CINCINNATI, Ohio – The Mount St. Joseph University men's basketball team defeated Rose-Hulman, 62–58, Wednesday night at the Harrington Center, handing the Fightin' Engineers their first league loss of the season.
The Lions controlled the first half, leading for all 20 minutes. The Mount forced 10 Rose-Hulman turnovers and scored 11 points off those mistakes. Defense was strong for the Lions, as the Fightin' Engineers shot 25 percent from the floor and went 0-for-6 from three-point range. To end the half, Jay Bilton came up with a steal with one second remaining and knocked down a deep three-pointer to give the Mount a 13-point lead heading into halftime. Cooper Ollis led the Lions with 10 first-half points, followed by Joe Brand with 7.
Rose-Hulman battled in the second half, cutting the Mount's double-digit lead to single digits multiple times. The Lions led throughout the second half and never relinquished the advantage. At the 6:50 mark, Cooper Ollis knocked down two free throws to give the Mount a 15-point lead. The Fightin' Engineers trimmed the deficit to as close as three, but the Lions held on for the 62–58 victory. The Mount held Rose-Hulman to 2-for-16 shooting from beyond the arc.
The Lions were led by Cooper Ollis, who finished with 21 points and 7 rebounds while going 11-for-12 from the free-throw line. Jason Lavender added 15 points and 5 rebounds, while Joe Brand and Matthew Menninger each added 8 points.
UP NEXT: The Lions will host Anderson University on Saturday, January 10, with tipoff scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
