No. 23 Men's Basketball Holds On To Defeat St. Anselm In Season Opener, 104-99
Box Score Box Score
ALBANY, N.Y. (Nov. 12, 2011) – The C.W. Post men's basketball team withstood a last-minute comeback attempt to earn a 104-99 victory in its season opener against Saint Anselm on Saturday afternoon at the Saint Rose Tip-Off Tournament.
The Pioneers, who had held a lead since the opening minutes of play, watched a ten-point advantage with just over two minutes remaining in the contest dwindle down to just a two-point lead (101-99) with 21 seconds left, as the Hawks went on a 13-1 lead starting at the 4:30 mark to close the gap. But
Vaughn Allen (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) hit one free throw, and
Vince Rosario (Newark, N.J.) came up with a big steal and after a St. A's foul, converted both of his free throws to put the game out of reach and seal the victory for the Pioneers.
The opening five minutes of play were a back and forth affair as each team hit several shots and with15:11 on the clock, the teams were tied at 13-13. But the Pioneers hit their stride and went on a 12-3 run that put them ahead 25-16 at just over the halfway mark in the first half. C.W. Post would push its lead to as many as 13 points, leading 41-28 with 4:45 to play in the first, and went into halftime with a 51-43 advantage.
The second half saw C.W. Post's lead hover around 12 much of the way, topping out at 16 as the Pioneers were up 89-73 with 7:37 left in the contest, but just four minutes later, the Pioneers went cold as the Hawks clawed back into the game, but behind Allen and Rosario's free throw shooting, the Pioneers held off the comeback.
Tobin Carberry (Hamden, Conn.) led five Pioneers who hit double digits with 22 points on 8-12 shooting, including 2-2 from three-point range and 4-5 from the line. Allen registered one of two double-doubles for the Pioneers with 13 rebounds and 21 points on a career-best 9-13 from the floor. Preseason All-American
Stefan Bonneau (Middletown, N.Y.) was predictably all over the stat sheet 20 points, six assists, five boards and a block, for good measure. Sophomore forward
Amir Tarif (New York, N.Y.) came off the bench to notch the other double-double, scoring 13 points on an efficient 6-8 from the floor, and grabbing 10 rebounds. Rosario chipped in with 10 points, while
Charles McCann (Springfield Gardens, N.Y.) added eight points but was a monster defensively with five blocks.
The Hawks also had five players score in double digits, led by 26 points from Roy Mabrey and 22 from Jack Keough. James Morse added 18 points, while Andre King scored 12 and Allen Harris chipped in with 11.
The Pioneers outshot St. Anselm 57.3% - 44.3%, and got the better of their opponents on the glass with a sizeable 54-34 edge. C.W. Post committed 16 turnovers to eight for the Hawks, but the Pioneers were much better in the paint (62-44) and the bench play was notable as well, with C.W. Post's bench outscoring St. A's by a 31-19 margin.
The Pioneers continue action in the Saint Rose Tip-Off tomorrow by taking on the hosts at 4 p.m.