CHICAGO – For the second consecutive game senior guard Ike Nwaobi (York/Kilgore/Costal Bend/Westbrook) tallied 21 points, however Saint Xavier University men's basketball (8-13, 6-8 CCAC) lost to Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.), 77-72, in a Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) contest Saturday afternoon on Bob Hallberg Court at the Shannon Center in Chicago, Ill. Nwaobi posted a game-high in points on 9-for-12 shooting, along with a team-leading seven rebounds and a steal in 21 minutes off the bench. Senior guard Ashton Atwater (Kalamazoo, Mich./Kalamazoo Valley/Ostego) provided a spark in the second half, scoring 12 of his 14 points in the frame.  

The Tigers led the entire game, scoring on the opening possession. The Cougars trailed 16-7 at the first media timeout at the 14:53 mark. SXU cut the deficit to three, 20-17 over the next two minutes, but ONU went on a 10-2 run for its largest lead of the half, 30-19, with 8:29 left before halftime. Saint Xavier chipped away again getting within three points at 37-34 when senior forward Davion Lawrence (Oak Lawn, Ill./Moraine Valley/Oak Lawn Community) drained a three-pointer with 3:05 remaining. Olivet Nazarene closed out period with a 45-38 lead at the break. The Tigers hit a three at the 15:54 mark of the second half for it largest lead, 54-40, yet the Cougars rallied with a 15-1 to make it 56-55 after a steal and layup by Nwaobi with 10:34 to go. Atwater tied the game at 61-61 with a running jumper with just under six minutes left in regulation. SXU could not get the go-ahead basket as ONU pulled away with free-throws down the stretch.

• Atwater was 5-for-10 from the field, adding three rebounds, an assist, a blocked shot and a steal in 35 minutes on the court.
• Lawrence totaled 13 points with three assists, three rebounds, two steals and a block in 32 minutes of action.
• Junior guard James Morgan (Chicago, Ill./South Suburban/Lincoln Land/East Chicago Central) was 4-for-6 from the floor, scoring nine points. He added three rebounds in 20 minutes.
• Junior guard Anthony Vaval (Chicago, Ill./Prairie State/Brooks) collected six points, four rebounds and an assist in 24 minutes as a reserve.
• Junior guard Marko Tojagic (Belgrade, Serbia/Saint Andrews) came away with four points, three rebounds and an assist.
• Senior guard Jerry Abushanab (Glendale Heights, Ill./Oklahoma Panhandle State/Southwest Baptist/Link Prep) pulled down a team-best eight rebounds with three points and two assists.
• Redshirt sophomore guard Jordan Streeter (Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young) added two points, two rebounds, an assist and a blocked shot.

Saint Xavier (8-13, 6-8 CCAC) takes on Holy Cross College (Ind.) at the Shannon Center on Wednesday, February 4 in CCAC play. The game is scheduled for a 7:00 pm start.