MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Jake Ludwig scored a game-high 23 points during another great all-around effort, and the 24th-ranked Roosevelt men's basketball team defeated Cardinal Stritch, 67-55, at Panella Court on Wednesday night.
Ludwig added nine rebounds and five assists while canning four of his five three-point attempts, including three three-pointers during a 20-point outburst in the opening period, and Carson Hughes made three of his five shots from downtown to score 11 points as the Lakers (23-6, 14-5 CCAC) clinched the second seed in the upcoming CCAC Men's Basketball Tournament to cement Roosevelt's best regular-season league finish.
Joshua Dillingham added six points and seven rebounds while Adam Alexander scored eight points and pulled down five boards.
Frederik Benzon led Stritch (15-14, 10-9 CCAC) with 14 points.
The Wolves kept it close in the first half, but Ludwig carried the Lakers offensively and scored the team's final six points of the period to give Roosevelt a three-point lead heading into halftime.
After Stritch knotted the game early in the second half, Hughes and Kevin Day hit back-to-back threes, and the Lakers would grow their lead to 14 and keep it at double digits for most of the remaining time in the second half.
Hughes (eight points), Alexander (six points) and Grant Gibson (six points) picked up the scoring load in the second half after Ludwig carried it for the opening 20 minutes.
"We are thrilled to clinch the two seed in our 14-team conference," Roosevelt head coach Joe Griffin said. "We have put together two terrific efforts two games in a row now and this win may be even more impressive than the GSU win because it was on the road versus a very well-coached team. Ludwig was super in the first half and bailed us out because nobody else had it going. Josh and Adam really defended and rebounded, and Carson gave another great shooting boost off the bench.
"The second half we really shared it and clamped in on defense," Griffin continued. "Our energy and focus was contagious and we are excited to finish the regular season strong Saturday honoring our three seniors."
Roosevelt will wrap up the regular season this Saturday against Trinity Christian inside the Goodman Center at 3 pm. The Lakers will honor Alexander, Dillingham and Tomas Cutts prior to the game as part of Senior Day.
