PITTSBURGH, Pa. (Feb. 21) – The Saint Vincent men's basketball team battled in a Presidents' Athletic Conference road matchup Saturday afternoon but ultimately fell to Chatham University 83-74.
With the result, the Bearcats' record moved to 16-9 overall and 11-5 in PAC play, while the Cougars improved to 17-7 overall and 12-4 in league action.
Saint Vincent kept the game close through the first half, trailing just 37-36 at the break thanks to a strong effort from its leading scorers. The Bearcats shot 51.9 percent from the field in the first half (14-of-27) and knocked down 87.5 percent at the foul line (7-of-8) to stay within striking distance of Chatham's balanced attack.
Junior
Jaden Gales led the Bearcats with a game-high 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting, including a late timeout sequence where his scoring kept SVC within range, and he also added seven rebounds in 27 minutes of action.
Behind him,
Jevontae Jones added 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting with six rebounds, while
Jaden Payne scored 10.
SVC found production from multiple spots on the floor, as
Maxwell Gordon scored 13 points and paced the Bearcats offensively with five made field goals on eight attempts.
Mike Iuzzolino chipped in five points and
Terek Crosby added two points off the bench as Saint Vincent worked to counter Chatham's balanced scoring.
After halftime, Chatham began to pull ahead in the second stanza behind efficient shooting and timely offense. The Cougars finished with 55.6 percent shooting (25-of-45) overall and 50.0 percent from three (7-of-14), sparking a decisive stretch in the paint and from beyond the arc that ultimately gave them separation down the stretch.
Chatham was led by Diaun Pinkett's 26 points, shot 8-of-14 from the field, and dominated the foul line with 10-of-14 free throws. Lovenson Xavier scored 22 and controlled the paint with eight rebounds, and Jake TenBerge contributed 11 as part of a well-rounded attack that helped lift the Cougars past Saint Vincent.
Saint Vincent fought back repeatedly — trimming a double-digit deficit and even tying the game late — but key Cougar buckets in the final minutes and timely Chatham free throws allowed the home team to hold on for the PAC victory. The Bearcats finished shooting 45.2 percent from the field (28-of-62) and 70.0 percent at the line (14-of-20), but were just 4-of-21 from three-point range (19.0%) in the loss.
With the loss, Saint Vincent will be the number four seed in the south division.
The Bearcats will take on the top seeded Westminster Titans in the north division on the road on Tuesday, February 24. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. in New Wilmington on Tuesday night.
