The Millikin men's basketball team used a second half rally to win its home opener 80-76 over Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology on November 27 at the Griswold Center in Decatur, Illinois.  The victory improves Millikin to 4-1 on the season.  The Engineers fall to 0-4.

          Rose-Hulman came out hot shooting the ball extremely well in the first half.  The Engineers made 12 of its first 16 shots (75 percent) including hitting eight of nine from three-point range.  Rose-Hulman hit 57 percent from the field in the first half including 73 percent from three-point range to build a 42-31 halftime advantage.  Millikin struggled from the field in the first half hitting only 29 percent of its shots.

          Millikin battled back in the second half shooting 61 percent from the field.  Millikin tied the game at 47-47 with 12:54 remaining on a basket by Elijah Henry.

Sophomore Zach Fisher gave Millikin the lead with a steal and layup with 11:40 left in the game.  Millikin pulled out to an eight-point advantage at 61-53 with 7:24 left in the game.  Rose-Hulman battled back to pull within one at 63-62 with 4:20 remaining on two free throws by Ryuji Aoki.

          The Big Blue struggled from the free throw line in the second half making only 13-23.  However, Millikin made its free throws in the clutch with Fisher hitting four free throws in the final 18 seconds and Michael Beaty hitting two with just tenths of a second left on the clock to seal the win.

          Millikin shot 43.5 percent from the field in the game while Rose-Hulman made 49 percent.  Rose-Hulman shot 50 percent from the three-point range, but after a hot first half, the Engineers were 3-11 from beyond the arc in the second half.

          Millikin won the rebounding battle 35-24.

          Beaty led the way for the Big Blue coming off the bench to score 22 points.  Fisher added 18.  DeVante Harrell had 16 points and team high eight rebounds. Henry had 11 points and five rebounds.

          John Czarnecki led Rose-Hulman with 18 points and six rebounds.  Stephen Schueth had 16 points.

          Millikin opens College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) play on Saturday, December 2 when they travel to Wheaton College.