WHITING, Ind. — IU South Bend survived a gritty road test Saturday afternoon, pulling away in overtime to defeat Calumet College of St. Joseph 81-69 at the Rittenmeyer Center. The win extends the Titans’ winning streak to eight games and improves them to 10-4 overall and 5-1 in CCAC play.
The contest was tightly contested from the opening tip, with nine lead changes and six ties over the first 40 minutes. IU South Bend led 36-32 at halftime behind strong play near the rim.
The game continued to be a slugfest as the game turned to the second half. The lead was traded between the two teams for the whole 20 minutes with neither team gaining a lead of more than five.
As the clocks ticked past two minutes left, Kyle Olagbegi put the Titans up by three at the free throw line but the Crimson Wae were not done. The host squad netted five-straight points on a pair of layups and a free throw to move ahead.
With the Titans trailing 65-63 in the final seconds, Kyle Olagbegi delivered the defining moment of regulation. After a defensive stop, Kyle Millender found Olagbegi cutting to the rim, where he finished with one second remaining to tie the game and force overtime.
Olagbegi wasn’t finished.
In the extra period, the junior forward scored the first four points of overtime, knocking down back-to-back jumpers to swing momentum firmly in IU South Bend’s favor. The Titans held Calumet to just four points in overtime, while capitalizing at the free-throw line to seal the win.
Olagbegi finished with a game-high 21 points, adding six rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in one of his strongest performances of the season. He scored six of IU South Bend’s 16 overtime points, setting the tone on both ends of the floor.
Kyle Millender turned in an impressive all-around effort with 12 points and five assists, while Collin Schmidt and Ethan Hill each chipped in 10 points. Hill also grabbed six rebounds, and Schmidt contributed two blocks as the Titans controlled the paint.
IU South Bend dominated inside, outscoring Calumet 48-30 in the paint, winning the rebounding battle 49-40, and holding the hosts to 38.6 percent shooting overall. The Titans’ bench played a major role as well, accounting for 36 points.
IUSB will look to continue its winning ways on Wednesday, hosting Viterbo at 3:00 pm.