Riddick's Offensive Surge Propels Saints Over Regis, 82-78

WESTON, Mass. – Senior guard Emmett Riddick (Middletown, Conn.) netted a season-high 28 points including the go-ahead bucket with nine seconds to play to lift the Emmanuel College men's basketball team past host Regis College, 82-78, to conclude the Catholic Colleges Classic Friday afternoon at Higgins Court.

Riddick led the scoring in the contest with 28 points and was followed by Regis's Devante Thompson's (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) career-high 24 points. Juvens Dalger (Oakland Park, Fla.), Cam Wilkins (Taunton, Mass.), and Marc Trinidad (Bronx, N.Y.) were also in double figures for the Pride with 17, 15, and 12 points respectively.

The Pride jumped out to an 6-2 lead after a dunk by Dalger gave Regis the first points of the contest. Wilkins drove to the basket 2:16 into the game and finished against contact to get to the line, hitting the free throw to complete the three-point play, putting the Pride ahead by seven.

Coming out of a timeout, Riddick scored four of the next six points for Emmanuel to knot the game at 11. With the Saints holding a 21-18 lead with 8:10 to go in the first half, Thompson drove to the basket to lay it in. After stopping Emmanuel on their next possession, Regis' Dimitri Rosa (Tiverton, R.I.) received a pass from Wilkins, and Rosa then hit a three-point jumper putting the Pride up by two.

In the final 7:33 of the first half the largest lead was a four-point advantage by Regis that they held twice. The Saints took a two-point lead with 1:00 remaining in the half and brought a 37-36 lead into the halftime break.

The Saints started the second half strong with four scores on their first six possessions of the half, including a pair of three-pointers from Riddick. The Saints pulled ahead by as many as 13 with 13:00 remaining, but the Pride were able to storm back and take the lead after a Rosa layup with 1:22 remaining.

After Emmanuel tied the game at 76-76, Riddick hit a jumper to put the Saints up by two.  Thompson then went down the floor making a layup to again tie the game with 33 seconds remaining.

After a Riddick layup gave the Saints an 80-78 edge with nine seconds on the clock, Regis pushed the ball up the court, but a steal by Gio Ciampa with four seconds to go sealed the game for Emmanuel.

EC junior forward Marcus Fox (Danbury, Conn.) was also key in the win, posting his second double-double in the Classic with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Junior Zachary Crisafulli also added nine points, five rebounds and a career-high seven assists for the Saints.

Emmanuel (10-2) will play Rivier on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 1 p.m. before facing Elms on Wednesday, Jan. 15. They will then begin their Great Northeast Athletic Conference slate against Lasell on Saturday, Jan. 18.

Regis (2-9) will play at Fitchburg State on Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 6 p.m. The Pride will then go to Providence to face Johnson & Wales in a GNAC tilt on Saturday, Jan. 11 before hosting Lasell in a non-conference contest on Higgins Court Wednesday, Jan. 15.

*Release courtesy of Regis College Athletic Communications