Gary, Ind. – Senior guard Ike Nwaobi (York/Kilgore/Costal Bend/Westbrook) posted a game-best 21 points, with 17 coming in the second half, to help give the Saint Xavier University men's basketball team (8-12, 6-7 CCAC) an 85-80 victory over Indiana University Northwest in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) competition Wednesday evening at the Savannah Center in Gary, Ind. Nwaobi went 9-for-10 from the foul line in the second half, shooting 6-for-10 overall from the field, while pulling down a game-high nine rebounds and a pair of blocked shots in 24 minutes off the bench. It was his second 20-point game of the year, behind 23 in the season-opener vs. Cleary University (Mich.) on October 30. Junior guard James Morgan (Chicago, Ill./South Suburban/Lincoln Land/East Chicago Central) tallied a season-high 20 points, making six of his eight shot attempts, and he was 3-for-4 from three-point range. Morgan added two assists, two rebounds and a steal.

The Cougars trailed most of the first half, falling behind as many as 13 points, 36-23 with 5:12 remaining in the frame. Junior guard Marko Tojagic (Belgrade, Serbia/Saint Andrews) made a layup with just under four minutes left to fuel a 14-4 run to pull within 40-37 at halftime. The second half was close with the teams trading the lead. Nwaobi scored a basket off a pass from Morgan to put SXU up 75-67 at the 6:04 mark. The RedHawks made it a one-score game after a layup coming out of a time out with 1:18 left in regulation to make the score 81-80. However, a timeout by Saint Xavier setup a layup by senior guard Jerry Abushanab (Glendale Heights, Ill./Oklahoma Panhandle State/Southwest Baptist/Link Prep) with 37 seconds remaining. Nwaobi sealed the win after he made a pair of free-throws in the closing seconds.  

• Tojagic finished the game with 12 points, four rebounds and two steals while making his first start of the season.
• Junior guard Anthony Vaval (Chicago, Ill./Prairie State/Brooks) made his season debut, proving a lift of the bench with 12 points, four rebounds, three assists and a steal in 28 minutes.
• Senior forward Davion Lawrence (Oak Lawn, Ill./Moraine Valley/Oak Lawn Community) collected 10 points, two assists, two rebounds and two steals.
• Abushanab came away with six points, six rebounds, two seals and an assist while seeing 37 minutes of playing time.
• Senior guard Ashton Atwater (Kalamazoo, Mich./Kalamazoo Valley/Ostego) added four points, two rebounds, an assist and a steal.

Saint Xavier (8-12, 6-7 CCAC) hosts Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.) at the Shannon Center on Saturday, January 31. The game is set for a 3:00 pm start in Chicago, Ill.