THE BASICS
Score: Madonna 81, Lawrence Tech 52
Record: MU (16-7, 9-4 WHAC), LTU (9-12, 6-8 WHAC)
Location: Don Ridler Field House - Southfield, Mich.

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. – The Madonna University men's basketball team played one of its best halves of the season in the first half of Wednesday nights 81-52 victory over Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference foe Lawrence Technological University.

Madonna scored the first six points, five from Jonathan Swift, and, after LTU cut a double-figure lead down to eight, the Blue and Gold went on a 26-4 run over the final 8:41 of the opening half to take a 30-point, 46-16, lead into the break. The run was capped emphatically by a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Caleb Drumm.

The home team seemed to find some success in the second half as they outscored the Crusaders 36-35 in the final 20 minutes, but the massive lead the Blue and Gold built in the impressive first half was enough to earn another WHAC win.

TURNING POINT

• A 26-4 Madonna run over the final 8:41 of the first half

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

• Swift finished with a team-best 24 points and added four rebounds and two assists while three other players, Joshua Reynolds, Mark Mettie and Antonio Capaldi, netted 11 each with the latter finishing a perfect 4-for-4 from the floor. KJ Sayer led the team with six rebounds while Dwight Burton dished a team best five assists.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Madonna shot 50 percent from the field (30-for-60) in the contest and the defense limited LTU to just six made baskets in the first half on 21 attempts (28.5%).
• The Blue and Gold forced 16 turnovers and turned them into 23 points
• MU held LTU to just one made 3-pointer in the contest (1-of-14, 7.1%) and made nine themselves (9-of-21, 42.9%)

NOEL'S NOTIONS

• "We played great defense in the first half. Our intensity and communication set the tone and we used that defensive effort to spark the offense. Our guys played unselfishly and gave up good looks for better looks and controlled the glass well." - Head Coach Noel Emenhiser

UP NEXT

• The Crusaders travel south to Fort Wayne, Ind. looking for a season sweep of No. 22 Indiana Tech on Saturday, Jan. 26 at 3 p.m.
• Live coverage links will be available at www.mucrusaders.com.

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