Balanced Effort Propels Lakers Past Maple Leafs

GOSHEN, Ind. – A pivotal run in the middle of the second half helped the Roosevelt Lakers pull away for an 85-77 win over Goshen on Tuesday night in a non-conference matchup in Goshen, Ind.

The Lakers (3-3) and Maple Leafs traded the lead for much of the first 25 minutes of action until Goshen took a 57-55 lead with 14:17 left in the game. Roosevelt dominated the next three minutes with nine straight points and never looked back as it held the lead for the rest of the game. Jared Bohrer started the stretch with a 3-pointer then freshman Shane Stevensen grabbed a second straight offensive rebound for the Lakers for a putback. Ayo Ajiboye hit a pair of two-point buckets to close out the run.

Goshen made a few attempts to close the deficit after Roosevelt surged into the lead, but the Lakers had an answer each time. After the Maple Leafs trimmed the lead to one, Tyree Spencer scored three consecutive baskets to respond to each Goshen hoop. Yuri Swinford then hit the Lakers' final field goal with 6:02 remaining as part of a three-point play. Over the last six minutes, Roosevelt scored 12 points from the free-throw line on 14 attempts from the stripe.

Living up to the team motto, it was a true team effort on the scoresheet with four players in double figures and two other finishing with nine points. Stevensen led the Lakers with a season-best 16 points on 7 of 10 shooting with 14 of those points coming in the first half. Classmate Julio Montes II scored 13 of his 15 points in the second half, connecting on three of his five 3-point attempts and all four free throws over the final 20 minutes. Ajiboye also scored 15 points and grabbed a team-best eight rebounds to help the Lakers secure a 31-23 edge on the glass.

Matt Myers scored 12 points for Roosevelt while Spencer and Swinford contributed the nine points. It was part of yet another efficient offensive performance for the Lakers, who shot 53.6 percent from the field for the game by shooting above 50 percent in both halves. They also ramped up the defensive pressure in the second half, limiting Goshen to 41.7 percent shooting in the final 20 minutes after the Maple Leafs were north of 56 percent in the first half.

Roosevelt returns home to resume Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference action Saturday at 3 p.m. when it welcomes Trinity International to the Goodman Center as the second half of a doubleheader with the ladies.