GARY, Ind. — Tommy Snyder recorded 25 points and 14 rebounds, and the IU Northwest RedHawks outscored Andrews University 53-31 in the second half to roll to a 91-71 win in their home opener Thursday night at the Savannah Center.
The RedHawks (1-1) trailed at halftime but took control early in the second half and never looked back.
Snyder scored IU Northwest's first basket of the night on a layup 16 seconds in. Andrews answered with a barrage from the perimeter. Elijah Hayes, Germano and Braswell each connected from deep as the visitors went 9-of-15 from 3-point range in the first half and built a 35-29 lead late in the period.
IU Northwest refused to let it get out of hand. Zach Greene drilled a 3-pointer to cut it to 35-32, and Antonio Phillips added two free throws before Andrews pushed the margin back to 40-34. Greene hit a pair of free throws after a technical foul on Andrews, and Amarion Johnson's layup with three seconds left made it 40-38 at the break.
Snyder tied the game at 40 on the first possession of the second half, and Johnson gave the RedHawks the lead with a layup moments later. Romello Ali's 3-pointer made it 48-43, and IU Northwest built a 12-point cushion by the midway point of the half.
Andrews trimmed it to 69-76 with just over five minutes left, but that was as close as it got. IU Northwest closed the game on a 15-0 run, and Andrews did not score for more than five minutes. Snyder scored four times around the rim off the offensive glass, Johnson finished a Trey Steinhilber feed with a dunk, and Steinhilber capped the run with a 3-pointer. Greene's layup with two minutes left gave the RedHawks their biggest lead, 91-69.
Johnson finished with 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting and five rebounds. Greene added 19 points off the bench on 7-of-14 shooting, including 4-of-4 at the free-throw line. Steinhilber scored just three points but handed out seven assists and had three steals. Amauri Moore chipped in eight points and Ali added five on 2-of-2 shooting.
IU Northwest dominated the interior, outscoring Andrews 64-14 in the paint and holding a 48-30 rebounding edge. The RedHawks shot 58.5 percent in the second half while holding Andrews to 32.4 percent.
IU Northwest travels to IU Kokomo on Wednesday, Nov. 4. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CST.
