CLEVELAND, OHIO - Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
topped Case Western Reserve University 71-63 in a men's basketball
matchup featuring two of the nation's top engineering institutions
on Saturday.
Junior Blake Knotts (Louisville, Ky./Christian) paced the Engineers with 20 points. Knotts finished with four three-pointers and hit all eight of his free throw attempts.
Junior Nate Gissentanner (Conyers, Ga./Rockdale County) reached double figures with 14 points on 5-9 from the field and 4-4 from the foul line.
Freshman Julian Strickland (Indianapolis/Pike) rounded out the double figure scorers with 12 points.
Other key contributors for Rose-Hulman included sophomore Jon Gerken (Defiance, Ohio/Tinora) with eight points; and sophomore Austin Weatherford (Cicero/Hamilton Heights) with seven points and seven assists.
For his efforts, Weatherford earned a spot on the all-tournament team.
Case Western placed three players in double figures on the afternoon. Austin Fowler had 16 points and 13 rebounds, Reid Anderson scored 11 points and Mike Byrne added 10.
Case Western jumped out to a 15-6 lead, before the Engineers answered with an 11-2 run to tie the score at 17-17 on a layup by Gissentanner with 2:32 left in the opening half.
Another Gissentanner score put Rose-Hulman ahead for the first time at 21-20, before Ryan Boken tied the halftime score at 23-23 on a three-pointer in the final seconds.
In the second half, Case Western maintained a narrow four-point lead early in the half, before two free throws by Knotts and Gissentanner off a technical foul tied the score at 38-38 with 12:44 left. The Engineers kept the rally going with a conventional three-point play by Weatherford and a three-pointer by Knotts to lead 44-39 at the 10:33 mark.
The floodgates then opened for Rose-Hulman, with Strickland burying two straight three-pointers and junior Jason Haslag (Linn, Mo./Helias Interparrish) hitting another to give the Engineers a 53-39 lead with 7:51 left. Case Western closed within four points in the final minute, but two free throws by Strickland two more by Knotts secured the victory.
Rose-Hulman stands 1-1 on the season, while Case Western Reserve dropped to 1-2. The Fightin' Engineers return to action at Eureka College on Tuesday.