GREENVILLE, Pa. (Feb. 7) – The Saint Vincent men's basketball team used efficient shooting and balanced scoring to cruise to an 87-65 Presidents' Athletic Conference victory at Thiel College Saturday afternoon.
With the win, the Bearcats improve to 14-7 overall and 9-3 in PAC play, while Thiel falls to 6-14 overall and 3-9 in league action.
Saint Vincent took control early and never relinquished the lead, shooting 53.7 percent from the field (36-of-67) on the afternoon — including 36.4 percent from three (8-of-22) — while connecting on 58.3 percent of its free throws (7-of-12) to help sustain momentum on the road.
The Bearcats also outpaced Thiel in fast-break points (11) and points off turnovers (21) as balanced offense fueled the decisive road win.
Leading the Bearcats was
Jaden Gales, who poured in a game-high 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting and added seven rebounds.
Terek Crosby scored 11 points, knocking down tough shots while helping Saint Vincent maintain energy on both ends, and
Mike Iuzzolino and
Jevontae Jones each added 10 points, with Jones also handing out two assists.
Dev Ostrowski contributed seven points, while
Jaden Payne chipped in seven as part of a balanced scoring attack where multiple Bearcats made key contributions.
The Bearcats dominated in the first half, building a 44-34 lead by intermission, and carried that cushion through the second half with efficient ball movement and strong defensive pressure. Saint Vincent's depth was on display as the Bearcats scored 29 bench points and controlled the glass throughout the contest.
For Thiel, Das Sanders and Khamari Accursio-Harris each scored 12 points, and John DiCecco contributed 10, but the Tomcats struggled to keep pace against Saint Vincent's sustained offensive attack. Thiel shot 45.0 percent overall and 22.2 percent from three, but could not overcome the Bearcats' efficiency in key stretches.
Saint Vincent returns to action on Wednesday, February 11 with a home matchup against W&J. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in the Robert S. Carey Center on Wednesday night.
