Men's Basketball Holds Off Monmouth
Dec 29, 2017
DUBUQUE, Iowa – The University of Dubuque men’s basketball team picked up their third straight win on Friday night, defeating Monmouth College 80-75.
UD grabbed an early lead on Marcus McDaniel free throws and would hold the lead for the entire first half, however that lead would never get to more than five points and Monmouth would even the score at 34-34 heading into the break after a buzzer beating layup.
A key point in the game came with 16:26 remaining in the game when the Fighting Scots head coach received two technical fouls and was ejected for the game, giving the Spartans four free throws, which TJ Lake would convert on all of them. The Spartans would use that momentum to grow the lead to 12 but Monmouth would not give in. Eventually, the Spartan lead would shrink to as little as one and to two on multiple occasions including with 1:29 remaining, however, UD would respond with clutch shots and free throws to seal the victory.
TJ Lake led the way for the Spartans, playing all but three minutes and scoring a game high 24 points, dished out six assists and recorded three steals to stuff the stat sheet. Jamaree Atwater pitched in another 20 points and Marcus McDaniel joined Lake and Atwater in double figures with 12 points of his own. The Spartans shot 44.1% from the field in the game, including a blistering 50% in the second half on 15-30 shooting. Both teams made 18 free throws, however, UD would only miss five attempts and Monmouth missed 14.
The Spartans have a quick turnaround, traveling across Dubuque to Clarke College on Saturday 12/30, tip is set for 5:00 p.m.
