CHICAGO, Ill. – Just a day after his birthday, IU South Bend's Micah Poole celebrated with a game-winner at the buzzer, as the No. 24 Titans defeated Roosevelt 71-70 on Wednesday night.
Down one with nine seconds left, Poole grabbed the offensive rebound and scored the put-back as time expired to give the Titans (12-3, 8-1 CCAC) the victory.
Poole finished with seven points and a team-high three assists in the win, as four players for IUSB finished in double figures. Donyell Meredith led the way, tallying 18 points with nine boards, while Kenny Washington finished with 16 on 6-of-7 shooting. Dylan Allen collected 15 points, and Spencer Pettit finished with 12.
Trailing in the opening minutes, the Titans took the lead after a pair of scores from Allen and a three-pointer by Meredith, highlighting a 15-2 run that put IUSB ahead 16-7 by the 14:48 mark. Back-to-back layups from Meredith pushed the advantage to ten points, but the Lakers hit a pair of threes to close the gap to 20-16 with 8:41 left in the first half.
Poole's three inside of two minutes remaining kept the Titans in front 29-25, but Roosevelt would pull even, scoring four straight down the stretch. Washington's put-back at the buzzer was just enough to give the Titans a 31-29 lead at the halftime break.
Pettit opend the second half with a three and the Titans would hold a single-digit lead until the 15:28 mark, as Roosevelt went on a 14-2 run to lead 45-41. The home team would go up by as much as seven before the Titans rallied, with another three from Pettit putting IUSB in front 64-63 with 2:22 to play.
Roosevelt would again retake the lead, before Allen's layup and free throw made it a 69-68 Titan lead. The Lakers would score on their final possession to go up one, setting up Poole for the game-winning play.
With the win, the Titans remain in a tie atop the CCAC standings, and will prepare for their next conference test on Saturday, when they host a rematch with Trinity Christian. Tipoff from the Student Activities Center on January 8 is set for 3:00 p.m.