Naperville, Ill. — The California Lutheran University men's basketball team continued their successful opening weekend in Illinois with a win over the Scarlet Hawks of Illinois Tech.
The game started tight with the Scarlet Hawks taking a slight edge at 8-9. From there, the Kingsmen were able to use their scoring off the bench to push out to a 15 point lead. Senior Jacob Alonzo converted a steal into a layup and then drained a three for a 30-15 lead.
The first half finished with Cal Lutheran up 36-23.
The Scarlet Hawks took advantage of a dip in the Kingsmen's shooting percentage to claw their way back in the second half. Illinois Tech was able to take a 56-54 lead lead with just under six minutes remaining.
The Kingsmen answered this challenge with a three by senior Brooks Mallory and aggressive offense, drawing fouls and getting to the line.
With the storm weathered, the Kingsmen were once again able to find their rhythm and pull away. They took the game 74-61 and improved to 2-0 on the season.
The Kingsmen were led by Mason Johnson's 29 points and 9 rebounds along with Jacob Alonzo's 24 points and 8 rebounds off the bench.
The team will finish up their Illinois road trip against North Park University on Sunday at 11:00am (PST).
Box Score: CLU 74, IIT 61
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Release by Steven Lohn, Assistant Sports Information Director
