[Men's Basketball] Big run late powers St. Ambrose past Judson

After squandering a double-digit lead and facing a five-point deficit with fewer than four minutes remaining, St. Ambrose found the perfect time to get hot from 3-point range.

John Kerr hit three straight triples and Jake Friel followed with a four-point play as part of a decisive 16-0 run that powered the Bees past Judson 78-74 in the CCAC opener for both teams Saturday afternoon in Elgin, Ill.

The run came after Judson (2-6, 0-1 CCAC) pieced together a 16-2 run of its own that erased was once a 13-point second-half Bee advantage.

Following the SAU 3-point barrage, Michael Williams knocked down two free throws and Ben Schols added another to cap the 16 straight points that gave St. Ambrose a 74-63 lead with just over a minute left.

The Bees had to withstand a final Eagle charge as a seven-point run cut the margin to 74-70. But Friel hit four free throws in the final seconds to seal the win.

St. Ambrose shot better than 48 percent from the field and limited Judson to just 33 percent shooting. The Eagles were able to rally thanks to a 46-37 rebounding advantage that included 23 offensive boards. 

Kerr finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds in the win, his sixth double-double in eight games.

Williams came off the bench to finish with 15 points while Friel scored 10 points, all coming in the second half.

Dylan Kaczmarek and Patrick Torrey each netted nine points in the win. Torrey also pulled down eight rebounds.

The Bees, now 6-2 overall and 1-0 in conference play, will host Saint Xavier Wednesday night.