The University of Minnesota Duluth used another strong second half to conclude the 21st American Family Classic with a 91-77 triumph over Stonehill College Saturday evening at Romano Gymnasium in Duluth, Minn.

Senior forward Alex Illikainen picked up where left off last night with an easy left-handed lay-in to give the Bulldogs (3-1 overall) the first points of the game. Illikainen was responsible for seven of UMD's first nine points and picked up 16 points in the opening 20 minutes. Redshirt freshman guard Drew Blair added a layup to the Bulldogs' hot start and gave UMD an early 16-7 advantage less than six minutes into the game. The Bulldogs made their money down low in the first half with 20 of their 40 first-half points coming from inside the paint. Stonehill (2-2 overall) would take 22-20 lead with just under nine minutes remaining in the first half thanks to a 9-2 run. Senior guard Logan Rohrscheib would get the Bulldog offense back on track with his first two buckets of the game, including a deep three-pointer from the top of the key. Senior forward Brandon Myer used a spin and a pump fake to throw off his defender for an easy lay-in in the final minute to give UMD a 40-33 lead at the break.

The Skyhawks climbed back into the game early in the second half with a 10-3 run tie things at 43 but it was halted on a floater from senior guard Trevor Entwisle, his first bucket of the game. With 14:57 remaining, Illikainen cleaned up a missed three-point opportunity from Entwisle and converted a right-handed floater to grab a 49-47 lead for the Bulldogs. A couple minutes later, Rohrscheib cashed in his second triple of the game, this one from the left-wing to push UMD's advantage back to five points. Leading 70-62 with under eight minutes to play, sophomore Hunter Plamann grabbed an offensive rebounded and converted two free throws after being fouled on his putback attempt to push the lead to ten. Plamann, Rohrscheib, and Illikainen put the Skyhawks away for good with three consecutive three-pointers on three straight possessions to give UMD an 89-70 lead with under one minute to go. The 19-point advantage was UMD's largest of the game.

Notables:
Four Bulldogs recorded double figures in points Saturday evening including Illikainen (28 points, 11-16 FG), Rohrscheib (16 points, 6-11 FG), Myer (16 points, 6-13 FG), and Blair (13 points, 3-5 FG) ... Myer led the Bulldogs with 11 rebounds and 5 assists in his double-double effort ... UMD controlled the boards Saturday, outrebounding the Skyhawks 43-26.

Up Next:
The Bulldogs will return to Romano Gymnasium this Wednesday (Nov. 20) when they take on the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in a nonconference matchup. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.