Houston Keys Chargers’ 16-0 Run in Win Over 2nd-Ranked Elgin
Aaron Frey
Saturday, November 4, 2017 3:44 PM
Athletics
Galesburg, IL
A tiebreaking second-half run led by sophomore Tyler Houston (Knoxville, Ill./Knoxville) helped the Carl Sandburg College men’s basketball team knock off nationally ranked Elgin 83-66 on Saturday afternoon at John M. Lewis Gymnasium.
The Chargers (2-0) broke a 36-all tie in the early minutes of the second half by scoring 16 straight to top the Spartans (1-1), the second-ranked team in Division III and defending national runner-up.
Houston scored 12 of his game-high 21 points during the stretch, which lasted 3:20 and gave Sandburg a lead it wouldn’t relinquish. Houston opened the run with a rebound basket and closed it with a three-point play for a 52-36 advantage with 13:55 to play after freshman forward T.J. Pendleton (Galesburg, Ill./Galesburg) picked up a steal on the other end.
“We found a lineup that really clicked during that stretch and they made it happen,” Chargers coach Ryan Twaddle said. “They played with great energy and shared the ball well, and that part of the game turned out to be the deciding factor.”
Sandburg shot 19 of 35 from the floor in the second half after taking a 34-31 lead into halftime. The Chargers recorded assists on 21 of their 33 field goals in the contest, with Houston and point guard Kourtlandt Martin (Evansville, Ind./Central) each handing out a team-leading five.
Martin also had 17 points while adding a team-leading nine rebounds, including six on the offensive glass. The Chargers finished with a 42-25 advantage on the boards. Matt Wendling (Athens, Ill./Athens) had 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while Ben Stipp (Abingdon, Ill./Abingdon-Avon) scored 10 on 5-of-8 shooting for Sandburg.
Keunte Howard scored 17 to lead three Spartans players in double figures.
The Chargers will hit the road for the first time next week as they play three games in three days in Michigan. Sandburg will play at Aquinas JV at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Glen Oaks at 6:30 p.m. Friday and Kellogg at 2 p.m. Saturday.
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