Crimson Wave Men's Basketball outlasts Viterbo at home 78-73

Whiting, IN – The Calumet College of St. Joseph men's basketball team earned its first Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference win of the season on Saturday evening after taking down Viterbo 78-73 at the Rittenmeyer Center. Colby Wiggins led the Wave with 26 points, making five of his 10 3-pointers. This is now the third game in a row that Wiggins has scored at least 25 points. 

"It was a great win for the Wave," men's head basketball coach Jason Hawkins said. "Conference games are always tough and today was a tough game. I'm proud of how we finished and even though we have a lot to work on, it's good to get a win any day."

How it Happened

The Crimson Wave (5-2, 1-2 CCAC) came into this game looking to shut down the V-Hawks (3-7, 1-2 CCAC) and earn their first conference win of the year. Coming off two CCAC losses that came down to the wire, the Wave came into this one focused and determined. 

Senior guard Colby Wiggins lead the early surge by the Wave scoring a quick nine points, all from behind the arc. Zion Morgan added to the stretch with a 3-pointer of his own. Couple that with a transition layup by Wiggins and the Crimson Wave had a 14-3 lead just four minutes into the game.

CCSJ would extend its lead to 16 in the first half after back to back layups from J.Caleb Slawinski and Josh Morris. The Wave would maintain its double-digit lead heading into halftime as Hrvoje Majcunic's 3-pointer sent them back to the locker room with a 12-point advantage.

In the second half, Viterbo would begin cutting away at the lead, making it a nine-point game with less than 12 minutes to go. Momentum building plays would start to add up as the V-Hawks made a dunk that energized its crowd that traveled nearly 250 miles to be attendance. Follow that up with a couple of three-point plays and Viterbo was trailing by five with five minutes remaining.

In the final five minutes of regulation, CCSJ was able to hold off Viterbo as they shot 4-of-12 from the field and 1-of-7 from 3-point range. For the game, the Wave held the V-Hawks to under 43 percent from the field and just 19 percent from three.

Crimson Wave Leaders 

Colby Wiggins led all scorers with 26 points. J.Caleb Slawinski had nine points and 10 rebounds while Scott Gowan had nine points and five assists. Josh Morris had nine points as well, and Zion Morgan had seven points and nine rebounds. 

Up Next

CCSJ returns to action Wednesday, December 11 as they travel to Lansing, Michigan to take on Great Lakes Christian. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CT at the Doty Center.