Solid Shooting Gives Devils a Win over Warriors

The University of the Sciences Men's Basketball Team shot over 55% from the field for the second time in three games, as they cruised to an 83-66 win over visiting Nyack College Saturday at the Bobby Morgan Arena in Philadelphia.

The Devils improve to 6-4 overall and 2-2 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference games.   Nyack falls to 2-10 overall and 0-4 in league play.   Sciences have now defeated the Warriors eight times in their last 12 meetings dating back to the 2003-04 season (their first as an active NCAA Division II member). 

As a team, the Devils made 32 of 58 shots for the game (55.2%), including a 56.7% (17-300 effort in the second half.  Sciences also shot over 55% (55.8) in their win over Holy Family last Tuesday.  This season, they are 4-0 in games when they shoot 50% or better from the field. 

Adewale Adefemi (Winslow township HS/Chesilhurst, N.J.) recorded his fifth double-double of the season with 21 points (8-17FG, 5-7 FT) and 11 rebounds (7 offensive).  With double-doubles in the last four games of the 09-10 season, Adefemi now has nine double-double efforts in Sciences' last 14 games and 25 total for his career.   

Tyrone Mann-Barnes (Collingswood HS/Woodlynne, N.J.) also recorded 21 points, equaling his career high with eight field goals (10 attempts, 80%) which included a 3-5 effort from three-point range.  William Kernan (The Lawrenceville School/Medford, N.J.) added 14 points (5-8 FG, 4-6 FT) and dished out a team high five assists.  Myer Messinger (Dallas Area HS/Trucksville, Pa.) also recorded a double-double with 12 points (6-9 FG) and 10 rebounds. Patrick Connaghan (Chestnut Hill Academy/Warrington, Pa.) dished out four assists. 

The Warriors had four players in double figures led by Louis Allen and David Cerant who had 15 points apiece.  Ryan Woodard added 13 points and Lafayette Curtis 10 points.  James Oyamo had eight rebounds to pace the Warriors.  Jimel Calliste led Nyack with four assists. 

Nyack scored the first two points of the game before the Devils followed with eight straight to take an early 8-2 lead.  The lead was 12-8 when the Devils took command with a 19-5 run to lead by 18, 31-13 with 4:43 left in the period.  Mann-Barnes started the run with two three-point field goals, later added a layup and ended the run with his third 'trey', accounting for 11 of Sciences' 19 points in the run.  Messinger had two baskets during the run and Adefemi and Henry Messinger (Dallas Area HS/Trucksville, Pa.) one apiece.  Nyack did cut the gap to 13 with a 10-5 run to close out the half as the Devils took a 36-23 lead into the locker room at the break. 

Carrying that momentum, the Warriors opened the second half with another 10-5 spurt to pull within eight, 41-33 at the 16:37 mark.  The Devils then ran off 12 straight points over the next three minutes, boosting their lead to 20, 53-33, making four of six shots from the field (both misses resulting second-chance layups by Myer Messinger and Adefemi). Adefemi had seven of the Devils 12 points during the run.  Nyack cut the lead to 16 twice only to have the Devils come up strong push it back to 20.  Sciences led 66-49 before boosting the lead to their biggest margin 24, with seven straight points, starting with a layup from Mann-Barnes.  Adefemi followed with a monster two-handed dunk and Kernan added a layup+one to make the score 73-49 with 5:33 left.  Nyack made a 10-2 run to cut the lead down to 16, 75-59 with 3:40 left but two free throws by Joe Keglovits (Nazareth Area HS/Nazareth, Pa.) put an end to the run. Alec McClure (Wissahickon HS/Blue Bell, Pa.) later made one of two free throws and added a three-pointer to boost the lead back to 20, 81-61.  Cerant scored Nyack's final five points, including a three-pointer with a second left to make the final score 83-66. 

The Devils 55.2% shooting effort was the third best by the team this season, topped only by their 55.8% effort at holy Family and a 56% mark at home against Kutztown last month.   Nyack shot 33.3% for the game (21-63).  Sciences did struggle again from the free throw line, making just 15 of 28 shots (53.6%) while the Warriors made 14 of 19 (73.7%).  The Devils held a 44-35 advantage on the glass and had a solid 17/15 assist turnover ratio. (Nyack's was 11/14). 

The men's basketball team returns to action on Tuesday, January 11, 2011 when they host Chestnut Hill College at the Bobby Morgan Arena.  Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m.