WESLEYAN DOWNS MEN’S BASKETBALL, 72-61

BOSTON, Mass. – A balanced offensive attack lifted the Wesleyan University men's basketball team to a 72-61 road victory over Emmanuel College on Thursday evening at the Jean Yawkey Center. The Cardinals improve to 2-1 on the year while the loss drops the Saints to 0-3.

Wesleyan opened the action with a 5-0 run capped by a layup from sophomore forward Rachid Epps (Harlem, N.Y.) before a fastbreak dunk by senior guard Brandon Jones (Windsor, Conn.) got EC on the board to make it 5-2 with 17:36 remaining.

The Saints didn't have any answers for the Cardinals transition game early on and a pull up three on the break by sophomore guard BJ Davis (Hamden. Conn.) pushed the visitor's lead to 16-8 with just over 13 minutes left in the stanza.

A three-ball from sophomore guard Brian Bartner (Florham Park, N.J.) increased the Wesleyan lead to its largest of the half, making it a 28-13 game with 9:05 remaining. Over the next six minutes of action, Emmanuel put together a 14-5 run fueled by six points from freshman swingman James Sullivan (Wethersfield, Conn.) to make it a five point game at 32-27 with 3:06 to play.

Wesleyan would hit a few free throws before the half's end to take a 36-28 lead into the break. EC junior forward Philkwan Tate (Bloomfield, Conn.) led all scorers with 11 points at the intermission.

Early in the second half, a Bartner trey from the right corner put the Cardinals lead back to double figures at 42-31 but two possessions later, EC senior guard Josh Welles (Philadelphia, Pa.) answered with his own three to make it 42-34 with 16:25 remaining.

Some sharp shooting from the outside extended the Wesleyan lead to 49-39 after freshman guard Davis Reid (Olathe, Kan.) drained a deep three with 13:35 to play. The chess match from beyond the arc would continue as a freshman guard Kyle Smith (Los Angeles, Calif.) registered another EC three to pull Emmanuel to within 51-44 with 11:15 on the clock.

EC feshman guard Julian Diggs (Upper Marlboro, Md.) made it a four point game with another Emmanuel trey to make it 51-47 with 9:00 left in the second half but a dunk from Wesleyan freshman forward PJ Reed (Fort Lee, N.J.) halted the Saints momentum on the ensuing possession.

Both squads hit a temporary dry spell from the field but the Cardinals continued to add to their lead from the stripe as freshman guard Harry Rafferty (Dubuque, Iowa) deposited a pair in the bonus situation to make it 57-48 with 6:27 remaining.

Reed pushed the Wesleyan lead back to double-figures with a layup to make it 59-48 and on the next possession Epps increased their lead to 61-48 with a put back bucket with just over 5 minutes left in regulation. Two more Rafferty free throws made it 63-48 to match the Cardinals largest lead of the night before a runner in the paint from Smith ended the run to make it 63-50 with 4:08 on the clock.

A layup by Jones with 2:10 to play cut the WU lead to 64-54 but it would be the closest the Saints would come as more solid shooting from the charity stripe propelled the Cardinals to the 72-61 victory.

Epps led the way for Wesleyan with a double-double of 14 points and 17 rebounds. Also in double figures was Rafferty with 14 points as well as Reed and Davis with 10 a piece.

Tate finished with a team-high 14 points and seven rebounds while Smith chipped in with 13 points. Welles was also in double-figures with 10 points for Emmanuel.

The Saints return to action on Saturday when they head to Springfield, Mass. to face Westfield State University at 3:00 PM.