MEN’S BASKETBALL DROPS GNAC FINALE TO JWU, 75-69

THE BASICS 

Score:     Emmanuel College, 71; Johnson & Wales University, 75
Records: Emmanuel College Saints (17-7, 8-3 GNAC)
               Johnson & Wales University Wildcats (13-12, 8-3 GNAC)
Location: Boston, Mass. – Andy Yosinoff Court
Date: Saturday, February 16, 2019

THE LEAD:  The Johnson & Wales University men's basketball team gutted out a key Great Northeast Athletic Conference road victory over host Emmanuel College, 75-71, Saturday afternoon on the Andy Yosinoff Court.

HOW IT HAPPENED  

• The Wildcats opened the game with a 5-0 flurry before sophomore Marcus Fox (Danbury, Conn.) got the Saints on the board to make it 5-2 early on.
• JWU senior Randall Ferdinand (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) buried a baseline three to bump the Wildcats lead to 10-2 with 16:04 to play, forcing the Saints to spend a timeout.
• Junior Emmett Riddick (Middletown, Conn.) netted a triple and fast break bucket to pull the Saints to within three at 26-23 with under eight to play in the half.
• A Jack Moulder (Newtown, Conn.) three pulled the hosts to within one at 32-31 but JWU senior Matt Madoian (North Kingstown, R.I.) answered on the next possession with a three of his own to put the score at 35-31. JWU maintained the four point lead heading into the break ahead 38-34.
• Ferdinand led all scorers at the break with 12 points going 5-for-7 from the floor including 2-for-2 from downtown.
• JWU came out of halftime with another 5-0 spurt to extend its lead to 43-34 and took their first double-digit advantage of the stanza following a three by Donovian Maxfield (York, Pa.) to bump the margin to 54-43 with 12:59 left on the clock.
• Back-to-back hoops by senior Joe Tamburro (South Windsor, Conn.) and sophomore Marcus Fox (Danbury, Conn.) pulled the Saints to within single digits at 65-57 with less than five to play in regulation.
• Riddick made it 67-60 with a pair of free throws at the 3:24 marker but Maxfield drained a deep three on the next offensive series to give the Wildcats a 10-point lead at 70-60 with 3:08 to play.
• Fox scored the next four points of the game for EC to make it a two-possession game at 70-64 before a defensive spot and JWU foul sent Tamburro to the stripe for two double-bonus attempts. The senior connected on one of two to pull Emmanuel to within five, 70-65.
• Madoian beat the shot clock on the ensuing possession to increase the JWU lead to 72-65 but Tamburro got them back with two more from the stripe to keep it closer at 72-67 with 44 seconds left to play.
• JWU junior Brian Gary-Hogan (Staten Island, N.Y.) sealed the game down the stretch at the line for the Wildcats as Johnson & Wales held on for the 75-71 road win.

OF NOTE

• Prior to the start of the contest, the Emmanuel College Athletic Department honored Tamburro and fellow seniors Isaiah Ruffen (Haverhill, Mass.) and Ira Lough (Smithfield, R.I.) in a "Senior Day" ceremony.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

• Four JWU starters finished in double-figures led by 19 from Hogan-Gary followed by 18 from Randall. Madoian and Donovian each contributed 12 in the win. Hogan-Gary also notched 12 rebounds for the double-double.
• Tamburro matched Hogan-Gary's 19 to share the game-high scoring honors while Riddick added 17.
• Fox finished with a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds.

UP NEXT

• The Saints earn the No. 4 seed in next week's GNAC tournament and will play host to No. 5 Colby-Sawyer College on Tuesday, February 19 at 7:30 PM.
• JWU clinches the No. 3 seed and will play host to No. 6 Saint Joseph's College (ME) in Providence on Tuesday.