SOUTHFIELD, Mich. – In a back-and-forth thriller against No. 16 Indiana Tech, the Lawrence Technological University men's basketball team's late comeback fell just short, falling to the WHAC foe, 74-70, on Saturday, December 1, at the Don Ridler Field House.

Ty Searles (SR/Pontiac, Mich.) led the way for Lawrence Tech (5-7, 2-3) for the sixth time this season, scoring 24 points. Searles has scored in double figures every game this season. Sixteen of his 24 points came in the second half, including eight in the final two minutes of play to bring the Blue Devils to within two. Off the bench, Devonte Myles(SR/Tampa, Fla.) posted his third double-double of the season with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Myles hit a big three-pointer with 51 seconds left to cut the deficit to four. Jalen Bethel (FR/Columbus, Ohio) finished the day with nine points and eight boards.

As a team, Lawrence Tech combined for 11-of-22 from deep, led by Searles 5-of-8 performance. Five different Blue Devils knocked down a three-pointer. Indiana Tech (8-4, 5-0) shot just 30-percent from beyond the arc, going 8-of-27. Free throws became a factor, as LTU sent the Warriors to the charity stripe 27 times to Lawrence Tech's nine attempts.

Logan Primerano scored a game-high 25 points with seven rebounds. Darren Groves and Joel Wincowski contributed 16 and 13, respectively. Groves hauled down a game-high 11 rebounds.

Down 11 with 3:45 to play, Myles and Searles combined for Lawrence Tech's final 16 points. The senior duo erased the deficit and with 20 seconds left on the clock, brought the Blue Devils to within two, 72-70, after Searles buried a three-pointer from the top of the key.

Trying to extend the game, LTU was forced to go for the steal off the full-court press or quickly foul.  Alek Ivanovic (SO/Macomb, Mich.) darted in front of a pass near the sideline but was whistled for the foul, sending Indiana Tech's Max Huber to the line in double bonus. Huber saw the first attempt bounce of the side of the rim before rattling home the second.

Searles took the ball with 16 seconds left and saw the lane open up at the rim but would miss the layup. Wincowski snatched the board to seal the game for the Warriors.

Lawrence Tech opened the game with a trio of deep balls from Searles and Ivanovic to take a 9-2 lead just three minutes in. Indiana Tech would come alive though, going on a 9-0 run to take their first lead of the contest at 14-12 with 12:30 remaining in the opening half.

The game went go back-and-forth over the next 10 minutes, with neither side able to build more than a two-point lead. Leading 29-28, the Warriors' Dylan Phair ended the first half with a pair of three-pointers to give Indiana Tech its largest lead of the half, 35-28.

Groves and Phair came out in the second and built that lead to 10, 39-29, before the Blue Devils mounted their next run. Searles kicked it off with a jumper before Bethel tallied a quick four points and Ivanovic hit a three to make it a 39-38 ballgame.

Just as it seemed Lawrence Tech could take the lead back, the Warriors answered with a 12-3 surge of their own. Lawrence Tech battled to within four before the deficit ballooned to 11, 65-56, with 3:45 to play.

LTU prepares for another WHAC foe in University of Michigan – Dearborn for its last home game of the calendar year on December 5. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. The Wolverines are 2-8 this season and 1-2 in the conference. Their lone win in conference play was against University of Northwestern Ohio, 76-56.