AURORA, Ill. – The Gustavus Adolphus College men's basketball team battled the Aurora University Spartans on the road Friday night at the Mickey Johnson Tip-Off Classic. The Gusties defeated the Spartans 84-79 to open their 2025-26 season with a victory.
Gustavus led for most of the opening half, leading by as many as nine points as
Obinna Izuora hit a three to put the Gusties up 17-8 with 12:38 to go in the first. Aurora started to rally, slowly cutting into Gustavus' lead and eventually tying the game 35-35 with a layup and then hitting a three to go up 38-35 with 30 seconds remaining in the first.
Andrew Quam answered for the Gusties, responding in kind with a three to tie the game up at 38-38 going into halftime.
The Spartans started to build a lead early in the second half, going up by ten points at 53-43 with a layup with 14:34 to go. Gustavus battle back with a 13-2 run to retake the lead up 56-55. Aurora responded with a three on their next possession and held a slim lead until
Jake Schmitt tied the game up at 68-68 with a layup with 6:04 remaining. Again, the Spartans retook the lead on their next possession and led by no more than five points for the next four minutes as the Gusties kept up the fight. Gustavus retook the lead 76-75 with 2:08 to go. The two teams traded shots with Aurora taking a 79-78 lead with 1:08 on the clock. The Gusties finished the game with a 5-0 run to secure a hard-fought 84-79 victory.
Quam led the Gusties with 26 points on 10-for-15 shooting while going 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. Schmitt followed with 20 points, shooting 7-for-15 from the field.
Myles Barnette had 19 points and a team-high three assists.
Carson Koch led Gustavus with 10 rebounds.
Up next for the Gusties is their second of two games at the Mickey Johnson Tip-Off Classic in Aurora as they take on the Rockford University Regents at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 8.
