Elgin, Ill.- Turning the ball over 22 times resulted in 28 points for the University of St. Francis (4-8) as they overcame a 15-point deficit to take a 91-79 win over Judson University (5-5). USF also outscored JU 56-37 in the second half after being down seven at the half.
Judson shot well from the floor as all five starters scored in double figures with two recording double-doubles. Joe Gonnam (Verona, Ill.) led with 17 points and a career-high 14 rebounds while Ilija Bojanic (Podgorica, Montenegro) had 16 points and 10 rebounds. Adding 14 points was DeWayne Robinson (Memphis, Tenn.) and Steffan Williams (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) finished with 12 and Justen Boyd (Batavia, Ill.) had 10. USF’s Chris Hobson led all scorers with 20.
It was a slow turnaround in the second half for USF as they ate away at JU’s seven-point lead from the half. With 18:01 to go, JU had an eight-point lead, 48-40, but by the 9:17 mark USF took a seven-point lead, 67-60. USF outscored JU, 27-12, in just under nine minutes to take the lead. USF didn’t have a lead at all in the game until the clock read 11:35 when USF’s Sam Robinson hit a jumper to put the Saints up, 59-58. JU had led the whole game until that point and never retook the lead.
USF built their lead to nine, 75-66, with just 6:05 left in the game only to see JU come back within three points, 75-72, on a 6-0 run. USF ran their lead back to seven, 79-72, with 2:58 remaining. JU had a chance to cut the lead again with 1:31 to on a USF turnover but the Eagles gave it right back to the Saints 15 seconds later on their own turnover.
With just 1:16 left in the game, a double technical foul was called on both USF and JU away from the ball and then JU was given a second technical foul. USF was given two free throws to improve their lead to seven. Just a few seconds later, JU fouled USF to get the ball back and USF nailed two more free throws to make it 83-74. USF finished the final minute making four more free throws and made eight straight free throws in the final 1:16 for the win.
The first five minutes of the game, Judson and USF battled closely. At the 13:34 mark, JU had a one-point lead, 11-10. In the next seven minutes, JU out scored USF, 26-11, for a 15-point lead, 36-21. USF responded with a 8-1 run to bring JU’s lead down to eight, 37-29. In the final 4:21 JU only hit two one shot from the floor as USF cut the lead to seven, 42-35, at the half.
Judson had a good game shooting the ball as they made 53% of their shots from the floor and 44% from the arc. They only made 50% from the foul line (6-of-12) as USF made 76% (19-of-25) of their free throws. USF shot 49% from the floor and 30% from the three-point line. The biggest difference was USF scoring 28 points off of JU turnovers and outscoring JU in the paint, 48-36.
Finishing off their games before the Christmas season, Judson will travel to Wisconsin to face Silver Lake College at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, December 21st.
NOTES: This was the first time this season that JU has had two players with double-doubles in the same game … Gonnam had career-high 14 rebounds which tops his 11 vs. Indiana-Northwest from the 2005-06 season … Gonnam needs just 87 points to hit 1,000 career points … Is only 3rd time this season that Robinson has scored under 20 points … It is 3rd game this season that JU has lost after leading at the half … USF now leads series vs. JU, 5-3 and has won the last two meetings … Only the third game this season that JU has shot over 50% in a game.
| Lewis University at | 2:00pm |
| Judson | CST |
| Scrimmage | |
