CHICAGO – Despite erasing a 16-point deficit in the first half, the Case Western Reserve University men's basketball team lost by a score of 81-72 to the University of Chicago in Friday night University Athletic Association action at the Ratner Athletics Center.
The Spartans dip to 13-4 overall and 4-2 in the UAA, while the Maroons improve to 12-5 (4-2 UAA). Both teams are part of a four-way tie for first place in the conference with Emory University (Ga.) and Washington Univeristy in St. Louis.
Senior guard Julien Person (Paris, France/Second Baptist, Texas) posted 13 points and eight rebounds. Senior point guard Jordan Dean (St. Johns, Fla./Creekside) and freshman forward David Black (Avon Lake, Ohio/Saint Ignatius) also scored 13 apiece off of the bench as the CWRU reserves scored 41 in the game. Dean's scoring effort was a season high. Also in double-digits, junior guard Matt Clark (St. Louis, Mo./St. Louis) contributed 11 points.
Jordan Smith led the Maroons with 21 points and eight rebounds. Alex Voss tallied 16 points, and Nate Brooks posted 14 points with a game-high 14 rebounds.
The aforementioned 16-point lead for the hosts came at 9:16 in the first half as a Jordan Smith three-pointer made the score 27-11. The Spartans then came roaring back with an 18-3 run to pull within 30-29 as Person converted a layup with 3:09 on the clock.
Several possessions later, Person nailed a three-point bucket to give CWRU it's first lead of the game, 34-33, with 2:23 remaining in the half. Undaunted, the Maroons responded with an 11-0 spurt to close the first as Voss dropped a three-pointer to end the half with the Maroons on top, 44-34.
The second half saw the Spartans pull to within eight three times, but each time the Maroons reponded with points. The home lead reached 16 twice more before the clock hit all zeros.
For the game, the Maroons outrebounded the Spartans, 49-30, and attempted 44 free throws compared to just 14 for the visitors.
The Spartans will wrap up their second consecutive UAA road weekend at No. 9 nationally ranked and fellow first-place team, Washington University, on Sunday afternoon at 12:00 p.m. (CT).