Case Western Reserve men’s basketball coach Todd McGuinness thinks it’s a good thing his Spartans have faced stern tests in their last two games. On the heels of a 101-99 shootout win over SUNY Brockport on Nov. 9 at Horsburgh Gymnasium, the Spartans on Nov. 13 had to grind out an 84-74 win over visiting LaRoche University. By prevailing in a game that was much more competitive than the final count indicated, CWRU improved to 3-0 in the young season. LaRoche slipped to 0-3 with the loss. “We’ll have a lot of these types of games in the (University Athletic Association), so it’s important at this time of year to learn how to win the tight ones,” McGuinness said. “You need to figure out your team early on and gain an identity.”: The two main men for the Spartans, senior forward Umar Rashid and senior guard Sam Trunley, delivered when it mattered against the Red Hawks. The 6-foot-6 Rashid finished with a game-high 24 points, 15 of those points coming in the first half when Trunley was held to two points. CWRU lead at halftime, 38-33. “I got some good matchups and used my frame to dominate inside,” Rashid said. Cashing in 11 of 18 field goals overall, Rashid also demonstrated increased confidence in his outside shot by nailing two 3-pointers. “I had a very productive offseason working on my total game,” Rashid said. “Coach McGuinness has put a lot of confidence in me to take outside shots.” Trunley came into the game off a career-best 45-point outburst in the win over SUNY Brockport. The 6-3 New Jersey native was much better in the second half, scoring 21 points as the Spartans held off repeated charges by the Red Hawks. “We can count on those two guys,” McGuinness said of Rashid and Trunley. “They are really good players who’ve been through a lot and bring it every night.” CWRU also got solid efforts from graduate forward Andy Bartha (Benedictine) with 17 points and graduate guard Wade Jackson with 10 points. Senior forward Dominic Elliott paced a balanced attack for LaRoche with 15 points.