ROCKFORD, Ill. - The Rockford University men's basketball team conquered the MSOE Raiders 74-60 in its conference game on Saturday afternoon. Seven second half three-pointers and a hefty 24 points from the Regent bench made the difference in the 14-point win over the Raiders.
Kevin Diemer turned in a solid game, scoring a team-high 18 points and grabbing a team-high ten rebounds and five assists.
- The Regents started off the contest on a roll, running up the score to 9-2 in the first five minutes, creating a seven-point lead.
- Rockford spent the next four minutes regularly trading baskets back-and-forth with the Raiders, keeping the score difference at seven until 19-12, after Mateo Fernandez Solari earned an and-one opportunity and converted it.
- MSOE was not to be denied, however, going on an eight-point run to take the lead after a second three-pointer at the 9:30 mark of the first.
- The Raider lead didn't hold, shortly after Rockford regained the lead and built it back up to seven thanks to a pair of layups by Kevin Diemer and an important three from Daelyn Franklin. Rockford led 29-22.
- Amareon Parker made his statement after that run, continuing to build the lead with four straight points in less than a minute of game time.
- MSOE fought back again, but was only able to pull within six before the halftime break, leaving Rockford up 36-30.
- It was a similar story to start the second half, Rockford drained a pair of threes against MSOE making a pair of free throws to grow the lead back to ten. Zac Centers and Ashton Singleton got the credit for the Regent baskets.
- The Raiders snuck back into the game yet again over the course of the half, chipping away at RU's lead until at the 11:32 mark of the second, MSOE hit a layup and took the lead. The score now sat at 50-49 in the Raiders favor.
- Once again however, the lead didn't hold and the Regents took off again, this time on a 12-2 run over five and a half minutes of play. Amareon Parker was a huge contributor in the run, hitting a pair of threes back-to-back to build the lead. Rockford was firmly in control at 61-52.
- After an MSOE basket and a Charles Burnell three-pointer to put the Regents up ten, the Raiders never pulled within a single-digit deficit again, leaving RU to run out the clock and finish with a 14-point win and a final score of 74-60.
- Kevin Diemer finished with his third double-double of the season, recording 18 points and 10 rebounds. He also finished with a team-high 5 assists and a steal.
- Amareon Parker hit his season-high in points once again, this time recording 12.
- Mateo Fernandez Solari finished with 10 points, but he recorded the team-high in steals with 3. He also had a pair of assists and rebounds.
