Men's Basketball Tip-Off Season with Victory
Nov 15, 2016
Rockford, Ill.- The University of Dubuque Men’s basketball team began their season on a high note with a 91-70 victory over Rockford University.
The Spartans came out in their first game of the season firing on all cylinders offensively scoring 45 points in the first half and 46 in the second half, while shooting 50.7% from the field. 16 Spartans saw action tonight, with 11 scoring points. UD was able to make Rockford pay by scoring 16 points off of Rockford turnovers. “It’s always nice to start off the season with a win especially on the road. We have several new faces that are going to play key roles for us this season and it was good to see some of them on the court. I thought our bench was very good and played a key role in the game outscoring Rockford 36-18" commented coach Robbie Sieverding.
In his first game as a Spartan, TJ Lake led all scorers with 22 points on 8-18 shooting, while also leading UD with five assits and adding seven rebounds. Returning starter Jake Weber added 21 points, while grabbing 11 rebounds to lead to Spartans on the glass. Jamaree Atwater came off the bench for UD to add 14 points and five rebounds in his first game in a UD uniform. Atwater was also active on the defensive end as he registered two blocks and was one of four Spartans with a steal. Jake Weber also gave us an inside presence and he will need to continue to play well inside for us in order for us to be successful" continued coach Sieverding. "Jamaree Atwater gave us a good lift off the bench and TJ Lake also did a nice job for us. We have a really good North Park team coming up on Tuesday at home and they have two all American players that are very good. We will have our hands full on Tuesday and we hope to see a great crowd for our home opener!"
The Spartans are back in action on November 22nd to take on North Park University in their first home game of the season at 7:30 p.m in the Stoltz Sports Center.
