SOUTH BEND, Ind. – In a rematch of the last two CCAC Tournament championship games, No. 22 IU South Bend came up just short down the stretch, falling at home to No. 19 Olivet Nazarene 78-74 inside the Student Activities Center on Thursday night.
Miles Tracy led the Titans (18-4, 13-2 CCAC) with 20 points on the night, along with six rebounds and four assists. Spencer Pettit scored 14 points, going 6-for-12 from the floor. Donyell Meredith picked up 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
Dylan Allen collected 13 points, and in doing so became just the third player in IUSB history to reach 1,500 career points; Allen now stands at 1,512 points during his time in South Bend.
A closely-fought opening minutes saw six lead changes by the 11:44 mark, as the Tigers (22-3, 16-1 CCAC) went up 20-16 with a three-pointer just outside of 11 minutes left in the half. A three-pointer from Micah Poole tied the game, and another three from Pettit gave the Titans a 25-24 advantage with 7:53 on the clock.
The game would see seven more lead changes as both sides traded buckets – 14 in all throughout the first half – but after Tracy's three-pointer tied the score at 38-38, the Tigers would get one last bucket and claim a two-point advantage at the break.
IUSB would move back on top again following a pair of free throws by Allen, 45-44, but the Tigers would respond again, tying the game at the 12:00 mark of the second half on a three-pointer, 56-56. Dylan would briefly give IUSB a two-point lead with a steal and layup minutes later, but Olivet Nazarene would go on an 11-2 run for their largest lead of the night – 71-64 with 6:38 left to play.
A three from Meredith ended the drought, and the Titans were able to close the gap after a three-point play from Poole, followed by another score from Meredith, 75-74 with 46 seconds remaining. IUSB would miss the mark on their final five shots, as Olivet Nazarene converted free throws down the stretch to secure the win.
IU South Bend will look to bounce back on Saturday afternoon, when they travel to Milwaukee and face Cardinal Stritch. Tipoff with the Wolves is set for 4:00 p.m.
