WAUKESHA, Wis. – The Illinois Tech men’s basketball team moved to an even 2-2 on the season on November 25, winning a road contest at Carroll University on the second night of a back-to-back. Behind 24 points from freshman Ahmad Muhammad, the Scarlet Hawks defeated the Pioneers 64-59.
How it Happened
- Muhammad did not take long to get started, hitting a three-pointer on the first possession. The Scarlet Hawks took a 10-0 run to start the contest, with Muhammad scoring eight of those points.
- Carroll, however, stormed back to tie the contest at 12-12 and took its only lead of the contest on a three-pointer by Tarren Hill with 7:42 left in the first half (17-16).
- The Scarlet Hawks turned to Jake Digiorgio down the stretch of the first half. The senior post scored eight points over the final seven minutes, as Tech went on a 14-4 run to take a 31-20 lead into the break.
- The two teams played even for the early portion of the second half before Muhammad hit some more key baskets. The St. Joseph High School product hit two key three-pointers to bring the lead back to double digits. A Max Hisatake lay-up gave the Scarlet Hawks its largest lead of the night (52-35) with 9:03 left in the contest.
- Carroll responded with an 11-1 run, pulling to within eight with 4:58 remaining. However, Tech would use free throws by Anthony Mosley Jr., a lay-up from Digiorgio, and another Muhammad three-pointer to move back up 11 (61-50) with 1:58 left.
- The Pioneers would give the Scarlet Hawks problems over the final 120 seconds, pulling to within three with nine seconds remaining at 62-59. Muhammad would split a pair of foul shots, but Digiorgio secured an offensive rebound and drew a foul himself to secure the win.
Scarlet Hawk Standouts
- Muhammad had his best game of what looks to be a promising career, recording 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting (4-of-6 from three-point range).
- Digiorgio continues to be a double-double machine, recording his fourth in as many games (15 points, 14 rebounds). Seven of his boards came on the offensive glass.
- Mosley Jr. continues to be a steady force at point guard, scoring 12 points and dishing out five assists.
Stats to Know
- Rebounding was once again heavily in favor of Illinois Tech (35-22).
- Tech shot 45.8% from the floor compared to 41.9% for the Pioneers.
- The Scarlet Hawks held Carroll to just three offensive rebounds, which led to only two second chance points.
Up Next
- Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference play begins on Wednesday as the Scarlet Hawks travel to nearby Benedictine University for a 7 p.m. contest.