a full timeout.

Rinn converted on two free throws to cut the lead to 12 with 8:19 to go. With a couple of stops on the defensive end late in the second half, LTU forced MVNU to call two timeouts within a two-minute span.

A Frantz three-pointer and a Beavers‘ made layup cut the deficit back to seven.

Isaiah Cumberland found a gap that led to a missed layup, but Gustafson’s offensive rebound drew a foul and he made two free throws to make it at five-point deficit, 69-64, with 3:29 left in the game.

LTU was forced to play the fouling game in the remaining minutes, but MVNU made its last six free throws to secure the victory 82-72.

For the game from the field, the Blue Devils shot 37.% making 25-of-66 attempts, 31% from three 13-of-42, and 81.8% from the line going 9-of-11.

The Blue Devils (2-2) return to action Saturday afternoon for their second game of the Bernie Holowicki Classic when they take on Saint Xavier University. This game will tip-off at 2 PM. 



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