GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — KC Chandler poured in a team-high 19 points off the bench, including 14 in the second half, as Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College men's basketball held off a late rally from the University of St. Francis (Ill.) for a 73-68 victory Saturday at the Aquinas Drury Inn Classic.
The Pomeroys improved to 2-1 on the season behind a balanced offensive effort that saw four players reach double figures. Chandler connected on 6 of 9 attempts from the field, including 3 of 4 from beyond the arc, while adding three rebounds and a steal in just 21 minutes.
Amadou Ceesay added 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting and grabbed four rebounds, while
Zayvion Baker and
Ben Chestnut contributed 12 points apiece. Baker also dished out three assists and recorded two steals, while Chestnut scored all 12 of his points in the second half.
EJ Reese finished with seven points, a team-high six rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots.
SMWC faced an early challenge as St. Francis used a pair of 3-pointers from Nick Niego to build a 9-5 advantage with 14:50 remaining in the opening half. Baker helped spark the Pomeroys' response, scoring on consecutive possessions to even the contest at 9 before
Mike Elliott converted a transition layup to put SMWC ahead 11-9.
The teams continued to trade momentum before Ceesay took control late in the half. The Pomeroys regained the lead on a pair of Ceesay free throws with 4:39 remaining, and he followed with a jumper to extend the advantage. Chandler then buried a 3-pointer to push the margin to six, and
Jasmin Suvalija added a three-point play before Ceesay capped the half with another layup and free throw.
SMWC carried a 26-16 advantage into the locker room after limiting St. Francis to just 4-of-25 shooting (16.0%) in the opening 20 minutes.
Chestnut provided an immediate offensive spark following the break, scoring eight of the Pomeroys' first 10 points of the second half. His jumper with 15:07 remaining pushed the SMWC advantage to 34-22.
The Pomeroys continued to attack inside, with Elliott scoring five consecutive points during a stretch that extended the lead to 43-29. St. Francis responded with a push of its own, trimming the deficit to five before Chandler took over offensively.
Chandler scored 11 points during a decisive stretch midway through the second half, connecting on two 3-pointers, converting a three-point play and adding a layup. His third 3-pointer of the contest with 5:40 remaining gave SMWC its largest lead of the afternoon at 62-47.
The Fighting Saints refused to go away, using a 13-2 run to pull within 64-60 with 2:19 remaining. After a Reese free throw stopped the run, Chestnut delivered a critical dunk with 1:26 to play, extending the advantage to seven.
St. Francis made one final push in the closing seconds, cutting the deficit to 71-68 on a Bryce Tillery 3-pointer with 12 seconds remaining. Baker answered by calmly knocking down a pair of free throws with eight seconds left to seal the five-point victory.
Elliott provided valuable production off the bench, finishing with seven points on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting performance while collecting four rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot. The Pomeroys' reserves combined for 36 points, accounting for nearly half of the team's offensive output.
SMWC shot 45.3% (24 of 53) from the field and held St. Francis to 34.5% (19 of 55), including just 21.7% from 3-point range. The Pomeroys also controlled the interior, outscoring the Fighting Saints 36-20 in the paint and holding a 12-4 advantage in fast-break points.
Tillery paced St. Francis with 14 points, while Niego and Brady Cooper added 10 apiece.
Up Next
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (2-1) returns to action Tuesday, Nov. 3, when the Pomeroys travel to Lima, Ohio, to face the University of Northwestern Ohio. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
