LATE RUN NOT ENOUGH AS EMMANUEL FALLS TO JWU, 70-67

BOSTON, Mass. – Emmanuel College suffered a narrow 70-67 loss to Johnson & Wales University in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Men's Basketball action played in the Jean Yawkey Center on Saturday afternoon.  With the score knotted at 61 and 49 seconds left, Dan Barbour (Bridgeport, Conn.) drilled a three-pointer that would give the Wildcats the lead for good.  With the win, JWU improves to .500 at 4-4 on the season and remains unbeaten in GNAC play at 3-0.  Emmanuel falls to 1-5 overall and 1-1 in the league.

Emmanuel senior Michael Connor Morgan (Chepachet, R.I.) broke an early 7-7 tie with a deep three-pointer, giving the Saints a 10-7 lead with just four minutes played in the game.  However, Johnson & Wales responded with an 8-0 run over the next two minutes, capped with a jumper by Quarry Greenway (Westchester, N.Y.), to take a 15-10 advantage.

The Saints struggled in their offensive sets in the opening period, as the Wildcats turned up the intensity in their full court pressure.  After Morgan's trey at 16:45, Emmanuel was held to just one field goal over a five-minute span.  The Wildcats continued to capitalize on the Saints' scoring drought, as they built their lead to double-figures on a jumper from long-range by rookie guard Tom Garrick (Providence, R.I.), setting the score at 24-14 with 11:11 to go in the half.

JWU would go up by as many as 15 points late in the half, when Esaie Touze (Providence, R.I.) scored in the paint, giving the Wildcats a 33-16 lead at 6:07. Morgan, along with senior guard Michael Mailhot (Norwich, Conn.) began to heat up for Emmanuel and the Saints went on a 16-4 run to close out the half and cut their deficit to 37-32, heading into the locker rooms at halftime.

In what appeared to be a critical moment, Garrick, the Wildcats' leading scorer, picked up his fourth foul on Emmanuel's first possession of the second half and was forced to take a seat.  He would return to the court with twelve and a half minutes to play, but the Saints had already brought the contest to within a point.  Mailhot found junior forward Theo Robinson (Springfield, Mass.) down low for two and Emmanuel trailed 45-44 with 11:19 left on the clock.

The Wildcats then built their lead back up to six with a three-ball from the top of the key by Dylan Barbosa (Rehoboth, Mass.) and JWU led 50-44 with at the ten-minute mark.  The Saints kept it close down the stretch, never allowing the visitors more than a seven-point spread.

With Emmanuel in a full-court zone press out of a late timeout, Xavier Everson (Rochester, N.Y.) picked up a steal in the backcourt and threw down a dunk to make it a 59-57 game with 2:30 to play.

Everson, who had been quiet for the first half, then exploded to the hoop with a runner that knotted the game at 61-all with 1:03 on the clock.  On JWU's ensuing possession, a wide open Barbour buried his long-range dagger from the right wing and the Wildcats went back up by three.

Greenway was fouled for JWU and made one of two free throws to give the visitors a 65-61 edge with half a minute left.  Everson then drove the length of the court and converted an old-fashioned three-point play to make it a one-point game again at 65-64, JWU.

After a full time out by the Saints, Barbour was fouled in the backcourt and drained both free throws to extend the JWU lead to 67-64 with 16.1 seconds remaining.  With a chance to tie, Emmanuel was not able to get a shot off on their next possession and turned the ball over to the Wildcats.  Garrick was sent to the line and sank both freebies for the Cats (69-64).  Everson then stuck a deep three for the Saints with just one tick on the clock (69-67), but it was too little too late for the Saints.  Greenway went back to the stripe and hit the front end of his one and one and JWU came away with the 70-67 win.

Both teams had a balanced scoring attack with four players in double figures on each side.  Greenway led the way for JWU with a double-double effort of 19 points and 10 boards.  Barbour and Touze each hit for 15, while Garrick chipped in the 10 in the win.

Everson, who lit up for 13 points in the final three minutes, was the high man for the Saints with 17 points and 7 rebounds.  Mailhot finished with 16 points and 4 assists.  Robinson and Morgan netted 14 points apiece in the effort.

The Saints were perfect from the stripe, connecting on 12 of 12 tries. Both teams checked in with 12 fastbreak points and 19 points off turnovers.  The Saints were out-rebounded, 38-32.

Emmanuel will play again this Tuesday night, when they travel to Beverly, Mass. for a non-conference double-header with the Gulls of Endicott College.  The men's game will tip-off at 7:30 PM.  Johnson & Wales hosts UMass Dartmouth on Tuesday night at 7:00 PM.