CHICAGO – In a heated battle between the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference's top two teams, the 24th-ranked Roosevelt men's basketball team snapped 18th-ranked and CCAC regular-season champion Governors State's 11-game winning streak with an 83-73 win at the Goodman Center on Saturday afternoon.
Jake Ludwig scored a game-high 24 points and flirted with a triple-double by grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out seven assists, while Carson Hughes came off the bench and made clutch basket after clutch basket with a 21-point showing that was highlighted by a 5-for-7 three-point shooting performance.
Grant Gibson scored 15 while pulling down six rebounds, Adam Alexander had 11 points and five boards, and Joshua Dillingham had one of the loudest plays of the day with a thunderous block off the backboard in the game's final two minutes to help the Lakers (22-6, 13-5 CCAC) snap a two-game skid and exact some measure of revenge on the Jaguars (20-8, 16-2 CCAC) for a Dec. 2 GSU decision over RU in University Park.
Jalen Miller led four Jaguars in double figures with 16 points while grabbing 11 rebounds.
Roosevelt led for most of the game, but Governors State showed why it has been so successful this season by keeping within striking distance throughout and never letting the Lakers get comfortable with a lead.
However, the Lakers displayed why they have been in the hunt for CCAC hardware all season by making key plays when they needed to. Dillingham's momentum-killing block, dagger treys by Hughes and Ludwig's consistent offensive prowess and calm were among the many aiding factors to Roosevelt's success, along with the Lakers' nationally-ranked top 10 scoring and shooting defense holding its own against a potent GSU offense that ranks fourth in the conference.
"What a great day for our team," Roosevelt head coach Joe Griffin said after the win. "It has been a rough week for us basketball-wise, but after the Saint Xavier game on Wednesday our team put together two very good practices and we came in today and really controlled most of the game. We fed off our defense as we usually do, holding them to 38 percent and making most of their shots tough, and that led to good offense for us.
"Josh was limited in minutes, but he really dominated the glass, and Adam was a tough as nails again, as well as Grant and his scrappiness," Griffin continued. "Ludwig controlled the game like the great player he is, and Carson gave us a tremendous boost off the bench."
"We are trying to hold on to the two-seed in our 14-team league with a few teams breathing down our neck, so today was a big win over a team that hadn't lost in its 11 previous games."
Prior to the game Ludwig was honored for reaching the 1,000-point mark for his career this season. The junior guard now has 1,397 points after his 24-point showing on Saturday and is already the school's third all-time leading scorer.
Roosevelt will look to keep its hold on the second seed in the CCAC Tournament as it heads to Milwaukee to tangle with a Cardinal Stritch team that handed the Lakers a home loss on Dec. 9. The game between the Lakers and the Wolves takes place this Wednesday, Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Jake Ludwig was honored by Roosevelt Athletics for reaching 1,000 career points with a commemorative basketball presented in a pregame ceremony by athletic director John Jaramillo (top photo, left) and head coach Joe Griffin (right). Ludwig then proceeded to tack on 24 points to his career total to lead all scorers and lead the Lakers to a win over No. 18 Governors State. (Photos: Steve Woltmann)
