RIVER FOREST, ILL. – The Edgewood College Eagles men's basketball squad wrapped up the 2023 portion of their Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference (NACC) slate on the road Saturday afternoon. They faced the Dominican Stars down south. The Eagles (4-6, 4-2 NACC) lifted themselves past the Stars (2-7, 1-4) in 83-80 fashion.

HOW IT HAPPENED
- The first two and a half minutes saw an Edgewood College offensive explosion, leaving them ahead 9-2 at 17:28 left. The Stars responded in force over the next seven minutes of play, turning a 13-9 deficit to a 22-15 lead for the hosts at 10:52.
 
- The last minutes of the half saw Dominican go cold, with the Eagles warming up on a 9-4 run to close within a possession at 44-41 heading into the locker room.
 
- Both teams shot over 50 percent for the period, with the Stars finishing with 60 percent (18-of-30) shooting.
 
- Edgewood College carried their momentum into the second half, a 12-5 rally leaving the visitors ahead 53-49. The Eagles would not relinquish the lead for the rest of the game, leading by as many as ten points at the 13:31 mark.
 
- Dominican would hang around though, cutting the Edgewood College lead down to 72-70 at 5:17 to keep pace. Clutch shooting down the stretch would lock the Stars out of the game, including a late three-pointer by Trey Traeder to effectively seal the deal for the Eagles.
   
- Dominican would find huge value off of their bench, holding a 35-to-6 advantage in bench points.
 
- Edgewood College shot 60 percent (18-of-30) from the field in the second half as they kept the Stars at bay.
 
- Drew Houtakker shot 11-of-16 from the field with 25 points, six rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals.
 
- Traeder made a big impact beyond the arc, shooting 4-of-8 with 22 points, five assists, and three blocks.
 
- Luke Cervelli recorded a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double as well as a pair of blocks.
 
- Caden Ellingson rounded out the double-digit Eagles with 12 points.
 
- Four Stars finished with 11 or more points. Joshua West scored 18 points to led the effort.
 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Houtakker and Trader both set season-bests for points in a game. Houtakker's 25 were also a career-high.
 
- Traeder's three blocks and five assists tied his career highs.

- Cervelli's double-double was the second of his career.
 
- Edgewood College has won seven straight over Dominican and holds a 29-8 advantage in the all-time series.
 
UP NEXT
The Eagles will take some time off before wrapping up their 2023 with non-conference action at the Wooster Kiwanis Classic. Edgewood College will battle with host Wooster Friday, December 29 with first tip scheduled for 7:00 p.m. This will be the first time the Eagles and Scots will meet in men's basketball.