Jan. 23, 2010

Box Score

Boston, Mass. - The Emmanuel Men's Basketball Team suffered a tough 64-61 setback to Johnson & Wales University in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action played in the Jean Yawkey Center on Saturday afternoon. A late second-half run lifted the visiting Wildcats over the Saints, who are currently on a four game slide. The loss dropped Emmanuel to 3-12 on the season and 2-6 in the league, while JWU improved to 6-9 overall and 3-5 in conference play.

The Saints struggled early against the JWU press. Three-straight Emmanuel turnovers resulted in fastbreak baskets for the Wildcats and JWU took a 15-4 lead after just five minutes played. Another Emmanuel turnover against the pressure led to an easy lay-up by Calvin Jones (Providence, R.I.), giving the Wildcats a 22-10 advantage and forcing an Emmanuel timeout with 10:38 remaining in the half.

Back-to-back jumpers from Xavier Everson (Rochester, N.Y.) cut Emmanuel's deficit to twelve points, 26-14, with just under nine minutes to go in the half. Johnson & Wales then went back up by as many as 16 points and held the double-digit lead for seven minutes. During the stretch, the Wildcats went 10 for 10 from the line.

Emmanuel began to chip away and a three-ball by Everson cut the lead to nine, 34-25, with 4:30 on the clock. Another trey by Andrew Heath (Stamford, Conn.) on the Saints' next possession cut the margin down to six points, 34-28, with 3:13 left on the clock.

With 7:31 left in the half, the Saints went on a 14-5 run. Emmanuel went into the locker room at halftime trailing by seven at 37-30. The Wildcats forced 15 Emmanuel turnovers in the opening period and scored 16 points off of the Saints' errors. Fourteen of JWU's first-half points were scored off of fast-break buckets.

Jones led JWU in the first half with 11 points on 4 for 5 shooting. Everson was the high man for Emmanuel with 11 points and 5 rebounds. Out of the break, the Wildcats pushed their lead back to ten points (44-34) on a trey by Lamonte Thomas (Providence, R.I.) with 16:17 to go. The three-ball was part of a 10-4 JWU run to start the half.

A three-pointer by freshman guard Armani Gill (Boston, Mass.) cut Emmanuel's deficit to 47-41 with 12:43 showing on the clock. One minute later, a lay-up by Isaiah Duke (Albany, N.Y.) made it 47-43, Wildcats. The JWU lead was cut to two (47-45) on a lay-up by 47-45 on a layup by Zach Luster (Provincetown, Mass.) and forced a JWU full timeout with 11:15 left in the game.

Emmanuel forged the first tie of the game at 47-all after a steal and hoop by Nate Jackson (Middleboro, Mass.) after a nice feed from Luster. The Saints then took their first lead of the game on a lay-up by Eric Spanbauer (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) to go up, 49-47. A jumper by Michael Mailhot (Norwich, Conn.) capped a 17-0 Emmanuel run and the Saints took a four-point lead at 51-47.

The Saints held on to a single-digit lead through the two-minute mark. A three by Thomas cut the JWU deficit to one point, 61-60, with 2:15 left. Consecutive fast-break lay-ups from Tavarius Roberson (Orlando, Fla.) and Kelley Davis (Haledon, N.J.) gave the visitors a three-point edge at 64-61. The Saints were unsuccessful on four shots and turned the ball over once in their final three possessions and JWU held on for the 64-61 win.

Thomas led all scorers with 25 points, including 9 scored from the free throw line. He also hauled in 6 boards and dished out 4 assists in the win. Jones chipped in with 15 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals for the victors. JWU was sent to the line 29 times in the contest and knocked down 20 freebies.

Gill led Emmanuel with a season high 15 points, including hitting 2 of 2 from long range. Everson scored 13 points and grabbed 8 rebounds, while Duke chipped in with 12 points. Andre Fuller (Troy, N.Y.) hauled in a game-high 9 rebounds in the effort.

The Saints out-rebounded the Wildcats, 44-34 and hit 4 of 5 from behind the arc. JWU's defense forced 23 Emmanuel turnovers and the Wildcats scored 23 points off the Emmanuel turnovers.

Emmanuel will return to action on Tuesday night. The Saints travel to Northfield, Vermont to take on the Cadets in a 7pm start.