CLEVELAND, Ohio – Junior forward Austin Fowler (Farmington Hills, Mich./Birmingham Brother Rice) and sophomore center David Thompson (Plano, Texas/Plano) scored  19 and 18 points, respectively, as the Case Western Reserve University men's basketball team picked up its first victory of the 2011-12 campaign by a score of 70-56 versus Elmira College (N.Y.) on day one of the 2011 Stephanie Tubbs Jones Memorial Tournament at Horsburgh Gymnasium.

The Spartans improve to 1-1 for the young season and will return to action in the tourney championship game tomorrow evening versus DePauw University (Ind.) at 7:00 p.m. DePauw defeated Marygrove College (Mich.), 98-67, in the other day one game.

Fowler recorded a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds. Thompson added five rebounds to his career-high 18-point effort, while freshman forward Dane McLoughlin (Westerville, Ohio/St. Charles Preparatory) scored 15.

The Spartans came out of the gate quickly and led 10-2 when freshman guard Julien Person (Houston, Texas/Second Baptist) buried a jumper at the 17:05 mark. The lead grew to a high of 12, at 26-14, as Person hit another jumper at 8:39. Elmira chipped away with an 11-2 run and got to within three, at 28-25, following a pair of Josh Keys free throws with 38 seconds left in the half. Fowler hit two free throws on Case's next trip down the floor, the Spartans eventually went into the break ahead, 30-25.

In the second half, the Spartan lead grew to 11, at 46-35, when McLoughlin hit a jumper with 11:28 left to play. Elmira battled back and got as close as three, at 55-52, when Kurt Dutcher hit a layup at 3:47. However, the Spartans put the game away with a 10-0 run that ended in a Thompson triple, making the score 65-52 with 1:36 left on the clock. Case's lead reached a high of 16, at 70-54, when freshman center Connor Edel (Akron, Ohio/Revere) made a pair of free throws with 30 second remaining.

Elmira had three players in double-figures, led by Keys with 13.