SAINT MARY-OF-THE-WOODS, Ind. — Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College built an early lead and held strong down the stretch to earn a 73–65 River States Conference men's basketball win over Brescia (Ky.) on Thursday night inside the Jeanne Knoerle Sports and Recreation Center.
SMWC jumped out to a 41–26 halftime advantage behind efficient first-half shooting and control of the glass. The Pomeroys finished with a 48–33 rebounding edge and outscored Brescia 40–18 in points in the paint.
Ellis Todd led the Pomeroys with 17 points, adding six field goals and four free throws.
Taray Howell provided a strong spark off the bench with 15 points, while
Malachi Pearson chipped in 12 points and seven rebounds.
Mike Ajukwa added 11 points and six rebounds, and
DeYon Bell contributed eight boards and four steals to anchor the defensive effort.
SMWC shot 40.9 percent (27-of-66) from the field and went 15-of-20 from the free-throw line, while limiting Brescia to 39.7 percent shooting.
The Pomeroys also received key bench production, outscoring Brescia's reserves 26–39 in a balanced effort that included seven points from
Donavon Barnett and four apiece from
Thomas Girma and
Quamar Hobbs.
SMWC returns to action on the road at Rio Grande on Saturday, January 31, with tipoff set for 3 p.m. (ET).
