MEN’S BASKETBALL WITHSTANDS RALLY, DEFEATS KANSAS CHRISTIAN

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Hitting the court at Mabee Fieldhouse for the first time all season, Avila men's basketball withstood a big run from Kansas Christian on Thursday night to pick up its first win of the season, 89-75.

The Eagles entered halftime with a 16-point lead behind 14 first-half points on 3-of-3 shooting behind the arc from Joe Kearney.

Kansas Christian came storming back right out of halftime.

The Falcons went on a 26-5 run out of the break and held a 60-55 lead with just under 10 minutes remaining.

Avila eventually tied the score back up at 66 with the help of eight points in the paint. From there, the Eagles took control and wouldn't look back.

Avila put the game away thanks to a 23-9 run in the final 7:49 of the contest.

Xavier Kahube picked up his first double-double of the season (19 points, 10 rebounds). Joe Kearney led all scorers with 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting.

The Eagles were able to spread the ball around very efficiently in the game, with five players notching three or more assists. Avila also outscored Kansas Christian on the fast break, 20-6 and dominated down low, putting up 54 points in the paint.

Avila (1-1) travels to Houston Christian on Monday night for a matchup with the Huskies at 7 PM. They return to Mabee Fieldhouse on November 12 versus Manhattan Christian.