Saints Fall to Olivet Nazarene

First Half:

The Holy Cross College men's basketball team battled through a competitive first half against Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference opponent Olivet Nazarene but entered the break trailing 40-36. The Saints shot 13-35 from the field, including 3-of-13 from beyond the arc, and converted 7-of-9 free throws in the opening 20 minutes. Justin O'Neal (Dayton, OH / Dunbar HS) led the team with 6 points, one rebound, and one steal, while Phil Robles ii (South Bend, IN / Purdue Fort Wayne) paced the offense with 7 points and 2 assists. Joey Garwood (Elkhart, IN / Penn HS) added 6 points, knocking down both of his free throws. Off the bench, Aris Duni provided an efficient spark, scoring 5 points on 2-of-2 shooting. The Saints grabbed 11 total rebounds but struggled to secure second-chance opportunities with just one offensive rebound in the half. Defensively, Holy Cross forced six steals but had trouble containing Olivet Nazarene's attack.

Second Half:

The Saints kept pace offensively in the second half, adding 37 more points, but Olivet Nazarene's efficiency proved too much to overcome. Nash Hostetler (Dublin, OH / Dublin Coffman HS) stepped up with 13 second-half points, shooting 5-of-9 from the field and 3-of-6 from deep. Joey Garwood finished with 9 points and three rebounds, while Davide Brembilla (Alghero, Italy / Don Bosco Prep) contributed 6 points and 4 rebounds. Off the bench, Beau Barhams (Elkhart, IN / Jimtown HS) provided a spark with 6 points in just 4  minutes of play. Overall, the Saints shot 15-36 from the field in the second half, improving their three-point shooting to 5-12. However, limited trips to the free-throw line, just 2-of-3, and struggles on the boards, only 3 offensive rebounds made it difficult to close the gap. Despite a 10-assist effort and a continued defensive presence with 5 steals, the Saints couldn't overcome Olivet Nazarene's offensive execution down the stretch.

• Score: Holy Cross 73, Olivet Nazarene 83
• Records: Holy Cross (9-15) | Olivet Nazarene(12-13)
• Location: Bourbonnais, IL

• Nash Hostetler: 17 points (6-14 FG, 4-9 3PM), 5 rebounds 
• Joey Garwood: 15 points (6-17 FG), 5 rebounds
• Davide Brembilla: 12 points (6-12 FG), 6 rebounds

• Holy Cross shot 39.4% from the field, 32% from three-point range and 75% from the free-throw line
• Olivet Nazarene shot 52.5% from the field, 42.9% from three-point range and 76.9% from the free-throw line
• Rebounds: Olivet Nazarene 35, Holy Cross 26
• Turnovers: Holy Cross 2, Olivet Nazarene 13