ROCKFORD, Ill. – Trying to stop the top team in the nation proved to be a difficult task for the Harper College men's basketball team on Saturday night. The Hawks dropped a road contest to Rock Valley College, 106-72.

The Golden Eagles (22-2, 6-2 N4C), who have been ranked No. 1 all season and came in averaging over 85 points a game, buried 18 3-pointers in the victory. Rock Valley led 64-24 at halftime.

The Hawks (10-14, 1-7 N4C) outscored Rock Valley 48-42 in the second half. Allias Burnett (Joliet, Ill. /Joliet West) scored 24 points on 8-of-17 shooting and added six rebounds. Point guard Marcus Gatlin (Chicago, Ill./Curie) added 21 points and nine rebounds, and Abdul Mushtaq (Wheeling, Ill./Wheeling) scored 14. Harper shot 38.8 percent (26-of-67) for the game.

Rock Valley got a game-high 28 points from point guard LT Davis, who was 8-of-13 from 3-point land. Kooper Glick added 19 points, and Dalton Payton had 13 points and seven rebounds. Elijah Williams (11 points, eight rebounds) and Dalton Menke (10 points, seven rebounds) both scored in double figures as well. The Golden Eagles shot 48.7 percent (38-of-78) and held a 54-33 edge in rebounding over the Hawks.

Harper will face another ranked opponent on Wednesday as it travels to No. 3 (Div. II) Triton College (22-2, 8-0 N4C). Tipoff is set for 7 PM in River Grove.