Second-Half Surge Carries Lakers To Victory

CHICAGO – Roosevelt used a strong second-half effort to pull away from East-West University on Sunday evening at the Goodman Center for an 81-62 victory, increasing its win streak to eight games.

The Lakers were trailing at the half once again, an all-too-familiar feeling for the 9-3 squad, but it didn't take long for Roosevelt to assert control in the game. The Lakers took the lead just 2:05 into the second half and never trailed again as they slowly built out their lead over the Phantoms. The methodical approach started in the paint where the Lakers asserted their physical dominance over the course of the second half.

Roosevelt finished with a 56-18 edge in points in the paint and won the rebounding battle 52-38 for the game. Yet in the second half, the Lakers doubled the Phantoms on the glass 26-13, using those missed shots to run in transition. The Lakers shot nearly 58 percent from the field in the second half while outscoring East-West 45-23 in the half.

Yuri Swinford led the charge for the Lakers with 25 points and 13 rebounds, his first double-double since the season opener on Oct.29 against Aquinas. He scored six of those points in the first 2:05 of the second half when he showcased his full range of skills at both ends of the court. He tied a season high with three blocks and set a new season-high with his 13 rebounds, five of which came on the offensive end.

Chima Nwosu came off the bench and gave Roosevelt a spark with 12 points and five rebounds, including eight points in the second half. Nwosu's ability to attack the basket earned him some easy looks and opened the floor for Roosevelt's shooters to start making shots. The Lakers made 4 of 10 from behind the arc in the second half after making just 1 of 13 in the first half as part of a rough shooting day.

In the latter parts of the first half, it felt like the Lakers were poised to take control of the game after they locked down on defense and forced a pair of shot-clock violations. However, the Phantoms made some tough shots and were able to battle back after the Lakers shot just 39.3 percent in the first half. East-West only headed into the locker room with the lead after a battle for a missed free throw went its way and led to an open 3-pointer.

There wasn't much room to operate in the second half as Roosevelt went on an 18-2 run to take control of the game. After East-West brought the deficit back to single-digits with 11:34 remaining, the Lakers went on a 13-2 run over the next four minutes to seal the deal.

Ayo Ajiboye and Julio Montes II both added 11 points for the Lakers as four players finished in double figures. Ajiboye also added eight rebounds, one of four players to grab at least eight boards along with Matt Myers' nine, Shane Stevensen's seven and Swinford's 13.

Roosevelt returns to the court Saturday in Marion, Ind. when the Lakers face No. 21 Indiana Wesleyan at 3 p.m. in another non-conference contest.