Daily Herald Article

PALATINE, Ill. – The Harper College men's basketball team was done in by poor shooting in its first game of 2015. The Hawks shot just 26.3 percent from the field and put up their lowest point total of the 2014-15 season in a 54-49 loss to visiting Mid Michigan Community College.

Harper (7-9) led 10-9 eight minutes in after an Admir Suljic (Chicago, Ill. /Lane Tech) 3-pointer, but the Lakers put the clamps on defensively for the remainder of the half and took a 28-18 lead at the break. Suljic, the Hawks' leading scorer who dropped a career-high 40 points on the Lakers two weeks prior, was held in check with 11 points on 4-of-14 shooting.

Mid Michigan (5-8) took its biggest lead of the game at 41-24 on a Ryan Tillman layup with 13:10 remaining. The Hawks, however, did not go quietly late, cutting the Lakers' lead to 49-43 with 2:03 remaining. Mid Michigan converted 5-of-6 free throws in the final two minutes, halting the comeback effort.

Harper's 15-of-57 shooting performance was its worst of the season. Mid Michigan was also held in check by the Harper defense, shooting just 29.6 percent (16-of-54).

Davion Benton (Chicago, Ill. /Alcott College Prep) notched his sixth double-double of the year with 10 points and 10 rebounds, and Abdul Mushtaq (Wheeling, Ill./Wheeling) scored a career-high nine points in his first career start.

Trevor Gernaat led the Lakers with 13 points, and top scorer Erick Layton added 12 points. T.J. Johnson ripped down a game-high 15 rebounds.

Next up for the Hawks is their N4C opener at top-ranked and defending national champion Rock Valley College (12-2) at 7:30 PM.