SXU Athletics
The men’s basketball team played its first home game on Sunday at 2 p.m. inside the Shannon Center.
This game was special because it was their first victory of the season, and what better place to win than at home?
The Cougars took down Silver Lake College 80-71. Sophomore point guard, Kyle Huppe, was impressive with a team-high 16 points right off the bench.
The Cougars had a strong second half with a 55% shooting percentage from the field. An early 20-7 run helped the team to victory.
Senior guard Jack Krieger also helped SXU take the win with 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Freshman point guard Quinn Niego scored 12 points, while Andre Arrington, a senior forward, recorded 10 points and led his team with eight rebounds.
Arrington, who came off the bench, played just four fewer minutes than junior starter Tony Core, who finished with 26 minutes.
Core had difficulty getting his low-post offense going. He was 0-for-5 from the field, while Arrington finished 5-for-6.
Stanley Moore, a junior guard, and Larry Motuzis, a freshman guard, each claimed nine points for SXU.
Motuzis and Moore had six points each in the second half. Arrington added the bulk of his points in the second half, as he had just two points through the first half.
Despite Silver Lake’s early 15-4 lead, the Cougars did not get intimidated and took an 11-0 run tying the game, thanks to a lay-up by Krieger.
The final 13 minutes of the first half was intense, as the game remained close the entire time. At half, the Cougars led by one point, 37-36.
After the half, the Cougars came out strong, pulling away by as many as 24 points (77-53) after Huppe shot a three-pointer from downtown.
Next, the Cougars will play their first conference match against Cardinal Stritch University in their second home game of the season. The game will take place at 7 p.m. on Nov. 19.
Tim Carroll
Senior Sports Editor