Men’s Hoops Extend Streak to Four in OT Thriller, 97-96

The Emmanuel College Men’s Basketball team won an overtime thriller against Colleges of the Fenway rival Wentworth Institute of Technology Sunday evening, 97-96, as four of the five starters for EC scored double-digit figures in a complete team victory.

Men’s Hoops Extend Streak to Four in OT Thriller, 97-96
Video Box Score

Team Stats

December 1, 2019

THE BASICS 

Score: Wentworth Institute of Technology, 96; Emmanuel College, 97

Records: Wentworth Institute of Technology Leopards (6-2); Emmanuel College Saints (6-1)

Location: Boston, Mass. – Andy Yosinoff Court

Date: Sunday, December 1, 2019

THE LEAD: The Emmanuel College Men's Basketball team won an overtime thriller against Colleges of the Fenway rival Wentworth Institute of Technology Sunday evening, 97-96, as four of the five starters for EC scored double-digit figures in a complete team victory.

HOW IT HAPPENED 

  • EC ran out to a quick eight point lead over the Leopards after Gio Ciampa (Tewksbury, Mass.) drilled a shot from behind the arc and was fouled, completing the four point play, 12-4. The Saints were able to extend the lead out to 14 points through the next seven minutes of play with continued hot shooting by Dan Flaherty (Warwick, R.I.), Blake Hardy (Waterbury, Conn.) and Jack Moulder (Newtown, Conn.), but WIT closed to game to 8 with ten minutes left in the half on made jump shots by Mayo Aina (Providence, R.I.) and Kevin Fernandez (Lawrence, Mass.), 27-19.
  • Conor Rubenskas (Bridgewater, Mass.) and Stephen Azums (Hyde Park, Mass.) connected back-to-back buckets, 29-25, with seven remaining in the half, but as the half pushed forward the Saints' Moulder and Emmett Riddick (Middletown, Conn.) connected on three point field goals and then had help off the bench by Devin Pulsifer (Winthrop, Mass.) who did the same to go into break ahead, 38-44.
  • The Saints were able to retain a healthy lead through the beginning of the second with marksmanship from Moulder and Ciampa, but WIT continued to battle led by a completed and-one by Noah Bice (Woodacre, Calif.) and drives by Fernandez to close the lead to four halfway through the second, 57-53.
  • After an EC timeout, Riddick and Moulder scored seven unanswered points, 66-53, but Azums and Trey Carrier (Wilton, N.H.) came alive to drive the game into overtime, combining for 18 points in the last five and half minutes of play, 84-84.
  • The Leopards controlled the first bucket of overtime off of another bucket by Azums, but EC's Zachary Crisafulli (Easthampton, Mass.) matched the shot quickly to tie the game again. The remaining four minutes of play including a flurry of free-throws by both squads to keep the game within three in either direction. Crisafulli put an exclamation mark on the evening with a jump shot with two seconds left on the clock to seal the victory, 97-96.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

  • Fernandez came off the bench for the Leopards to score a game-high 23 points, along with three assists and a steal. Teammates Carrier and Azums combined for 43 points and 15 rebounds to round out the attack of WIT.
  • Jack Moulder led the Saints with 18 points, six rebounds, an assist and a steal. The starting five of the Saints scored 66 of the 97 points with a great addition of 15 points off the bench by Hardy.

UP NEXT

  • WIT will be back on the road for a Commonwealth Coast Conference matchup against Nichols College on Wednesday, December 4th at 7:30PM.
  • Emmanuel will continue the non-conference spree with a road trip to Wheaton College on Tuesday, December 3rd at 7:00PM.