 |  |
Devils Cruise to First Victory of the Season
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
| Millersville (2-3) | 25 | 46 | 71 |
| Univ. of the Sciences (0-2) | 37 | 50 | 87 |
| Philadelphia, Pa. (Morgan Arena) | |||
| Millersville | Univ. of the Sciences |
|---|---|
| Pts: GRANT, Larry - 19 | Pts: 2 Players (#20, #24 - 19) |
| Reb: OBADE, Elijah - 9 | Reb: Patrick Connaghan - 12 |
| Ast: GRANT, Larry - 6 | Ast: William Kernan - 7 |
| Team Statistics | Millersville | Univ. of the Sciences |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goal % | 43.9% (25-57 ) | 60.9% (28-46 ) |
| Rebounds | 26 | 36 |
| Assists | 15 | 18 |
| Turnovers | 15 | 11 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 14 | 13 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 10 | 8 |
| Bench Pts | 17 | 6 |
Strong shooting and solid defense propelled the University of the Sciences men's basketball team to their first win of the season an 87-71 win over Millersville University at the Bobby Morgan Arena in Philadelphia Wednesday evening.
The Devils are now 1-2 on the season. Millersville falls to 2-4.
All five starters reached double figures for the Devils who were led by Will Kernan (The Lawrenceville School/Medford, N.J.) and Tyrone Mann-Barnes (Collingswood HS/Woodlynne, N.J.) (19 points apiece). Patrick Connaghan (Chestnut Hill Academy/Warrington, Pa.) added 16 points while grabbing 12 rebounds and Henry Messinger and Myer Messinger (Dallas Area HS/Trucksville, Pa.) added 14 and 13 points respectively. Kernan led the Devils with seven assists.
Sciences jumped out to a 9-1 lead, making four of their first five shots and never looked back. After the Marauders pulled even at 14-14 the Devils went on a 20-6 tear to take a 14 point lead, 34-20, late in the period with Mann-Barnes's NBA length three-point bucket which banked in high off the glass with the shot clock expiring capping the rally at the 3:19 mark. The Marauders shaved two points off the lead before the half ended and the Devils went into the locker room up 37-25.
Mann-Barnes (19 points) opened the second half with another 3-ball and Myer Messinger added a layup to put the Devils up 42-25 early in the second half. Millersville cut the lead to 14 51-37 at the 12:41 mark before the Devils pulled away again and opened their biggest lead of the game with an 8-0 run, 59-37. A traditional three-point play by Connaghan at the 8:07 mark gave the Devils a 21-point advantage 64-43 before the Marauders launched a 13-3 uprising to cut the lead to 11 67-56. A three-point play from Henry Messinger boosted the lead back to 14 but an 8-4 mini-run brought Millersville within ten 74-64 with 2:37 left. It was then off to the foul line as the Devils shot 20 free throws over the final 2:32, making 13 to seal the win 87-71.
The Devils shot a blistering 60.9% (28-46) from the field, their best shooting effort ever as an active NCAA member (The school record is 69.5% (41-59) set back in 1991 vs. Gwynedd-Mercy). USciences took one less free throw than field goal attempts, shooting 26-45 from the charity stripe (57.8%). Millersville shot 43.9% (25-57) from the field and 68.4% (13-19) from the free throw line. The Devils also held a 36-26 advantage on the glass and posted a nifty 18/11 assist turnover ratio.
The men's basketball team is on the road for their next game, a non-conference regional clash at the University of Bridgeport on Saturday, December 3, 2011. Tip off is 2:00 p.m.
