Lakers Bury Eagles With Stout Defense In Quarterfinals

CHICAGO – A smothering defensive performance was more than enough to lift No. 11 Roosevelt to an 80-58 win over Judson on Wednesday night in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference quarterfinals at the Goodman Center.

The Lakers (25-3) held the eighth-seeded Eagles to just 27.9 percent shooting in the game, including keeping Judson to jut 5 of 21 from behind the arc. Roosevelt was an identical 43.2 percent in both halves and its lead was never in doubt for the final 30 minutes of action. It helped that all nine Lakers who played Wednesday scored with four players finishing in double figures.

It was a mixture of excellent defense and hot shooting that pushed the Lakers ahead early in the game with the Lakers taking a 22-point advantage into halftime. They took the lead for good with an 11-0 run over the course of roughly two minutes and continued to bury the Eagles with efficient shooting from long range. Roosevelt made 7 of 15 from behind the arc in the first half, led by a 3 for 5 performance from Maurice Commander. That complemented the Lakers holding the Eagles to just 26 percent shooting in the first half.

Although the Lakers weren't as successful in the second half from 3-point range, they stayed aggressive and found easy points around the rim. Sangolay Njie scored 15 of his game-high 19 points in the second half by shooting 6 of 8 from inside 10 feet. Forte Prater added 13 points after halftime to finish with 16 points while shooting 5 of 7 from inside the arc in the second half. The Lakers finished with 32 points in the paint, 20 of which came in the second half.

The defensive energy from the Lakers translated also into a big effort from Roosevelt's frontcourt in collecting the missed shots. Cody Mitchell secured 11 rebounds to lead the way while Njie added nine boards and Shane Stevensen had six. Prater grabbed seven rebounds himself to lead all guards and the Lakers led the way 48-47 on the glass. The missed shots also allowed Roosevelt to push the pace and score 14 fastbreak points.

Commander finished with 11 points and Julio Montes II scored 12 points while also adding a team-best seven assists. Prater also had five helpers as Roosevelt assisted on 24 of its 32 made baskets in the contest. Stevensen's prowess in the paint also included three blocks and Daniel Reed stuffed two shots as well.   

The top-seeded Lakers will face No. 4 Indiana South Bend on Friday night at 7 p.m. at the Goodman Center for the CCAC semifinals.