FORT WAYNE, Ind. – A strong first half and solid defense helped provide first-year Head Coach John Peckinpaugh his first career win as the Indiana Tech men's basketball team defeated Roosevelt, 69-63, at the Schaefer Center on Wednesday night.

The Warriors (1-3) got off to a fast start with Lavonte Davis scoring the first points of the contest and Franklin Lindsey, who led all scorers with 10 first half points, adding a fast break layup to increase the lead to three, 6-3. The Lakers (2-1) took a brief lead, 7-6, but the Orange and Black quickly responded with a 17-3 run over the next seven minutes for a 12-point advantage. Tech maintained a double-figure lead for the remainder of the first half, hitting a high-water mark of 17, 33-16, with 2:38 to play. The teams traded baskets before intermission with Tech taking a 37-25 lead into the locker room.

The Warriors couldn't miss on offense, converting 14-of-28 (50%) shots from the field despite a 1-for-5 (20%) mark from the three-point arc. Tech also knocked down 8-of-10 (80%) free throws. On the defensive end, Tech limited the Lakers to 33.3 percent (9-for-27) shooting, 4-for-12 (33.3%) from behind the arc and 3-for-4 (75%) from the charity stripe.

A Roosevelt three-pointer cut the lead to eight just five minutes into the second half, but Tech responded again with a 12-4 run to extend the lead to 16, 54-38. The Lakers didn't quit though, using a 15-1 run over the next four minutes to cut the Warriors lead to two, 55-53 with 6:14 to play. Josh Fleming put a stop to the run with a three-pointer and followed a Lakers miss with a fast break layup to push the lead back to seven, 60-53. The Orange and Black knocked down 6-of-8 free throws in the final 2:41 to seal the 69-63 win.

Tech shot 50 percent (10-for-20) from the field in the second half as well, led by 12 points from Fleming, while also shooting 66.7 percent (4-for-6) from behind the arc in the final 20 minutes. The defense also stepped up, holding the Lakers to just 34.4 percent (21-for-61) shooting in the contest, including a 10-for-28 (35.7%) mark from long range.

The Warriors won inside, outscoring the Lakers 28-18 in the paint while also holding an 11-4 margin in fast break points, turning 11 Roosevelt turnovers into 19 points.

Fleming led all scorers with 18 points, including a 5-for-6 mark from the charity stripe. Two other Warriors, Davis and Lindsey, finished in double figures with 12 points each. Davis led the team with nine rebounds while Lindsey added eight.

Tech looks to make it two in a row on Saturday, Nov. 15 when they begin Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference play against Lawrence Tech. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Schaefer Center.