Dec. 3, 2011

Box Score

BOSTON, Mass. - Emmanuel College led end to end in an 88-79 men's basketball win over Johnson & Wales University on Saturday afternoon in the Jean Yawkey Center. The conference match-up was the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) opener for both teams. The Saints, who had been on a three-game slide coming into the weekend, picked up the much-needed win and improved to 2-3 on the season and 1-0 GNAC play. The loss dropped the Wildcats to 1-5 overall and 0-1 in the league.

The Wildcats were playing without leading scorer Lamonte Thomas (Providence, R.I.), who was averaging a nation-leading 37.3 points per game. Emmanuel played tough pressure defense and held the Wildcats scoreless for the opening seven minutes of action, as the Saints took a 9-0 lead on a dunk by Isaiah Duke (Albany, N.Y.) JWU struggled with Emmanuel's full-court zone press in the early going, turning the ball over six times in the first six minutes. JWU quickly came back, going on an 8-2 run and trailed 11-8 at the ten-minute mark.

Three consecutive buckets by Xavier Everson (Rochester, N.Y.), including a deep three-ball and a fast-break dunk, put the hosts up 18-8, as the Saints went on a 7-0 run spanning the next two minutes. A runner in the lane by Everson made it 22-17, Saints, at the five-minute mark in the first half.

A fast-break layup by JWU senior guard Mike Harris (Providence, R.I.) made it a five-point game at 26-21 with three minutes to go in the half. Emmanuel junior Michael Mailhot (Norwich, Conn.) buried a three from the top of the key and Everson knocked another one down in the key to give the Saints their largest lead of the half and a double-figure edge at the break, 35-23.

Everson's 15 points on 7-11 shooting led the way for the Saints. Sophomore forward Theo Robinson (Springfield, Mass.) added 8 first-half points for Emmanuel. Harris led the Wildcats with 6 points on 3-4 shooting at the break.

Harris and Matt Williams (Mt. Kisco, N.Y.) kept the Wildcats in it, combining for 9 points in the opening five minutes of second half action, as Emmanuel led 48-36. A hoop in the paint by Robinson put EC up 61-44 with ten minutes left to play. A layup on the break by Mailhot made it a 20 point game, as the Saints led 72-52 with six and a half left.

JWU then turned up the heat in the final five minutes, going on a 20-8 run, and cut the deficit to single digits, trailing 80-72 with 1:18 on the clock. And an-one by Curtis Lucas (Providence, R.I.) made it a seven point game at 82-75. Lucas then stole the ball in the backcourt and was fouled, draining both free throws, as the Wildcats trailed by just five (82-77) with one minute to go.

Sophomore guard Brandon Jones (Windsor, Conn.) made key free throws down the stretch and the Saints held on for the 88-79 win.

Everson netted 20 points in 17 minutes, while grabbing 8 boards, to lead Emmanuel. Duke recorded a double-double of 13 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Robinson notched his career-high of 18 points on 8 for 11 shooting, while also hauling in 6 rebounds.

Williams led JWU with 28 points. Lucas hit for 15 points and was perfect from the line (11-11). Harris chipped in with 12 points on 6 for 8 shooting for the Wildcats.

The Wildcats committed 32 fouls in the contest and sent the Saints to the line 46 times. Emmanuel out-rebounded JWU, 46-28.

The Saints will return to action on Tuesday night, when they travel to Amherst College for a non-conference men's and women's basketball double-header. The Emmanuel men tip off at 7:30 PM.