Strong Offensive Output Helps Lead Men's Basketball Past St. Thomas Aquinas, 74-40
Box Score
BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Feb. 24, 2010) – Senior forward Nemanja Jokic (Somber, Serbia) scored a game-high 16 points as C.W. Post cruised to a 74-40 victory over St. Thomas Aquinas in East Coast Conference men's basketball action Wednesday evening at the Pratt Recreation Center.
The Pioneers have won five straight and improve to 21-5 overall and 17-3 in conference play. St. Thomas Aquinas falls to 6-20 overall and 5-15 in ECC action.
With a 29-22 lead to start the second half, the Pioneers quickly built some space for themselves, scoring 11 unanswered points and leading the Spartans, 40-22 with 15:20 still left to play.
The lead continued to grow as the Pioneers put the game out of reach for the Spartans, leading by as many as 37 points (72-35) with 1:51 left to play.
The first half was a barn burner for the large crowd in attendance as both teams battled it out to stay in front. In all, there were six lead changes and eight ties in the 20-minute half.
With 11:44 to play, senior guard
Chad Williams (Jamaica, N.Y.) poured in rainmaker from the left side that gave the Spartans a slim two-point lead (15-13). The Pioneers answered back when junior guard
Deshawn Gibbons (Roxbury, Mass.) scored on a short jumper that tied the game for the seventh time. Williams followed up with a layup underneath at 10:31 but not before Gibbons matched it with a layup at 10:31.
The Pioneers broke away briefly when junior guard
Gil Montalvo (Astoria, N.Y.) converted a pair of free throws at 10:08 to take a 19-17 lead. St. Thomas Aquinas cut the lead down with a made free throw from junior forward
Jamie Blanchard (Brooklyn, N.Y.) at 9:48 and regained the lead (20-19) with a layup from Blanchard at 6:58.
C.W. Post responded when Jokic stole the ball from freshman guard Justin Brown (Uniondale, N.Y.) and passed it to freshman guard
Jonathan Kohler (Bordentown, N.J.) for a quick layup, giving the Pioneers a lead they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game. The Pioneers cushioned their lead with an 8-1 run to close out the half.
C.W. Post completed the game shooting .569 (33 of 58) from field goal range and held a 37-21 advantage on the glass. St. Thomas Aquinas shot .349 (15 of 43) from the floor. The Pioneers were strong in the paint and outscored the Spartans, 50-12, underneath the basket.
Jokic also added six rebounds, six assists and two steals to his stat line by game's end. Kohler finished the game with 14 points while junior forward
Aaron Hall (Syracuse, N.Y.) added nine points and six baskets.
C.W. Post is back in action on Saturday, Feb. 27 when it tips off at Queens College at 7:30 p.m.