SAINT MARY-OF-THE-WOODS, Ind. – The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College men's basketball team delivered one of its most balanced offensive showings of the young season on Thursday night, powering past visiting Saint Xavier (Ill.) for a 97–91 victory inside the Knoerle Center.
The Pomeroys (3-2) rode a trio of 20-point scorers and a near triple-double from junior standout
Ellis Todd, who finished with 24 points, nine rebounds and nine assists while shooting 9-for-11 at the free throw line. His steady playmaking and grit on the glass paced an SMWC second-half surge where the team scored 56 points.
Taray Howell posted a team-high
25 points, knocking down four threes and dishing out nine assists with just two turnovers in 32 minutes.
Ikechi Ajukwa added
21 points and 10 rebounds, recording a powerful double-double while shooting 9-of-15 from the floor.
The Pomeroys trailed 43–41 at halftime but responded with a 52.9 percent shooting performance in the second half to overtake the Cougars. SMWC also capitalized at the free-throw line, going 24-of-28 overall.
Defensively, SMWC forced 21 SXU turnovers and collected 10 steals, including three from
Terrance Hill, who added 10 points off the bench.
Christopher Owens contributed nine rebounds and eight points in another strong interior effort.
St. Xavier (1-4) placed five players in double figures, led by
Davion Lawrence's 20 points, but the Pomeroys' balanced scoring and late execution held firm in front of a crowd of 750.
Up Next
The Pomeroys return to action on
Monday, November 17 when they host
East-West University at
5:30 p.m. (ET) inside the Knoerle Center.
