CHICAGO – Jake Ludwig's game-high 23 points included the final four points of regulation, highlighted by what proved to be the game-winning basket with 55 seconds left, to propel the Roosevelt men's basketball team to a 78-76 road victory over Saint Xavier at the Shannon Center on Wednesday night.
Ludwig added five assists, while Chandler Fuzak (13 points, nine rebounds) and Bennett Fuzak (12 points, six rebounds) added to the double-digit scoring showing for the Lakers (16-11, 10-7 CCAC).
Kyle Bumbalough added nine points off the bench, connecting three times on five tries from downtown.
Josh Niego led five Cougars in double figures with 16 points for SXU (10-17, 7-10 CCAC).
While Roosevelt still had a difficult time from long range with eight of 28 tries made from beyond the arc, Ludwig's offensive charge and big interior buckets from the Fuzak brothers throughout the night helped make up for the three-point performance.
Roosevelt jumped to an 11-point lead midway through the first period, but the Cougars were able charge back and eventually take a three-point lead into the break.
Saint Xavier eventually went ahead by 12 in the second period, and this time it was Roosevelt's turn to rally behind a 16-point second-half effort from Ludwig.
With SXU nursing a two-point lead after eight straight points from Jack Brody, including a go-ahead three-point play, Ludwig would go to the line with a little less than 90 seconds left in regulation and make a pair of free throws to tie the game at 76.
The clock went under a minute when the driving force of the St. Charles native produced a tie-breaking layup, and after each team had unsuccessful possessions in the waning moments, SXU got the ball off a rare Ludwig miss with a chance to tie or win the game.
Brody drove right and eventually created a look at the basket while he was heading toward the goal, but his shot came up short on the side of the rim as time expired, allowing the Lakers to leave with a much-needed conference decision as the league slate winds down.
"It's hard to win on the road, especially at Saint X, but we really believed and persevered," Roosevelt head coach Joe Griffin said. "Ludwig was great with no turnovers, and the Fuzak bros really played tough down low and rebounded. Kyle was very good off the bench, and I love how we came back and held them off.
Griffin recognized the Roosevelt basketball sweep at the Shannon Center on Wednesday.
"Shouts to Keisha and the ladies for getting it done at X for the first time as well," Griffin said of the Roosevelt women's basketball team's 68-65 upset of No. 17 SXU earlier in the evening.
Roosevelt plays its third game in six days against Governors State in another pivotal CCAC game between the conference's top two finishers last season. The contest begins at 3 p.m. at GSU's Athletics & Recreation Center.
