JOLIET, Ill. --- Russell Tillery and Lewis Holey both tied career-best marks enabling the University of St. Francis men's basketball team to stave off Trinity International University in a 94-86 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference victory on Saturday night at the Sullivan Center. Tillery registered a team-high 19 points, while Holey led all rebounders with 18 caroms as part of a double-double for him.

The win also gave the Saints their first league victory of the campaign, evening out their CCAC mark at 1-1, while improving to 2-1 overall. Trinity International fell back to .500 mark on the season (3-3), while dropping to 0-2 in league play.

A pair of 5-for-7 shooting runs helped the Saints build an 18-point advantage early in the second half. The first one came to close the first half to turn a 36-30 lead into a 48-39 advantage. The second one produced the first of three 18-point leads turning a 48-41 game into a 64-46 run.

Trinity International, however, would not just throw in the towel. The Trojans put their offense in a higher gear and ratcheted up their defense to pull within two points on two separate occasions, 72-70 with 6:21 to play and 77-75 with 4:17 remaining in the contest.

Joey Buggemi hit a big three-pointer with the shot clock winding down to lengthen the latter lead and Tillery followed with a layup the next time down the court to make it a seven-point game (82-75) with 3:30 left. St. Francis converted free throws the rest of the way, making good on 12-of-14 attempts. Tillery accounted for half of those, going a perfect 6-for-6 down the stretch. He was also 6-for-9 from the field on the night.

Buggemi finished with 16 points, while Holey gained his first double-double of the campaign (13 points, 18 rebounds). Darius Wright and Carter Fayhee came off the bench to be key contributors, as well. They helped the Saints' bench outscore TIU 38-6. Wright provided 15 points, while Fayhee added ten with the majority of Fayhee's coming in the first half when the Saints wiped out a five-point deficit and never trailed again after the 9:21 mark of the opening half.

Holey's rebounding night keyed USF winning that battle, as well, 48-32.  Eighteen of the Saints' rebounds came on the offensive end, which resulted in a 23-15 advantage on second-chance points. 

Up Next
The Saints only get one day off before returning to the Sullivan Center court on Monday to face Trinity Christian College in another CCAC matchup. Tip off is 7 pm.           

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