MEN’S BASKETBALL

The HU men’s basketball team had no trouble disposing of Silver Lake College, 81-60, Saturday afternoon as part of Grace College’s Hoops for Hope Classic. The day saw 11 Foresters puts points on the board to make for a well-balanced attack.

Caleb Middlesworth led HU in scoring with 13 points to go along with a team-tying seven boards. Zac Owens finished with 12 points in addition to posting a career-best seven assists, six rebounds and game-best two steals. Spencer Ballinger also tossed in 12 points and matched Middlesworth in rebounding with seven. Tyler Arens and Konner Platt added 11 points each.

The W is HU’s third double-digit victory of the season. Today’s matchup was the second time these two squads have squared off with the last outing dating back to 2013 when the Foresters enjoyed a 95-63 win.

Only the first four minutes were up for grabs as the lead swapped back and forth a handful of times before Middlesworth scored from downtown to spur a 14-5 run for a 21-9 HU lead by the 12:18 mark. Corey Lloyd knocked down his second of six triples on the next possession to cut it to nine but it proved the last time single digits separated the two teams.

Platt’s crew would go on to balloon their advantage to 28 by halftime at 46-18. The trend continued in the second half with the Foresters distancing themselves by as many as 32 with six minutes remaining. The Lakers spent the remaining time chipping away at their deficit but it was too little too late as 21 points still separated the two teams by the final horn.

Lloyd finished with 20 points for Silver Lake. Michael Cantre recorded 14 points and a game-best eight rebounds.

Huntington (6-1) is back in action on Tuesday when they host #8 Marian at 8:00 p.m. in their conference opener.