Lewis Men’s Hoops Shocks Division I DePaul, 70-68, In Exhibition Finale

Flyers shoot 52.2% from field; McClellan posts 17 points, with four treys, to lead Lewis.

Chicago, Ill. – The Lewis University men’s basketball team rode a torrid first-half shooting performance, which included six trifectas, as the Flyers shocked Division I DePaul, 70-68, in the Flyers exhibition finale at McGrath Arena on Sunday (Nov. 7) evening.

   The Flyers shot 69.6 (16-for-23) from the field and 60% (6-for-10) from three-point range to jump out to a 39-27 halftime lead over the Blue Demons.

   Lewis junior point guard Chris McClellan (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Wheeling) led the charge for the Flyers with 17 points on 6-for-7 shooting, including four three-pointers. Senior guard Dennis Thomas, Jr. (Milwaukee, Wis./Bradley Tech) added 14 points, while junior forward Matt Toth (Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg) pitched in nine points and a game-high seven rebounds.

   “We’re very appreciative of Coach Purnell and DePaul for giving us this opportunity,” Lewis head men’s basketball coach Scott Trost said. “I thought we competed and we shot the ball pretty well. It was nice to have some guys get some game action in a tough environment, because that’s what they’re going to face in the GLVC this season.”

   DePaul forward Mike Stovall led five Blue Demons with double-figures with 13 points, while Krys Faber and Tony Freeland each scored 11 points; and Jeremiah Kelly and Brandon Young each chipped in 10 in the loss.

   Even though Lewis built a lead as big as 15 points over DePaul in the second half, the Blue Demons would not go away quietly, thanks to 11 second-half turnovers by the Flyers. DePaul continually chipped away at Lewis’ lead and cut the Flyers’ advantage to 70-68 with 1:18 left following a lay-up by Young.

   Thomas, Jr. missed a jumper on the ensuing possession, giving the Blue Demons a chance to tie the game with 56 seconds left on the clock. Kelly, however, missed his opportunity with a jumper of his own and the Flyers claimed the rebound.

   Turnovers, however, gave DePaul one more chance, as Thomas had his pocket picked by Cleveland Melvin with 34 seconds left in regulation. DePaul called time-out and Stovall attempted a game-winning three-pointer with eight seconds left.

   His shot, however, went array, and junior forward Justin Jarosz (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) grabbed the board to clinch the victory for the Flyers.

   Lewis opens the 2010-11 campaign on Friday (Nov. 12), as they head to California to square off with UC-San Diego for a 2:30 p.m. (PST) start in the opening day of the Disney Tip-Off.