Illinois Tech closed out the 2017–18 season on March 1 with a matchup against #8 Bluefield State College in a United States Collegiate Athletic Association consolation game. The Scarlet Hawks played strong basketball from start to finish, downing the NCAA Division II school 71-51.
How it Happened
- It was a strong start to the game for the Scarlet Hawks, featuring balanced scoring from Max Hisatake, Anthony Mosley Jr., and Jake Digiorgio. Illinois Tech leaned on its four leading scorers to build a double-digit lead of 19-9 at the 9:00 mark of the first half.
- The Scarlet Hawks continued to build a lead down the stretch of the half. Making it a point to get down the court quickly on offense, Illinois Tech ran the lead to as high as 17 (28-11).
- Bluefield State managed to cut the lead down to 10 over the final few minutes, as the Scarlet Hawks led 33-23 heading into halftime.
- Illinois Tech started the second half strong, going on a 7-0 run over the first three minutes.
- Bluefield State’s Korey Williams (14 points) hit some baskets to pull the Big Blues closer, but Illinois Tech began dishing the ball inside to Hisatake. His offense helped the Hawks jump ahead by more than 20 (54-33) at the 10:00 mark.
- Following the lead of the rest of the team, Malik Howze began to knock down outside shots. He hit two consecutive threes as Illinois Tech continued to increase the lead and cruise to a 20-point win.
Scarlet Hawk Standouts
- Hisatake (19 points and 14 rebounds) and Digiorgio (13 points, 10 rebounds, and three steals) controlled the game in the paint. Both players shot 50% from the floor.
- Howze narrowly missed a triple-double, scoring eight points to go along with eight rebounds, nine assists, and two steals.
- Mosley Jr. finished with 11 points to go along with six assists and two steals.
Stats to Know
- Illinois Tech held the Big Blues to a 29.2% shooting percentage for the contest.
- Rebounding was strong for the Scarlet Hawks, outdoing the Big Blues 54-37.
- Illinois Tech assisted on 18 of 28 made baskets.