ELMHURST, ILL.—The Carthage College men's basketball team's Thursday-night bout at Elmhurst College featured 11 lead changes. The final lead change occurred with 5:00 left in the contest, where the Bluejays iced the contest with a 17-9 run en route to an 87-80 victory.
 
"We had so many opportunities to extend things, but just didn't quite get it done," said Red Men head coach Bosko Djurickovic. "Give them credit, they had 22 assists and eight turnovers. We had a great game plan and executed well. This is another game we had the right to win and we didn't and that's the way the season has gone."
 
Both squads moved the ball well as a combined 39 assists were credited in the contest, 17 of those belonged to the Red Men. Kienan Baltimore, who registered five assists, paced the Red Men with 24 points. Jordon Kedrowski also chipped in five helpers along with 18 points. Sean Johnson recorded his fourth double-double of the season with 16 points along with 12 rebounds while TJ Best rounded out the Red Men in double-figures with 10 points.
 
Elmhurst's Jake Rhode pulled off the rare point-assist double-double with 16 points and 10 assists. Jeremy Ireland led the Bluejays with 21 points.
 
Carthage outshot the Bluejays with a .475 (29-61) field goal percentage and a .407 (11-27) mark from beyond the arch.
 
The Red Men fall to 7-13, 2-9 while Elmhurst improves to 11-9, 6-5 CCIW.
 
Red Men 87, Elmhurst 80
 
Only one of the 11 lead changes occurred in the first half. Baltimore's jumper with 12:55 left in the first capped a Red Men 15-4 run to begin the game, which provoked an Elmhurst timeout. It sparked an Elmhurst 20-7 run that gave them a 24-22 lead with 7:06 left in the first. It was a lead they wouldn't surrender the remainder of the first, but a 9-0 Carthage run to close the frame tied the game 38-38 at halftime.
 
A second half that featured 10 lead changes, the Red Men's latest advantage occurred with 5:12 left when Baltimore's three-pointer made the score 71-70. It was all the arsenal Carthage had as Elmhurst regained the lead for good :12 later off a three-pointer, where they eventually held onto an 87-80 win.
 
The Red Men will host Illinois Wesleyan on Saturday, February 2 at 7:00 p.m.