ELGIN, Ill. -- The Indiana University Northwest men's basketball team won a Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference game after a long layoff against Judson, 83-76, at the Lindner Fitness Center Saturday. 

TEAM RECORDS 
IU Northwest (12-4, 6-3 CCAC) | Judson (7-10, 5-5 CCAC)

QUARTER BREAKDOWN
1st Half: IU Northwest 43, Judson 35
2nd Half: Judson 41, IU Northwest 40
Final Score: IU Northwest 83, Judson 76

IU NORTHWEST LEADERS
Points: Jared Johnson (26), Brian Hernandez (20), Damond Crosby (11)
Rebounds: Jared Johnson (8)
Assists: Jerron Tatum (5)
Blocks: Tromon Weston (1)
Steals: Brian Hernandez (3), Jared Johnson (3)

GAME RECAP
Both teams traded baskets to start the contest. IU Northwest would score eight points in a row after back-to-back threes from Jared Johnson and Jerron Tatum then a layup by Johnson made it 10-2. 

Judson made a basket to look to get back into the game then Brian Hernandez hit a three-pointer then back-to-back by Tatum extended the lead to 17-4 RedHawks. 

Moments later, Judson looked to make a comeback but Damond Crosby made a pair of three-pointers then Hernandez and Larry Lynch hit layups to make 32-15 IU Northwest. Judson cut it to 10 after scoring the next seven points. 

Johnson and Hernandez then made back-to-back three-pointers to extend their lead to 43-29 with two minutes left. The Eagles closed out the first half with two straight threes as the RedHawks led 43-35 at the break.

Hernandez started the second half with a layup to make it a double-digit lead early. Johnson scored the next eight points for the RedHawks to give IU Northwest a 61-49 lead. 

The RedHawks held onto their double-digit lead for most of the second half. Johnson scored back-to-back layups to make it 69-54 with 10:47 left in the game. 

The Eagles scored the next five points to make it a 10-point game again. Crosby hit a three-pointer with under 10 minutes left to make it 72-59. 

Judson made it 75-69 IU Northwest with 4:01 left in the game. VaShawn Sims got the RedHawks back on track after making a basket. Moments later, Tromon Weston made the lead back up to double figures again.

IU Northwest was able to hold off the Eagles late surge. The RedHawks won the contest 83-76.

UP NEXT
IU Northwest will be back in action Wednesday, January 12 as the RedHawks travel to Chicago, Illinois to take on the Roosevelt starting at 7:30 p.m. CT for a rematch from their previous matchup back on November 10, 2021.