FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The No. 3-ranked Indiana Tech men's basketball team opened up the Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) Tournament with a victory over Siena Heights, 89-69, on Wednesday night in the quarterfinals at the Schaefer Center.
Dylan Phair led the way for the Warriors with a game-high 20 points and five rebounds, while
Scott Schwieterman followed Phair's performance with 17 points of his own.
Nic Williams registered 15 points on the night to help the Warriors and WHAC Newcomer of the Year
Darren Groves rounded out the contest with 14 points and nine rebounds.
The Warriors, seeded second in the tournament, got out to a hot start out of the gate, keeping their opponents scoreless up until the 16:19 minute mark, granting them an 11-2 lead. Tech continued to hold the double-digit advantage through much of the first part of the opening half, but the Siena Height offense began to chip into the Warriors' lead, 15-9, with 13:44 remaining before the break.
Edmond Early hit a layup to bring the Orange and Black's lead back into double figures as they went ahead 21-11 with 8:40 on the clock. A five-point run for Schwieterman would put Tech up 30-19 with just under four minutes before the break. The Warriors closed out the first 20 minutes of play leading the Saints 39-31 with Schwieterman leading all scorers with 11 first half points.
After a slow offensive start to the first half, Phair kicked off the second half with a statement three to get the Orange and Black scoring going. The Warriors would almost double their halftime lead just three minutes into the second half after a score from Schwieterman pushed them to a 50-36 lead. Tech continued to steadily grow their lead, jumping ahead by as much as 17 at the 11:19 mark.
The dominant lead held behind a surging offensive second half, as the Orange and Black would get a 81-57 lead after a three from Phair with just over four minutes remaining in regulation. Tech cruised through the remainder of the second half to take the 89-69 victory and conclude Siena Heights season.
The Warriors (26-5) will host Rochester College in the WHAC Tournament Semifinals this Saturday with tip-off set for 3 p.m. from the Schaefer Center.
