LATROBE, Pa. (Nov. 15) – Sophomore Anthony Dillard posted a 20-point, 13-rebound double-double to lead four Saint Vincent scorers in double digits as the Bearcats picked up their first victory of the 2021-22 season, an 88-73 triumph over visiting Carlow in the Robert S. Carey Student Center.
 
The Bearcat offense shot a season-best 58 percent from the field, while the SVC defense totaled 14 steals and five blocked shots
 
In all, nine different players found the scoresheet for SVC (1-2), with Osyon Jones bucketing 17 points, Nelson Etuk 15 and Dominic Jennings 14. Arguel Drotleff grabbed 7 rebounds and Etuk 6, while Jennings swiped 4 steals and Jones and Adam Bosco each had 4 assists to share the team lead.
 
The Bearcats led from the start, opening up a quick 9-4 advantage on Jennings' three-pointer just under four minutes into play. The Celtics quickly cut the gap to one, but the Bearcats would then go on an 9-2 run to open up an 18-9 lead on a Diego Martinez with 13:26 remaining in the half.
 
The SVC lead would hover between 7 and 9 points over the next few minutes, before layups on back-to-back trips by Dillard ignited a 10-2 run, punctuated by a dunk by Jones off of a baseline drive that made the score 34-17 with 6:31 left in the opening frame. Saint Vincent's lead eventually swelled to 18 points, 41-23, on a Dillard layup with 3:34 left, before Carlow scored the final eight points of the half to cut the score to 43-31 at the intermission.
 
Over the first half, Saint Vincent shot a blistering 62 percent (19-for-30), while limiting the Celtics to a 35 percent mark (11-for-31).
 
Saint Vincent surged out of the intermission, outscoring the Celtics 8-2 over the first four minutes to regain an 18-point lead, 51-33, on an Etuk basket with just under 16 minutes to go. After the teams traded baskets over the next several minutes, SVC strung together a quick 11-4 run to open up its biggest lead of the night, 65-45, on a Jones layup with 8:14 left in regulation.
 
The momentum then swung the way of Carlow, which out-scored SVC 15-3 over the next three minutes to cut the deficit to single digits, 68-60, with 5:43 remaining.
 
Saint Vincent then regained control, with a pair of free throws from Jones followed by Jennings' third three-pointer of the night putting the hosts back up by 13, 75-62, with 5:09 to go. Ninety seconds later, a Drotleff trifecta pushed SVC's advantage to 15, 83-68, putting the game out of reach for the Celtics.
 
Carlow (1-5) was led on the scoresheet by Eric Truong, who came off the bench to score 18 points, while Nehemiah Brazil added 15 and Riley Comforti 10 points and a team-best 8 rebounds.
 
The Bearcats will now return to action on Friday, Nov. 19, when they travel to east-central Ohio for the two-day Al Van Wie Tournament, hosted by the College of Wooster. Saint Vincent opens the tournament against the host Fighting Scots on Friday at 8 p.m.