CHICAGO – Roosevelt didn't miss many shots in the first half as it raced to a 90-67 win over Benedictine (Ill.) on Thursday night in the season opener at the Goodman Center.

Forte Prater got the party started for the Lakers (1-0) with a 3-pointer on the team's first possession, and the 3s continued to rain for Roosevelt. Prater finished a perfect 5 for 5 from deep, all in the first half, while Julio Montes II added five triples of his own and Maurice Commander sank four. Roosevelt made 14 3-pointers in the first half to take a commanding 60-37 lead in the second half then attempted just seven in the second half to finish 17 of 31 overall for the game.

It was a very perimeter-oriented game for the Lakers against the NCAA Division III Eagles as they whipped the ball around the floor with relative ease. Roosevelt committed just five turnovers total in the game while forcing 19 out of Benedictine. The Lakers turned those takeaways into 22 points, showcasing a team speed to be able to move the ball quickly in transition for easy points.

Four Lakers finished in double figures, and it was the four starting guards who accomplished the feat. Montes led the way with 23 points while Prater had 19, Commander chipped in 14 and Malcolm Townsel scored 12. The foursome combined to make 24 of the 33 field goals the Lakers made in the game, with 15 of those shots coming from behind the arc.

Cody Mitchell did his part in the post as a physical presence, finishing with eight rebounds and six assists, both of which led the Lakers. David Swedura came off the bench to nab four steals in addition to securing four rebounds and scoring nine points.

Defensively, the Lakers did their part to run the Eagles off the 3-point line by limiting Benedictine to just 6 of 20 from behind the arc, including 3 of 12 in the second half. The Eagles shot 35.5 percent overall in the second half while Roosevelt shot 45 percent total for the game.

Thursday was Roosevelt's first win in a season opener since it opened the 2017-18 season with a victory over East-West. It was also the Lakers' first win over an NCAA foe since Nov. 8, 2018 when Roosevelt defeated Illinois Tech at home.

The Lakers' season continues next Friday when they travel to Livonia, Mich. for the two-day Bernie Holowicki Classic hosted by Madonna. Roosevelt will face Lawrence Tech next Friday at 4 p.m. before taking on the hosts next Saturday at 3 p.m.