The Case Western Reserve University men's basketball team knocked down 15 three-point shots, including 12 in the first half alone, to jump out to an early lead and cruise to a 92-74 win over the Hiram College Terriers in Hiram, Ohio, on Wednesday night.

The trio of senior guard Anand Dharmarajan, first-year guard Shyam Patel, and sophomore guard Matthew Ellis combined to score 51 points and make 13 three-point shots in the game.

The win was the second-straight for the Spartans, who improved to 5-3 this season. The Terriers dropped their fifth consecutive game to fall to 3-5 for the season.

Stats and Standouts

• CWRU finished the game shooting 51.5% overall (18-31) and 46.9% from three-point range (15-32).

• Ellis came off the bench to match his career high with 19 points, connecting on eight-of-11 shots from the floor and three-of-five from behind the three-point line. He added three assists and a rebound.

• Dharmarajan scored a season-high 17 points, hitting five-of-11 attempts from long range and six-of-12 overall with two rebounds, two assists, and a steal.

• Patel added 15 points, all in the first half, making five-of-seven three-point attempts in the game.

• Junior forward Logan Brown fell just short of his first double-double as a Spartan, recording season-highs with 11 rebounds and nine points on a four-of-five effort from the floor. He added an assist, two steals, and a block.

• First-year Alex Vincent finished the contest with eight points and eight rebounds.

First Half

• The Spartans shot a blistering 63.2% from behind the three-point line in the first half, making 12-of-19 long-range attempts during the frame to jump out to a 53-32 lead after the first 20 minutes.

• Patel came off the bench to lead the Spartans with 15 points in the first half, making five-of-six three-point tries during the frame, while Dharmarajan knocked down three three-pointers of his own and finished the stanza with 11 points.

• CWRU never trailed in the game and used an early 7-0 run to build a 10-3 lead with 16:00 remaining.

• Ellis hit a pair of threes off the bench to push the Spartans' lead to 16-5 with 14:13 remaining in the period.

• CWRU continued to add to its lead, going ahead 34-17 following a three from Dharmarajan with 8:23 on the clock, and taking a 48-26 advantage after Patel converted three-pointers on back-to-back possessions with 3:44 to play in the half, before closing out the first frame with a 21-point lead.

Second Half

• After scoring six points in the first half, Ellis erupted for 13 points in the second half to pace the Spartans during the period.

• Ellis hit a layup with 12:44 on the clock to push CWRU's lead to 25 points, 74-49.

• Hiram pulled back within 15 points with 5:24 to play in the game, but CWRU responded with a three from Dharmarajan and a layup by Ellis to increase the advantage back to 20 points with 4:42 remaining. 

• The Spartans led by as many as 23 points in the closing minutes before claiming the 18-point victory.

Spartan Notes

• The Spartans outrebounded the Terriers 47-25 in the contest, as CWRU improved to 5-1 when outrebounding its opponent this season. It was the team's sixth game this season with a double-figure rebound margin.

• CWRU matched its season high for three-pointers made. The Spartans also made 15 threes against Houghton on November 8.

• The Spartans finished the game with a 56-37 edge in points off the bench.

• CWRU improved to 3-1 this season in road games.

• The Spartans improved to 20-23 all-time against Hiram with Wednesday's win. It was the Spartans' third-straight win over the Terriers in the series.

Up Next

The Spartans will be back in action on Saturday, December 13, traveling to Meadville, Pennsylvania, for a 1:00 p.m. tip-off against Allegheny College (2-4).