Elgin, Ill. – Senior guard Jerry Abushanab (Glendale Heights, Ill./Oklahoma Panhandle State/Southwest Baptist/Link Prep) scored a season-high 25 points, going 6-for-9 from the floor, 3-for-4 from three-point range and 10-for-13 from the free-throw line, however a late rally by Judson University (Ill.) gave the hosts an 89-83 victory over the Saint Xavier University men's basketball (7-12, 5-7 CCAC) in a Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) contest Saturday afternoon at the Lindner Fitness Center in Elgin, Ill. Abushanab tallied 13 of his points in the second half, logging 25 minutes of game time with six rebounds, an assist and a steal. The Cougars turned the ball over 16 times in the game, with 12 steals by the Eagles, the second-most by an opponent this season.

SXU built a 23-14 lead at the 12:31 mark after a three-pointer by senior forward Davion Lawrence (Oak Lawn, Ill./Moraine Valley/Oak Lawn Community). Judson tied the game after consecutive threes just over two minutes later, and they would cap their 12-0 run with another trey to go up 26-23 with 9:40 to go in the half. Saint Xavier would retake the lead and carry a 39-32 advantage when senior forward Grant Martin (Ridgecrest, Calif./Cal State-Long Beach/Citrus/Burroughs) made a layup with 3:18 remaining. The Cougars went into the locker room at halftime with a 41-37 lead.

A three-pointer by Martin gave SXU its largest lead of the game, 52-41, at the 15:39 mark. JU chipped away over the next 10 minutes, tying the game at 68-68 after a steal and a basket with 5:11 left in regulation. Abushanab made a pair of foul shots to put Saint Xavier back on top, 72-70, with 3:27 to go, but the Eagles converted a three-point play on their next possession, and they closed out the game for their first conference win of the year.  

• Lawrence finished the game with 16 points, two rebounds and an assist in 27 minutes before fouling out.
• Martin was 5-for-5 from the field, collecting 12 points. He added a team-leading seven rebounds (three offensive), a team-best four assists, two blocked shots and a steal in 35 minutes of action.
• Senior guard Ashton Atwater (Kalamazoo, Mich./Kalamazoo Valley/Ostego) tallied 11 points, going 6-for-6 from the foul line, with four steals, three assists, a block and a steal in 32 minutes before he also fouled out of the contest.
• Senior guard Ike Nwaobi (York/Kilgore/Costal Bend/Westbrook) posted 11 points, four rebounds and a steal in just 10 minutes off the bench.
• Redshirt sophomore guard James White (Chicago, Ill./Chicago-Agricultural Sciences) added four points, three rebounds and an assist, while junior guard James Morgan (Chicago, Ill./South Suburban/Lincoln Land/East Chicago Central) chipped in four points and a rebound.

Saint Xavier (7-12, 5-7 CCAC) makes the short trip to Gary, Ind. to play Indiana University Northwest in conference action on Wednesday, January 28. The game is slated for a 7:00 pm start.