#21 Oilers Rally in 2nd Half for Win over Northwood
The 21st-ranked UF men's basketball team pulled away late to win 70-64 over Northwood University on Dec. 4 in Croy Gymnasium. The victory gives the Oilers a 2-1 record on the season with a 1-0 mark in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC).
The Oilers found themselves down 49-45 with 8:12 remaining in the game. Sophomore guard Ricardo Smith then hit a jumper that started a 16-2 run by Findlay, which was capped by a three pointer from junior guard Dylan Kaufman. After the big run, the Oilers held a 61-51 lead with only 2:49 to play.
Up ten points, the Oilers got a little careless with the ball and allowed the Timberwolves to rip off seven straight points in a matter of seconds. With their lead cut to three at 63-60 with 53 seconds left, Findlay made 7-of-8 attempts from the free throw line down the stretch to secure their first league victory of the year.
The Oilers shot 42.3 percent (22-of-52) from the floor, but held the Timberwolves to a 39.3 percent (24-of-61) shooting clip. They also made 20-of-31 (64.5%) attempts from the charity stripe and forced 14 turnovers in the win.
Kaufman paced the Oilers with 16 points and a career-high tying eight rebounds.
Senior forward Jake Heagen contributed 14 points while sophomore forward Tyler Stern-Tucker, freshman guard Elijah Kahlig and Smith each scored nine.
Junior forward John Staley stuffed the stat sheet during the win with four points, six rebounds, three steals, three blocks and two assists as well.
The Timberwolves were led by Will Bowles, who had a game-high 17 points and ten rebounds.
The Oilers will host Lake Superior State University on Saturday at 3 p.m. in Croy Gymnasium.