ROCKFORD, Ill.- The Rockford University Regents men's basketball team faced off against the Edgewood College Eagles Saturday afternoon at the Seaver Center. The Eagles were 3-3 in conference and 5-4 overall coming into the game and the Regents were 4-2 in conference and 7-2 overall. Edgewood beat Rockford 64-60 the one time they met last year in Rockford. Rockford's last game was one week ago when they held off Wisconsin Lutheran for a 76-72 win. Edgewood was coming off two conference losses to Marian and Aurora University.
Edgewood started off hot and led 17 to 6 six and a half minutes into the game. Much of the damage was done via the three pointer. The Regents come back started with a Scott Suchy (Genoa, Ill./Genoa-Kingston) three pointer. The Eagles answered with a layup but Rockford answered that with six straight points. Suchy hit a jumper and his basket was followed up by layups by John O'Bryan (Richmond, Ky./Madison Central) and Ronald Farmer-Blanchard (Chicago, Ill./Thornton) to bring the Regents within four with 11 minutes left in the first half. Edgewood hit a free throw but Rockford recovered the rebound on the second attempt and O'Bryan hit a jumper. A Rockford steal on the next Edgewood possession resulted in O'Bryan making a layup to bring the Regents within one. A minute later Rockford took their first lead as David Dixon (Bellwood, Ill./St. Joseph) scored on a layup bringing the score 21 to 20. Edgewood made a layup but Dixon answered with a three pointer and after a turnover Phil Andrade (South Chicago Heights, Ill./Bloom Trail) made a basket to put Rockford up by four with eight minutes left in the first half.
The teams went back and for the next couple of minutes until Zach Wallace (Rockford, Ill./Belvidere) made a couple of baskets and Dixon stole the ball and made a huge dunk on a breakaway to put Rockford up six with four minutes left in the game. Rockford extended its lead after a three point basket by Marlon Sykes (Chicago, Ill/John Marshall). Edgewood made a basket with four seconds left in the first half to cut Rockford's lead down to five and left the first half score at 44-39. Dixon led the Regents with 11 points and was followed closely behind by O'Bryan with eight and Farmer-Blanchard with seven. Rockford had only three turnovers compared to Edgewood's eight. The Regents shot 58% from the line, made three of six three pointers and three of five free throws.
Edgewood made the first two baskets of the second half on a couple of layups cutting the Regents lead to one. But Sykes made a couple of three throws and Suchy made a layup to bring their lead back to five. Edgewood again scored the next two baskets to cut the lead back down to one two and a half minutes into the second half. The Eagles continued to score and took their first lead since early in the game after a layup and a free throw and another layup. They led 52-49 five minutes into the second half. Turnovers and defense dominated the next four minutes as the only basket made was a two pointer by Edgewood to extend their lead to 54-49. Dixon then hit a long two to bring the Regents within three and end their short scoring drought. Patrick Givens (Chicago, Ill./Thornton) tipped in an Andrade layup that tied the game at 54-54. Andrade then stole the ball and Arthur Miller IV (Burlington, Wis./Burlington) gave the Regents their first lead since three minutes into the first half. Edgewood answered with a jumper to tie the game at 56 with eight minutes left in the game. On their next possession they hit a three pointer to regain the lead. Dixon tied the game right back up with a three pointer of his own.
After a pair of Edgewood free throws and a three pointer they led 65-59 with six minutes left in the game. Layups by Dixon, Sykes, and Andrade resulted in Rockford going back up by one with four minutes left in the game. Rockford and Edgewood traded off baskets but Edgewood pulled away a little after making a pair of free throws; they led 71-67 with two and a half minutes left in the game. With two minutes left Edgewood hit another pair of free throws to increase their lead to six. The Regents could not mount a late come back as Edgewood pulled away to win 80-67. Dixon led the Regents 19 points on 8 of 17 shooting. He also added in four rebounds and three assists. Sykes was the only other Regent to score double digits finishing with 11 on three of four shooting. He also had six assists. O'Bryan scored eight off of the bench and Farmer-Blanchard scored nine, both on four of eight shooting. Rockford finished shooting 48% from the field, 33% from behind the line, and 54% from the line.
Rockford next plays in the Dubuque Tournament on December 30th and December 31st with their first game at 7 p.m. against host Dubuque. The new year starts for them on January 4th when they host conference opponent Concordia Wisconsin.
