Tough Shooting Day Sinks Lakers In Season Finale

CHICAGO – No. 11 Roosevelt nearly overcame its worst offensive performance of the season before falling 81-70 to Indiana Northwest on Saturday in a Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference matchup at the Goodman Center.

It was a bittersweet Senior Day for the Lakers (23-4, 18-2 CCAC), who honored Maurice Commander pregame for his contributions to the program. Commander finished with just seven points in a game where the shots simply weren't falling for Roosevelt. The Lakers shot a season-worst 34.2 percent from the field, yet still found itself in the heat of the battle for much of the contest.

Roosevelt got out to an early lead in a back-and-forth first half that featured most of the game's eight ties and six lead changes. The Lakers led by two at the break with the help of Kani Acree knocking down two 3-pointers as the team made 6 of 13 from behind the arc. Yet the Lakers made just four 3-pointers in the second half despite some open looks for their best shooters.

The Lakers' role players stepped up to keep Roosevelt competitive in the game, showcasing the depth in the Lakers' rotation. Acree led the team with 13 points and Shane Stevensen added 12 points while Forte Prater chipped in 11. Cody Mitchell scored 10 points and secured 11 rebounds for his third double-double of the season, and first since November.

The Lakers maintained their top seed in the CCAC Tournament and will host Judson on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. inside the Goodman Center in the quarterfinals.