Box Score
FOND DU LAC, Wis. – Edgewood College shot over 59 percent in the second half en route to an 82-69 road win over North Division preseason favorite, Marian University, in the season's Northern Athletics Conference opener and snapped its four-game losing streak in the process on Tuesday night.
In a three-point game with just over seven minutes remaining, the Eagles defense was able to hold the Sabres without a field goal for more than five minutes. Despite a couple free throws in between, the home team was able to manufacture any points until the 1:47 mark in the second half. Subsequently, Edgewood College (2-4, 1-0 NAC) went on a 17-2 run to blow the game wide open and push the lead to 18 points to seal a win in its first conference game in 2008-09.
Ben Wisniewski led the Eagles, who recorded five players in double figures. The freshman scored 16 points on 5-for-12 shooting and went 4-for-7 from three-point range. Jeff Barczak was perfect from the field, making all seven of his attempts for an even 14 points. John Schuster was just 2-for-7 from the field for 11 points, but both of his field goals came from long range as he went 5-for-7 from the free throw line as well.
Kent Faurote and Derek Nkemnji added 10 points apiece off the bench. Nkemnji also had four rebounds and three assists in his 22 minutes of action. Jon Ciche chipped in nine points, six rebounds and three blocks in the win.
Edgewood College shot 50.9 percent (28-for-55) for the game and was 8-for-19 from three while going 18-for-24 from the charity stripe. It was their highest shooting output since the Eagles' last win at then No. 22-ranked Chicago when they shot 60 percent and put up 101 points. More impressively, the Eagles held Marian (3-3, 0-1 NAC) to just 39 percent (23-for-59) from the floor. The Eagles bench outscored the Sabres bench 32-22 while both teams committed 15 turnovers apiece.
The win marked the Eagles' first in a conference road opener since defeating Concordia Wisconsin in double-overtime back on Dec. 6, 2000.
Edgewood College will be off until Saturday when they take on Aurora University on the road in the second game of a men's/women's double-header at Thornton Gymnasium in Aurora, Ill. They will follow the women's contest which begins at 2:00 p.m.
