Jan 29, 2011
Box Score
RIVER FOREST, Ill. - The Edgewood College men's basketball team punched their ticket to the postseason on Saturday with a 79-64 victory over Dominican University. The victory featured two different Eagles, Ben Wisniewski and Jeff Barczak, both scoring at least 20 points as head coach Todd Adrian's squad clinched their fifth straight Northern Athletics Conference Tournament berth. The Eagles shot 60.7 percent in the first half and led by as many as 27 points.
Edgewood College (13-6, 9-2 NAC), which began the week ranked 14th in the country in field goal percentage, put on another shooting exhibition in the first half. After eking out a 23-20 lead midway through the first half, the Eagles caught fire.
Sophomore Michael Janusek drilled a three-point basket from the left corner to start a 9-for-10 streak by the Eagles. Wisniewski, a junior, had 12 points in that stretch including a pair of three-point baskets. The Eagles outscored the Stars 23-6 in the stretch and took a commanding 46-26 lead. A pair of baskets by Dominican's Jovan Turley and Milos Mandic stopped the bleeding temporarily and the Eagle led 46-30 at halftime.
Dominican University (7-12, 4-7 NAC) started the second half with a basket, but the Eagles continued their hot shooting. Edgewood College made 10 of their first 12 shots in the second half and the lead ballooned as large as 71-44 on a Barczak layup. When the Eagles scored their final field goal in that stretch, they were shooting 65.9 percent for the game. The Eagles finished the day 1-for-9 from the field with five turnovers, but still ended at 56 percent (28-for-50).
Wisniewski scored a season-high 26 points, while Barczak had a season-high 20 points and 11 rebounds. The game marked the first time since 2008 two Eagles have both scored at least 20 points in a game. The last time involved Wisniewski (22 points) and current junior Kent Faurote in a game at Aurora on December 6, 2008. This time Wisniewski and Barczak combined to shoot 63 percent from the field. For Barczak it was his first double-double since a 17-point, 10-rebounds performance in last season's NAC finale against Concordia University Wisconsin, and the fifth of his career.
Sophomore point guard Travis Schaaf received the first start of his career and made good sharing team-high assist honors with Derek Nkemnji with four. The 6-foot Schaaf also grabbed a career-high three rebounds. Nkemnji made both of his shots and finished with nine points, improving his NAC leading field goal percentage to 67.9 percent. The Eagles dominated from the free throw line as well going 20-for-28, compared to Dominican's total of 9-for-13.
The Stars were led by Darrius Nelson who scored 12 points, while Turley chipped in 10 points and a game-high six assists. Dominican University didn't shoot poorly themselves, hitting 46.4 percent, but were hampered by 18 turnovers.
Edgewood College sits in second place in the NAC North Division, 2.5 games behind Concordia University Wisconsin. The Eagles travel north on Tuesday to face Lakeland College, before returning home on Saturday for the annual Jam the Gym celebration against Aurora University.
RIVER FOREST, Ill. - The Edgewood College men's basketball team punched their ticket to the postseason on Saturday with a 79-64 victory over Dominican University. The victory featured two different Eagles, Ben Wisniewski and Jeff Barczak, both scoring at least 20 points as head coach Todd Adrian's squad clinched their fifth straight Northern Athletics Conference Tournament berth. The Eagles shot 60.7 percent in the first half and led by as many as 27 points.
Edgewood College (13-6, 9-2 NAC), which began the week ranked 14th in the country in field goal percentage, put on another shooting exhibition in the first half. After eking out a 23-20 lead midway through the first half, the Eagles caught fire.
Sophomore Michael Janusek drilled a three-point basket from the left corner to start a 9-for-10 streak by the Eagles. Wisniewski, a junior, had 12 points in that stretch including a pair of three-point baskets. The Eagles outscored the Stars 23-6 in the stretch and took a commanding 46-26 lead. A pair of baskets by Dominican's Jovan Turley and Milos Mandic stopped the bleeding temporarily and the Eagle led 46-30 at halftime.
Dominican University (7-12, 4-7 NAC) started the second half with a basket, but the Eagles continued their hot shooting. Edgewood College made 10 of their first 12 shots in the second half and the lead ballooned as large as 71-44 on a Barczak layup. When the Eagles scored their final field goal in that stretch, they were shooting 65.9 percent for the game. The Eagles finished the day 1-for-9 from the field with five turnovers, but still ended at 56 percent (28-for-50).
Wisniewski scored a season-high 26 points, while Barczak had a season-high 20 points and 11 rebounds. The game marked the first time since 2008 two Eagles have both scored at least 20 points in a game. The last time involved Wisniewski (22 points) and current junior Kent Faurote in a game at Aurora on December 6, 2008. This time Wisniewski and Barczak combined to shoot 63 percent from the field. For Barczak it was his first double-double since a 17-point, 10-rebounds performance in last season's NAC finale against Concordia University Wisconsin, and the fifth of his career.
Sophomore point guard Travis Schaaf received the first start of his career and made good sharing team-high assist honors with Derek Nkemnji with four. The 6-foot Schaaf also grabbed a career-high three rebounds. Nkemnji made both of his shots and finished with nine points, improving his NAC leading field goal percentage to 67.9 percent. The Eagles dominated from the free throw line as well going 20-for-28, compared to Dominican's total of 9-for-13.
The Stars were led by Darrius Nelson who scored 12 points, while Turley chipped in 10 points and a game-high six assists. Dominican University didn't shoot poorly themselves, hitting 46.4 percent, but were hampered by 18 turnovers.
Edgewood College sits in second place in the NAC North Division, 2.5 games behind Concordia University Wisconsin. The Eagles travel north on Tuesday to face Lakeland College, before returning home on Saturday for the annual Jam the Gym celebration against Aurora University.