Trailing 9-8 in the opening minutes of the game, the Bluejays scored the next 10 points to grab an 18-9 advantage. They would not relinquish the lead for the rest of the game. Elmhurst led by as many 15 points in the first half (36-21) and carried a 40-27 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Bluejays picked off the offense in the second half, outscoring Rockford 57-41. Elmhurst missed just eight shots in the second half (21-of-29) and shot a whopping 72.4 percent from the floor.
For the game, Elmhurst shot a blistering 60.7 percent from the floor (34-of-56) and 47.4 percent (9-of-19) from 3-point range. The Bluejays finished 20-of-30 (66.7 percent) from the free throw line.
Rockford finished the game shooting just 39.7 percent from the floor (23-of-58) and 30 percent (9-of-30) from beyond the arc. The Regents struggled from the charity stripe, hitting 13-of-23 attempts (56.5 percent). Over half of the shots Rockford attempted came from behind the 3-point arc.
Elmhurst cashed in on 13 Rockford turnovers, turning them into 22 points. The Elmhurst bench scored 40 points while Rockford received just 13 points from its bench.
After being held to only five points in the first half, Chris Martin scored 15 of his team-high 20 points in the second half. He also led the team in rebounds (nine), steals (four) and assists (four). Nick Michael poured in 15 points and pulled down eight boards. Brent Ruch came of the bench to score 14 points, hitting all six of his shot attempts. Chris Ihlenfeldt also finished in double-figures with 11. Brian Lee and Robert Stzemp each finished with nine points.
Rockford also had four players finish in double figures. Maurice Smith totaled a game-high 24 points while leading the team in rebounding with eight. Lane Good came off the bench to score 13 points. Jacob Dunkel finished with 12 points before fouling out and Allen Young chipped in with 11 points.
The Bluejays host Marian College on Friday, December 16, in the opening round of the Elmhurst Classic Tournament.