By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information

Toledo, OH---The Express men's basketball team overcame a slow start to rout Cuyahoga Community College 74-40 in the SHAC tonight.

The Express were scoreless until the 15:58 mark of the first half when Joe Retic II hit two free throws to tie the game at two-all.

Cuyahoga then re-took the lead before Tony Boykins hit two free throws to give the Express their first lead (6-5) with 14:03 left. After Cuyahoga briefly led again (7-6), Franklin Lindsey hit a 3-pointer to give the Express a lead they wouldn't again relinquish.

Clinging to a 19-17 lead, the Express went on a 12-0 run late in the first half that helped them take a 31-19 lead into the break. The Express then opened the second half on 10-3 run to break the game wide open. They led by as many as 37 in the second half.

James Kelly didn't have one of his best game's of the year, but still produced a double-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks, one assist and one steal. He kept his string of double-doubles in every conference game alive.

Kelly produced, perhaps, the highlight of the night as he caught a pass off the backboard from Retic midway through the second half and threw down a one-handed dunk. Other highlights came on dunks from Andy Bachman, Boykins and an alley-oop dunk from Markese Allen to Darius Washington.

Retic and Bachman each added 10 points as only three Express players scored in double figures. Retic had a team-high five assists, while Boykins had nine points and eight rebounds. Lindsey added seven points and six rebounds.

Notes

The Express are now 17-7 overall and 6-1 in the OCCAC. They remain alone in second place behind undefeated Lakeland (7-0).

The win tonight was the third in a row for the Express and the eighth in their past nine games.

Kelly now has 993 career points and could crack the 1,000 point mark in the team's next game against Sinclair Community College on the road Saturday. The game begins at 4 p.m. in Dayton, OH.

Kelly upped his career rebound total to 561. He is 37 away from breaking the career record held by Brian Williams (597, 1985-87).