From Case Western Reserve University Athletics
The Case Western Reserve University men's basketball team hit a program-record 20 three-pointers en route to defeating Wells College 105-55 on Saturday afternoon to claim the team title at the 2017 Bill Sudeck Holiday Tournament, at Horsburgh Gymnasium in Cleveland, Ohio.
Senior forward T.J. Duckett was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament, averaging 19.0 points and 10.0 rebounds over the two games, while freshman guard Michael Volkening was named to the All-Tournament team with 13.5 points, 6.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds over the two games. Also earning all-tournament honors were junior guard Tyree Fisher of Wells College, junior guard Scotty Stopera of Alfred University, and senior guard Brian Graytok of Washington & Jefferson College. Alfred beat Washington and Jefferson 82-78 in the consolation game earlier on Saturday to finish third at the tournament.
The Spartans improved to 5-5 overall with the win, which marked the team's fourth in their last six games. Wells dropped to 2-8 with the loss.
Case Western Reserve connected on 20 of its 39 three point attempts (51.3%) to best the previous program record of 18 three-point shots made in a game against Kalamazoo College on December 29, 2015. Eight different CWRU players made at least one three pointer in the game, including four apiece for sophomore guard Sam Hansen and freshman guard Ignas Masiulionis.
The 50-point margin of victory was also the largest in a win in CWRU men's basketball history, surpassing a 46-point margin in a 102-56 win over Denison on December 1, 2007.
The Spartans defense took advantage of a slow start for the Express, who missed their first 10 shots of the game and were held scoreless over the first six minutes and 10 seconds of the game. Meanwhile, behind a pair of threes from freshman guard Masiulionis and one each from sophomore forward Connor Nally, Hansen and freshman guard Antonio Ionadi, the Spartans sprinted out to a 15-0 lead. Case Western Reserve's game-opening run continued, as the Spartans took a 24-2 lead after a pair of free throws by sophomore guard Darius Inzar with 11:43 to play in the opening period. CWRU led by as many as 25 during the first half, 47-22, following a layup by freshman guard William FitzPatrick with 1:44 to play, and headed into the locker room with a 47-27 advantage.
The Spartans shot 46.2% overall from the floor in the first half, making eight-of-21 (38.1%) of their three-point tries. Masiulionis led the team with 12 points (on four-of-nine long-range shooting), while Duckett scored nine points and added eight rebounds.
Case Western Reserve continued to run away in the second half of the game, connecting on 12-of-18 three point attempts during the final period. Freshman forward Cade Kinney-Shackelford came off the bench to make three-of-four three-point tries in the second half, scoring all of his career-high 11 points during the period.
Duckett finished the game with 16 points and 11 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season and the 16th of his career. Along with Duckett and Kinney-Shackelford, Hansen (14 points), Nally (13 points), and Masiulionis (12 points) all finished in double figures. Freshman forward Brian Dompke scored nine points and collected five rebounds, while sophomore forward Michael Hollis collected 10 rebounds and notched five assists.
The Spartans shot 51.9% overall from the floor during Saturday's game, making 41 of their 79 shots, and finished the tournament shooting 52.2% as a team over the two games, including 50.8% from beyond the three-point line. It marked the third time this season that CWRU has breached the 100-point mark in a game.