LISLE, Ill. - The Rockford University men's basketball team dropped its first NACC road game of the season 76-69 to Benedictine University. It was a fairly tight game for much of the afternoon that featured seven ties and six lead changes. However, it was the Eagles who started each half strong, which forced the Regents to play catch-up for much of the afternoon. Benedictine opened the game on a 10-2 run and then outscored the Regents 15-3 to begin the second half. The Eagles also outshot the Regents both from the floor (50% to 44.8%) and from three point range (38.5% to 28.6%), leading to their third win over Rockford in the last four meetings.

• Benedictine scored the first six points as a part of a 10-2 run to start the game. 
• Rockford answered right back with a 10-2 spurt of its own to knot the game at 12-12. The Regents went a perfect 4-4 over that stretch, with Micah Swanson scoring four of the ten points. 
• After the two schools traded body blows over the next several minutes, Rockford went on a 9-2 run, capped off by a Noody Lacey layup, and took its largest lead of the game at 29-23. 
• The Eagles were able to claw their way back to within a single point at 35-34, but Kevin Diemer scored the final four points of the half, to give Rockford a 39-34 lead heading into the break.
• Unfortunately, the early moments of the second half belonged to the Eagles. Benedictine quickly tied the game just over a minute and a half into the period and used a larger 15-3 run over the first 3:27 to a 49-42 lead. 
• However, Rockford was able to fight its way back and retake the lead at 60-59, following a Noody Lacey three-pointer with 8:59 remaining in regulation. 
• That lead did not last long though, as Benedictine promptly scored 11 of the next 13 points to tie their largest lead of the day at 70-62. The Eagles were a perfect 3-3 from the floor and went 4-6 at the free throw line over the 4:04 span. 
• Unfortunately, the Regents were unable to get any closer than four the rest of the way and fell by a final score of 76-69. 

• Kevin Diemer notched his second straight double-double and his fourth of the season. Diemer finished with a game-high 18 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks. 
• Noody Lacey added 14 points, 3 rebounds and 2 steals. 
• Micah Swanson had 12 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 block.  

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