MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Jake Ludwig scored a game-high 22 points, but the Roosevelt men's basketball team could not complete a furious late rally against host Cardinal Stritch in a narrow 67-64 loss on Panella Court on Saturday.
Ludwig scored 16 of his 22 in the second half, including eight in the final minute, while Jake Asquini added three three-pointers for nine points and three other Lakers tallied eight points apiece.
DeAnte Barnes led all players with 11 rebounds for Roosevelt (8-5, 3-2 CCAC).
Frederik Benzon led the Wolves (8-4, 3-2 CCAC) with 13 points.
Roosevelt held a slim lead for a large portion of the first half and took a one-point advantage into intermission.
The Lakers did not have their best shooting night, hampered by a 31 percent second-half that was only compounded by Stritch's 50-percent showing during that same timeframe.
Cardinal Stritch would go up by nine with a minute left in regulation when Roosevelt mounted its furious comeback. Ludwig hit a three, followed by a layup by Kyle Bumbalough and another trey off the fingertips of Ludwig to make it a four-point game with 28 ticks left.
Stritch went up six on Benzon free throws, and after a Ludwig layup, Quaderrick Shaw made two more at the foul line to put Stritch ahead 67-61 with 12 seconds on the clock.
Asquini hit a quick three on a pass from Ludwig, and after Bennett Fuzak fouled Carlos Knox to prolong the game, Knox missed the front end of a 1-and-1 and Grant Gibson corralled the rebound to give Roosevelt three seconds to get a game-tying shot off. But Roosevelt was unsuccessful in sending the game into OT despite the valiant efforts late.
"We had hopes of sweeping the trip, but we came up short despite a valiant comeback," Roosevelt head coach Joe Griffin said of the Lakers' second CCAC road game in three days. "They are tough to be beat in Milwaukee but we were right there. We missed too many open shots but they had a lot to do with that. Ludwig gave us a great chance with his terrific shot-making. We still need to put it all together and become more cohesive as a team."
Roosevelt enters final exams week and will return to the court next Saturday, Dec. 15 at 3:00 pm to host Trinity Christian inside the Goodman Center.
