Jan. 10, 2009

Box Score

Providence, R.I. - The Emmanuel College Men's Basketball Team earned a 76-66 win over host Johnson & Wales University in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) contest at the Harborside Recreation Center on Saturday afternoon. This was the Saints' first conference win of the season, as they improved to 4-6 overall and 1-2 in GNAC play. With the loss, Johnson & Wales falls to 1-9 overall and 0-3 in the GNAC.

Senior guard Rob Williams-Hinton (Oak Park, Mich.) had a game-high 27 points and seven rebounds for Emmanuel, while senior forward Mack Spellman (Clinton, N.Y.) recorded a double-double with 16 points and 12 boards for the Saints.

Leading the way for Johnson & Wales was freshman Robert Williams (Danbury, Conn.) with 12 points and seven rebounds, while freshman Lamonte Thomas (Providence, R.I.) added 12 points, five rebounds and three assists in the setback for the Wildcats.

Emmanuel jumped out to an early 21-8 lead after a three-pointer by Williams-Hinton with 12:17 left in the first half. Johnson & Wales responded with an 8-2 run and cut the lead to 23-16 after a layup by James Folk with 8:31 on the clock. The visiting Saints led by as many as 18 points in the first half after a layup by Williams-Hinton made the score 37-19 with 5:09 remaining in the half. JWU chipped away at the lead, however and made the score 39-31, heading into the locker room at halftime.

Johnson & Wales continued to make a run in the early part of the first half and cut the lead to just three points (60-57) after a jumper by junior Darren Faust (Queens, N.Y.) with 8:13 left in the game. That would be as close as the Wildcats would get, as Emmanuel held on for the 76-66 victory.

Both teams will return to action on Tuesday, January 13th. The Wildcats will take on the Monks of Saint Joseph's College of Maine in a GNAC contest, starting at 7:00 p.m. Emmanuel will host Albertus Magnus College in a 7:30 p.m. tip.