CHICAGO, Ill. -- Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology trimmed an 18-point deficit into singles digits in the second half, but a strong offensive performance by the University of Chicago proved the difference in an 89-76 Maroon victory on Saturday afternoon.
Chicago had four players in double figures, led by Jake Fenlon with 15 points. Jordan Baum added 13 points, Justin Jackson scored 12 and Noah Karras rounded out the double-figure scorers with 11 points.
Rose-Hulman relied on strong performances from freshman Craig McGee and sophomore Ryuji Aoki. McGee scored 20 points with six rebounds on 12-13 from the free throw line. Aoki added 19 points on 8-8 from the foul line.
The Fightin' Engineers relied on their free throw shooting for much of the game, hitting 36-of-44 for 82%. Other key contributors for Rose-Hulman included Charlie Aimone with seven points and four rebounds; John Czarnecki with six points and four rebounds; Stephen Schueth with six points and three boards; and Eli Combs with six points and five rebounds.
The two teams swapped the lead several times in the first half, with Chicago hitting a three-pointer at the buzzer to take a 34-29 lead at the break. Rose-Hulman scored 47 points in the second half in an attempt to rally before falling for the second time in under 24 hours.
Rose-Hulman opens the 2017-18 home schedule on Tuesday, hosting Illinois Tech at 7:30 p.m. Chicago improved to 1-0 on the season and faces Trinity (Texas) on Sunday.
