Men's Basketball Falls Just Short Vs. Indiana Tech

(Lansing, MI)-- The Cleary Cougar men's basketball team opened WHAC play with a home game against the nationally ranked Indiana Tech Warriors, and came just a few possessions short of pulling off the upset Saturday afternoon in Lansing.

Chris Williams would get the Cougars on the board in the opening minutes, and Indiana Tech would answer with a made three of their own to exchange leads.  Williams would hit another layup to give the Cougars a 4-3 early lead.  The Warriors would retake the lead, and expanded the lead after a turnover led to a dunk, causing the Cougars to call a timeout.  Both teams would turn up the defensive intensity after the timeout, as neither team was able to create much offensive rhythm.  Trailing 20-19 late in the first half, Cleary's Tim Kewley hit a layup to give CU the lead.  Indiana Tech would respond with a 10-2 run, before Cleary finished the half on a 5-2 run to keep the game within reach at the half, as Cleary trailed 32-26.

The Warriors would score first out of the break, but Cleary kept fighting, and kept the game within six points for most of the second half.  Another Tim Kewley layup would cut the deficit to four points with 8:30 to play. Still trailing by four with 6:50 to go, Cleary would be forced into a turnover, and Indiana Tech capitalized to retake the six point advantage.  Cleary had a chance at the five-minute media timeout to cut the deficit back to four, but Cleary only hit 1/2 free throws.  That would be the closest Cleary came the rest of the way, as Indiana Tech made their free throws down the stretch to expand the lead to double-digits, which was enough to hold on for the victory, as Cleary fell 61-53.  

Bennie Crenshaw Jr. led CU with 13 points, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds.  Chris Williams added 12 points and 7 rebounds, while Tim Kewley was a perfect 5/5 from the floor for 10 points.

Cleary is now 1-5 overall, 0-1 in the WHAC.  The Cougars will play their final game before Thanksgiving on Tuesday, when they take on the Lawrence Tech Blue Devils at Gannon Gymnasium.  The game is set to begin at 7:30 PM.