Chicago, Ill. - On Wednesday night, the Illinois Tech Scarlet Hawks took to the court of Keating Sports Center for one last time in the 2024-25 season, taking on the Cougars of Concordia University Chicago (CUC). Hoping to ride the momentum of Saturday's senior day win, the Hawks (4-20, 3-14) were stopped short of another victory, falling to the Cougars (10-14, 8-9) by a score of 82-76.
Though the result was not in their favor, a number of Scarlet Hawks put up impressive numbers on the night. Senior DeAndre Vortes led all scorers with 30 points, also contributing 2 steals. Dario Biaggi recorded a double-double: 21 points (season high) and 10 rebounds. He also led all players with 5 steals.
How it Happened:
The first half remained a tight match with a score of 29-29 after 20 minutes of play. Defensive miscommunications by the Hawks early on allowed CUC to lead for most of the half, by as much as 8. But with 4:55 left, the Hawks went on an 11-3 run, capped off by a clutch Dario Biaggi three-pointer, to put them up 27-26. The two teams then exchanged buckets before heading into the locker room.
A three-pointer from CUC's Darrian Williams to open the half was a bad omen for the Hawks. A 20-7 run by the Cougars put the Hawks into a deficit they were never able to recover from. Despite strong play in the paint from Ebone Junior and a few Biaggi jumpers to get the Hawks within three, without a defensive stop their fate was as good as sealed. Though in the end it didn't matter, it's important to note the game ended with a deep court buzzer beater by Jace Gooley.
Scarlet Hawk Standouts:
Inside the Box Score:
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CUC was led in points by Aaron Brown (19 points), Darrian Williams (16), Jacob Collicott (13), and Joel Watts (13).
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From the free throw line, the field, and three-point range, Illinois Tech went 18-26, 26-56 and 6-20 compared to CUC's 11-22, 31-58 and 9-15, respectively.
Up Next:
The Hawks will look to close out their season on a high note on the road against Rockford, Saturday, February 22nd at 1:00 PM.
