Box Score Justin Berardino returned to the Colorado College lineup after a 10-game absence and his presence was exactly what the Tigers needed to snap a three-game slide.

Berardino scored 14 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out three assists to lead CC to a 90-65 victory over Austin College on Friday night at Reid Arena. 

When the junior guard came off the floor with 3:05 remaining and Colorado College leading 81-57, he was greeted with a smile and simple message.

"Welcome back," head coach Andy Partee said.

Senior forward Chris Lesnansky finished with 12 points, five steals and four rebounds.

Junior guard Luke Winfield scored 11 points, while senior guard Ryan Kell added 10 more for CC, which improved to 7-8 overall and 2-3 in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.

It didn't take long for Berardino to make an impact. He scored seven points during the first seven minutes to help the Tigers race to an early 21-6 lead.

"We need our upperclassmen to lead, and Justin provides the leadership we've been missing," Partee said. "He's become our glue since Ryan Milne's graduation." 

Winfield made three of four shots from behind the arc during the first half as Colorado College extended its advantage to 44-26 after 20 minutes.

The Roos made a determined comeback early in the second half, scoring eight straight points to cut their deficit to 49-37 on a dunk by sophomore forward Alan Sullivan with 15:40 to play.

Sophomore guard Jeremy Swisher led Austin with 10 points and five rebounds.

Sophomore forward Austin Freet added eight points, three rebounds and three blocked shots for the Roos, who dropped to 7-7 overall and 3-1 in conference play.

The Tigers play host to the University of Dallas on Sunday at 2 p.m.