DUBUQUE, Iowa -- Lawrence University men's basketball standout Brad Sendell poured in 28 points Wednesday to lead the Vikings to a 78-68 nonconference victory over the College of St. Scholastica at the Loras Holiday Classic.
    Sendell hit 10-of-22 shots from the floor and went 8-for-10 from the foul line along with picking up six assists and three rebounds for the Vikings.
    Adnan Sarancic posted his third consecutive double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Vikings. Lawrence's Matthew Kaznikov was hot from beyond the arc as he hit 5-of-9 3-pointers on his way to 17 points. 
    The Vikings led 44-31 at the half and immediately pushed the lead to 15 points with a short jumper to start the second half. The Saints chipped away at the advantage and trimmed the margin to 52-45 with 13:33 remaining.
    Lawrence (6-6) responded by scoring the next nine points. Sarancic started the run with a layup and Brandon Danowski followed with a pair of free throws. Elliot Jung picked up a three-point play, and Danowski's layup completed the burst and gave Lawrence a 61-45 lead with 10:45 left. 
    The Saints later countered with their own 9-0 run to cut Lawrence's advantage to 65-59 with 4:48 remaining. 
    Kaznikov buried a 3-pointer to stop the scoring run, and after a bucket by the Saints, Sendell scored on a conventional three-point play to put Lawrence up 71-61 with 3:40 left. 
    Scholastica then scored the game's next five points to cut the lead to 71-66, but the Vikings then put the Saints away for good. Sendell hit one free throw, and after a Saints miss, Sendell drove to the hoop and was fouled again. He made both free throws with 1:47 left for a 74-66 lead. After another Scholastica miss, Sendell made a pair of free throws with 38 seconds left to seal the victory.
    Lawrence took the lead for good early in the first half as Jake Fisher's layup giave the Vikings a 10-9 lead. The Vikings built the lead to double digits at 29-19 on Kaznikov's 3-pointer with 7:27 remaining in the opening half.
    The Vikings would lead by as many as 14 points in the first half before setting for a 13-point advantage at the break.
    Lawrence returns to action on Thursday when the Vikings take on host Loras College.