Men’s Basketball defeated the University of Chicago, 63–57, thanks in large part to a double-double by senior forward Andrew Lundstrom.
With the win on Friday and an additional senior-night victory Sunday against Washington University in St. Louis, the ‘Jackets improved to 18–4 on the season, and are now ranked 22nd in Division III. With an 8–3 conference record, they also are tied for first in the UAA with Emory.
Though the ‘Jackets pulled out to an early 7–2 lead, missed shots and turnovers allowed Chicago to pull ahead, 10–12. The ‘Jackets responded with an 8–1 run, taking back a five-point lead with eight minutes left in the half.
In the remainder of the half, Chicago got within a point, but the ‘Jackets responded by widening the gap to five again. By the end of the half, Chicago had moved within a point of the ‘Jackets again, and the score was 25–24.
The first nine minutes of the second half were contentious. There were six lead changes, and neither team led by more than three points. With just under eleven minutes left in the game, the ‘Jackets led, 42–40.
The ‘Jackets then went on a 7–1 run, taking an eight-point lead. Chicago responded with a 10–2 run of its own, tying the game up again, 51–51.
In the last 3:15, the ‘Jackets outscored Chicago, 12–6. Eight ‘Jacket points in the late scoring spree were on free throws, and a slam dunk by Lundstrom helped cement the victory.
Lundstrom finished with a career-high 23 points along with 10 rebounds. Senior forward Ryan Clamage contributed 10 points, six assists, and five rebounds. Junior forward Patrick Benka also scored 10 points.
“Scoring a career high and also achieving a double double in a high pressure game was an amazing feeling,” Lundstrom said after the game. “Each game, we have someone else step up and make big plays to secure wins and Friday was no different.”
Both teams had approximately the same number of fouls, rebounds, and turnovers in the game. The difference was that Chicago made a mere 27 percent of its three-point field goal attempts and only 62 percent of its free throws, while the ‘Jackets made 55 percent of their three-point attempts were nearly perfect from the line.
Lundstrom expressed great expectations for the remainder of the season. “We will not let anyone stand in our way of the UAA title or the tournament.” He later added, “We are a team that always finds a way to get things done and that is not going to change anytime soon.”
With just three games remaining in the regular season, the ‘Jackets will travel to Pittsburgh to face Carnegie Mellon on Friday.
