The Aurora University men's basketball team earned their first Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference win of the young season on Saturday at Illinois Tech thanks to a second half scoring surge. AU was victorious 73-57.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Aurora University 73, Illinois Institute of Technology 57
LOCATION: Chicago, Illinois
RECORDS: Aurora University 2-1 overall and 1-1 NACC; Illinois Institute of Technology 2-4 overall and 0-2 NACC

HOW IT HAPPENED
- AU started slow and found themselves trailing 9-2 just over two minutes into the game.
- The Spartans trailed by 10, their largest deficit of the game at 14-4 and that is when they began chipping back at the Hawks.
- A pair of free throws from Jesse Young late in the half gave the Spartans their first lead of the game at 27-26.
- AU went to halftime trailing IIT 32-29.
- With 15:22 to play in the game, Bailey Vance converted a lay up and AU led 41-40. The lead was the last lead change of the game.
- As the game remained a two possession AU lead for the next almost 10 minutes, the Spartans had one run left in them.
- The Spartan led by four with just over six minutes to play in the game.
- A Vance three ball started a 10-0 AU run and with 2:49 the Spartans led by 14 (66-52).
- Spartan newcomer Jarek Hotwagner scored the last nine points for the Spartans as they won 73-57.
 
SPARTAN STAT LEADERS
POINTS: Jarek Hotwagner (18), Bailey Vance (12) and Garrett Hoffmann (11)
REBOUNDS: Bailey Vance (7) and Jarek Hotwagner (6)
ASSISTS: Tyler Carlson (4)
STEALS: Garrett Hoffmann (3)
 
UP NEXT
Next action for the Spartan men's basketball team comes on Wednesday, December 5 when they host Concordia University Wisconsin. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m. on Lancaster Court in Thornton Gymnasium.