LIVONIA, Mich.--Nathaniel Ward registered a double-double of 14 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, and Brandon Beavers and Blake Lund both scored 17 points, to lead a balanced Lawrence Tech men's basketball offense in a thrilling 84-79 come-from-behind victory over Hope International (Calif.) to conclude the Madonna University Bernie Holowicki Classic at the Alliance Catholic Credit Union Arena at the PAAAC on Saturday. Both teams are now 1-2 on the season, with the Blue Devils going 1-1 at the Classic and the Royals losing both contests.

How it Happened

• Hope International took a 13-point 39-26 halftime lead, but LTU started the second half on a 23-9 run thanks to six 3-pointers to take a 49-48 lead on a Lund trey with 14 minutes and 13 seconds left.
• Lawrence Tech outrebounded Hope International, 37-23, including 12-6 on the offensive end, that also gave the Blue Devils 15 second-chance points (to four for the Royals).
• The Royals built as much as a 15-point lead in the first half by mostly scoring 17 points off LTU's 13 turnovers on the day.
• Hope International also shot 59.3 percent from the field while holding LTU to a 23.5 clip in the first 20 minutes.
• The game featured four ties and 13 lead changes.
• The Blue Devils enjoyed a 32-19 advantage in bench points and made 19 of 23 free throws for 82.6 percent.
• After Gaven Ramirez made a layup to give the Royals their last lead of 74-73 at 3:30, Lund's 3ball put LTU back on top to stay.
• The Blue Devils' defense in the closing minutes sealed the upset victory: two steals, a block and four missed Royals field goal attempts.

Coach Josh Pickens Quotes: "Our guys did a great job today of bouncing back after a disappointing Friday night. Our toughness, grit and rebounding needed to come through for 40 minutes. Our second-half shot-making was a big plus, too."

Lawrence Tech Highlights

• Beavers also had eight rebounds and three assists.
• Aaron Dolny and Macomb Community College transfer Cameron McEvans each added 10 points.
• Lund made 6 of 9 field goal attempts, including four treys, and had two steals.

Hope International Highlights

• Sebastian Castro scored a game-high 24 points and had six rebounds.
• Cameron Dashiell posted game highs of five steals and four assists.
• Gaven Ramirez and Jalen Shores chipped in 17 points apiece.

Beyond the Boxscore

• Hope International University (Calif.) is receiving votes in the NAIA Top-25 preseason poll.
• The Royals compete in the Golden State Athletic Conference, finishing 20-11 last season with an appearance in the NAIA Tournament.

Next up, Lawrence Tech will have its home opener on Tuesday (7:30 p.m.) against Ohio Christian University in a non-conference game at the Don Ridler Field House.