LIMA, Ohio – Madonna University used a fast start, a balanced scoring effort and an active defense to roll past Northwestern Ohio 105-83 on Wednesday night at The Garage.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Crusaders seized control early behind an efficient opening-quarter surge, building a 25-10 lead on a 3-pointer by Mario Johnson with 11:26 left in the first and stretching the margin to 39-21 after a deep ball from Makyle Doss at the 7:00 mark. Madonna went into halftime up 53-38 after DeAntwan Randall punctuated the opening 20 minutes with a dunk in the closing minute, and Northwestern Ohio never drew closer than double digits the rest of the way.
Madonna's defensive pressure and ball security were decisive. The Crusaders forced 13 Racers turnovers while committing only eight, turning several of those miscues into transition baskets. Joey Liedel had a major hand in that disruption, collecting six steals to go with 18 points and eight rebounds. As a team, Madonna finished with 10 steals and repeatedly converted stops into run-out opportunities that fueled multiple scoring runs in both halves.
Offensively, the Crusaders were sharp across the board, shooting 50.0% from the field (39-of-78) and 40.6% from 3-point range (13-of-32). Ahmoni Weston led all scorers with 24 points on 11-of-21 shooting, jump-starting the night with a 3-pointer just 50 seconds into the game and adding an early transition layup to set the tone. Randall provided interior dominance with 20 points and a game-high 11 rebounds on an efficient 7-of-8 from the floor and 6-of-8 at the foul line, giving Madonna a reliable presence in the paint.
Liedel's all-around performance complemented Weston and Randall, as the guard added five assists to his 18 points and eight boards while knocking down three 3-pointers, including a key triple with 6:24 remaining to push the lead to 87-67. Doss chipped in from the perimeter with a pair of timely 3-pointers, including makes during a 73-60 and 39-21 stretch that helped the Crusaders maintain separation every time Northwestern Ohio appeared poised for a push. Madonna also controlled the glass with a 45-36 rebounding advantage, including 15 offensive rebounds that extended possessions.
Northwestern Ohio opened the second half with a jumper from Alex Benson to cut the deficit to 53-40 at 19:52 of the second quarter, but the Crusaders immediately answered with a Liedel layup and another perimeter burst to restore a comfortable margin. Grant Pikkaart paced the Racers with 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting with four rebounds and four assists, while Benson added 19 points, four rebounds and three assists. Despite shooting a respectable 46.4% from the field (32-of-69), Northwestern Ohio was limited to 28.1% from beyond the arc (9-of-32) and could not match Madonna's efficiency or depth of scoring.

Madonna closed the night in fitting fashion, surpassing the 100-point mark and stretching the final margin to 22 on a 3-pointer from Jayden Hardiman in the last 30 seconds. With the 105-83 road win, the Crusaders combined high-level shot-making, work on the boards and disruptive defense to secure a convincing victory and build momentum heading into the heart of February play.

UP NEXT:
The Crusaders will be back in action on Saturday, February 7th as they continue their road trip to Southfield, Mich. to take on Lawrence Tech University. Tip-off is set for 3:00 PM.