Men’s Basketball Opens New Year With 54-49 Win vs. Dean

THE BASICS 

Score: 
Emmanuel 54 – Dean 49

Records: 
Emmanuel College Saints (8-4, 4-0 GNAC)
Dean College Bulldogs (8-4, 3-2 GNAC)

Location: Boston, Mass. – Jean Yawkey Center / Andy Yosinoff Court

Date: Thursday, January 5, 2023

THE LEAD – The Emmanuel Saints men's basketball program started 2023 on the right foot following Thursday night's 54-49 victory over the Dean Bulldogs in Great Northeast Athletic Conference play.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• A slow start for both teams through the opening 13:09 had the Saints and Bulldogs deadlocked at 12-12. Back-to-back threes by Saints senior Ricky Martin (Sicklerville, N.J.) and first-year Zaire Baines (Queens, N.Y.) was the start of a 12-0 run over the next 3:14 that put Emmanuel ahead 24-12.
• The Saints maintained their double-digit advantage through the rest of the first half, holding a 13-point lead at the break, 31-18, following three made free throws to end the first by Baines.
• Emmanuel led by as many as 15 in the second half, but the Bulldogs wouldn't stop applying pressure, cutting that Saints lead down to one possession with the help of a 24-10 surge that put Dean behind 46-45 with 4:47 remaining.
• The game stayed within one point entering the final two minutes until Baines made a critical three-point shot from the left wing with 1:57 remaining to give EC a 51-47 edge. Free throws down the stretch by the Saints helped hold off the Bulldogs, as EC claimed a 54-49 win to start 2023.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Saints junior Kendrick Jean-Francois (Lynn, Mass.) finished with 12 points and a career-high 15 rebounds over 33 minutes.
• Baines led the Saints with 13 points, shooting 7-of-8 from the foul line in the victory.
• Junior Ryan Grijalva (Stratham, N.H.) added 10 points and seven rebounds in 36 minutes.
• The victory for Tell White is his 23rd as head coach, moving him to third place in all-time wins by an Emmanuel men's basketball head coach.
• Bulldogs junior AJ Weston (Kansas City, Mo.) led all scorers with 20 points on 7-for-21 shooting from the field.
• Juniors Malik Spearman (St. Paul, Minn.) and Jayden Madise (Palmdale, Calif.) each scored eight points. Spearman led the game with 15 rebounds while Madise grabbed 10 boards in 30 minutes.

UP NEXT

• The Saints start a four-game road trip on Saturday, Jan. 7, heading to Norwich for a GNAC game set for 1:00 p.m.
• The Bulldogs also return on Saturday, traveling to Elms for a GNAC tip scheduled at 2:00 p.m.