EMMANUEL FALLS TO JWU, DESPITE 27 POINTS FROM ROBINSON

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Johnson & Wales University Men's Basketball Team defeated Emmanuel College, 74-61 in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) contest at the Wildcat Center on Tuesday evening. With the win, Johnson & Wales improves to 8-7 on the season and 7-1 in league play, while Emmanuel falls to 3-11 for the year and 3-4 in the GNAC.

Johnson & Wales was led by junior Curtis Lucas (Providence, R.I) with 24 points, seven steals and five assists, while freshman Quarry Greenway (Westchester, N.Y.) notched a double-double with 17 points and 10 boards for the Wildcats. Junior Esaie Touze (Providence, R.I.) also tallied a double-double with 11 points and 12 boards in the victory.

Emmanuel was paced by junior forward Theo Robinson (Springfield, Mass.) who recorded a double-double, with a game-high 27 points and team-high 10 rebounds. Robinson knocked down 12 of his 16 attempts from the floor en route to his season-high 27 points. Senior Xavier Everson (Rochester, N.Y.) was also in double figures with 16 points and five boards in the loss for the Saints.

The two teams battled back and forth through a first half that saw two ties and four lead changes. Johnson & Wales largest lead of the half came when a pair of free throws by Greenway made the score 30-26 with just under a minute left on the clock. JWU took the 30-28 lead into the locker room at halftime, despite shooting just 30.3% (10-for-33) from the field.

The Wildcats built on their lead in the early stages of the second half and took their first double-digit advantage in the contest on a three-pointer by Robinson with 13:27 remaining in regulation. JWU led by as many as 13 points several times down the stretch before cruising to the 74-61 victory.

The Wildcats will return to action on Saturday, January 19th when they host Suffolk for a Great Northeast Athletic Conference contest starting at 3:00 p.m. Suffolk will first have to contend with the Saints, as Emmanuel travels to take on the Rams in a cross-town rivalry on Thursday evening. Tip-off is slated for 8:00 PM.

- Release courtesy of Johnson & Wales Sports Information