RIVER FOREST, Ill. - The Rockford University men's basketball team improved to 2-0 this season on Wednesday night with an 87-79 win at Concordia University Chicago. The Regents shot 44.9% from the floor and 38.9% from three-point range while holding the Cougars to just 35% from the field and 21.4% from beyond the arc.
For the second straight game this season it was senior forward David Dixon (Bellwood, Ill./St. Joseph) who stole the show. Dixon recorded his first double-double of the year scoring a season-high 34 points and grabbing a season-high 11 rebounds. The senior shot an astounding 72.2% from the floor (13-18) including 60% from long distance (3-5).
Despite Dixon's performance the first half of the game was a back-and-forth affair with neither team able to build much of a lead. The Regents opened the game with a 7-2 run and take their largest lead of the half. However that led was short lived, as Concordia Chicago would go on a quick 5-0 run to tie the game. Following a series of lead changes, the Cougars grabbed their largest lead of the evening when they went up 4 points with 9:01 remaining in the first half. At that point it was senior Scott Suchy (Genoa, Ill./Genoa-Kingston) who took control of the game. Suchy scored 11 straight points for Rockford including knocking down three of his four three-point attempts. Despite Suchy's herculean effort the Cougars still clung to the lead with just over two minutes remaining in the half. At that point Suchy drained his fourth three-pointer of the half giving his team the lead going into halftime.
The second half was all Rockford as the Regents never trailed in the final twenty minutes. Rockford extended its lead to as many as 12 points before the Cougars slowly chipped away and eventually made it a 62-59 game. At that point David Dixon scored six straight points including eleven of Rockford's next eighteen points and pushed the lead back to nine. The Regents then closed out the game at the free thrown line connecting on nine free throws over the final two minutes to seal the 87-79 victory.
Rockford had three other players besides Dixon finish in double-figures. Scott Suchy scored a season-high 16 points with 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. Junior point guard Marlon Sykes (Chicago, Ill./John Marshall) added 11 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal and a season-high 6 assists. Fellow junior Ronald Farmer-Blanchard (Chicago, Ill./Thornton) also had his best game of the year coming off the bench. Farmer-Blanched missed just one shot the entire game scoring 12 points with 8 rebounds and 1 blocked shot.
The Regents return to the court on Saturday, November 23rd at home against Eureka College. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. in the Seaver Center.
