TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Mount St. Joseph shot 67% from the field in the second half to pull away and pick up an 84-68 victory over Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference men's basketball action on Wednesday at Hulbert Arena.
Erik Edwards scored 28 points and Adam Goetz added 23 points for Mount St. Joseph. Cameron Stewart added 13 points, and Jake Cropper also reached double figures with 11 points.
The Rose-Hulman offense featured three players in double figures. Ryuji Aoki led the Engineers wtih 13 points and three shots from beyond the three-point arc. Luke Callahan and Craig McGee pitched in with 11 points each. McGee also had a carer-high six assists.
Other key offensive contributors for Rose-Hulman included Stephen Schueth with eight points; Eli Combs with seven points; and the duo of Charlie Aimone and John Czarnecki with six points each.
Rose-Hulman relied on 60% shooting in the opening half to remain within 37-35 at the break. The Fightin' Engineers tied the score at 21-21 with a 7-2 run capped by a Callahan dunk midway through the first half, and took the lead at 30-28 on a slam by JT Whitaker later in the first 20 minutes.
Mount St. Joseph rallied to take the lead at 44-40, then relied on a 9-1 run midway through the second half to push the lead to 53-41. The Fightin' Engineers rallied to within six points at 68-62 on a conventional three-point play by Aimone with 5:37 left.
Back-to-back three-pointers by Jake Cropper and Finley pushed the lead back to double figures for Mount St. Joseph to secure the team's fourth win of the year.
Rose-Hulman stands 1-1 in conference play, while Mount St. Joseph improved to 4-3 and 2-0 in league games. The Fightin' Engineers return to action at Transylvania University on Saturday afternoon.
