Hot-shooting first half, barrage of threes power Blue Devils past Northwestern Ohio, 84-69

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — Lawrence Tech Men’s Basketball rode a blistering start from beyond the arc and a balanced offensive effort to an 84-69 WHAC victory over the University of Northwestern Ohio on Saturday night at Don Ridler Fieldhouse.

The Blue Devils built an early double-digit cushion behind their perimeter shooting and never surrendered control, stretching the lead as high as 18 in the second half. Damien Thompson capped his 22-point night with a late 3-pointer that made it 84-66 with 38 seconds left, effectively sealing the win before a final triple from Northwestern Ohio’s Stephen Cornwell at the 26-second mark closed the scoring.

Lawrence Tech finished 30-for-80 from the field but did its damage from long range, knocking down 19 of 53 attempts from 3-point distance (35.8 percent). The Blue Devils’ offensive rhythm showed in their ball movement, as they totaled 24 assists on 30 made shots and controlled the glass with a 44-32 rebounding advantage, including 20 offensive boards.

Thompson led the way with 22 points, hitting six 3-pointers while adding six rebounds and three assists in 31 minutes. Davin Walker provided another strong all-around performance with 16 points, seven rebounds and a game-high six assists, and Michael Afrakoff matched Walker’s 16 points while connecting on five 3-pointers and grabbing six rebounds.

The Blue Devils set the tone in the first half. Thompson opened the night with an early 3-pointer assisted by Ramon Zapater to give Lawrence Tech a 3-2 edge, and the hosts quickly extended the margin. A triple from Karem Sariaslan off a feed from Lake McIntosh pushed the lead to 9-4, and the barrage continued as the Blue Devils surged in front 35-16 with 6:44 left in the half. Northwestern Ohio’s Alex Benson knocked down a jumper to momentarily slow the run, but Lawrence Tech carried a 42-28 advantage into halftime.

Northwestern Ohio made its strongest push early in the second half. A 3-pointer from Grant Pikkaart trimmed the deficit to 44-31, and Benson later buried a transition 3 at the 14:22 mark to pull the Racers within 51-47, their closest margin since the opening minutes. From there, the Blue Devils responded with another decisive stretch, rebuilding a double-digit lead and keeping control with timely perimeter shooting and second-chance opportunities.

Thompson’s 3-pointer with 7:36 remaining made it 69-52 and re-established a comfortable cushion for Lawrence Tech. The Blue Devils continued to share the ball and limit turnovers — finishing with just eight giveaways — while holding Northwestern Ohio to 3-for-19 (15.8 percent) from beyond the arc. Cornwell’s late 3 for the Racers provided the final 84-69 margin after Thompson’s sixth triple had effectively put the game out of reach.

Benson paced Northwestern Ohio with a game-high 26 points on 10-for-17 shooting and a perfect 5-for-5 effort at the foul line. Antonio King added a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, along with three assists. The Racers shot 41 percent from the field (25-for-61) and 76.2 percent at the free-throw line (16-for-21), but were undone by their struggles from long range and Lawrence Tech’s advantage on the boards and from the 3-point line.

Lawrence Tech’s combination of perimeter shooting, rebounding and ball movement carried the night in the WHAC matchup, as the Blue Devils used a dominant first half and key second-half responses to secure the home victory at Don Ridler Fieldhouse.