LIMA - While injuries have laid waste to the University of Northwestern Ohio men's basketball roster, the Racers left behind have tried to struggle on and piece together wins. The short bench gives coach Chris Adams few options and often only six players will play major minutes, leading to fatigue and lost leads at the end of games.

But not Saturday against Siena Heights University.

The Racers held a double-digit lead at halftime and weathered a few runs in the second half to hold on for an 84-77 victory at Racer Gymnasium in a Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference showdown. The win snaps a four-game losing streak, all on the road, and moves the Racers to 7-19 overall and 2-12 in the conference.

In nine of their 19 losses this season, the Racers have been tied or held the lead at halftime, including in the last two games.

"I was very excited about our effort today. I thought they really came together as a unit," Adams said. "My hat's off to the kids. They really have been going through a tough time. We've been on the road in this segment, prior to tonight's game, and I can't say enough good things.

"The kids bought in, they're heading in the right direction and that's all we can ask for at this point," he added.

While Saturday brought an end to the losing, the long minutes continued; seven players played and six registered at least 23 minutes, with four - Johnny Elliott, Chris Cromity, Jake Bolyard and Todd Watkins - all playing at least 33 minutes.

Bolyard topped the 30-point mark for the fifth time this season, scoring 31 points against Siena Heights (6-20, 3-11 WHAC), with seven rebounds and six steals. The sophomore guard continues on a record-setting pace, upping his season average to 22.7 per game and totaling 567 points.

Cromity added a career-high 20 points, going 8-of-12 from the field and 4-of-8 from 3-point distance. He had 12 points in 19 minutes in the second half.

"Jake scored, but I thought Cromity's contribution was immense to the success of today's game," Adams said.

The Saints closed within 81-77 with 52 seconds left to play, but Todd Watkins went 3-of-4 from the free throw line in the final nine seconds to square away the contest. Watkins had 11 points and seven rebounds.

Cecil Clark had 15 points for Siena Heights.

The Racers travel to Concordia University on Wednesday for their final road contest of the season. Adams hopes having three of their final four games at Racer Gymnasium can translate into a strong ending to an otherwise frustrating season.

"The kids feel good about themselves, and that builds confidence," Adams said. "We have three of our next four games here at home and they can build on that.

"Part of our game plan today was to try and win back the confidence of our home fans. We haven't been here in a while and we've lost some tough games here. We said this is our place and we have to play well here," he said.