WESTON, Mass. – The Elms College men's basketball team outlasted host Regis College, 93-90, in overtime, during a New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) tilt at Higgins Court Saturday afternoon. With the win, the Blazers move to 12-10, and 10-3 in the NECC, while Regis drops at 6-8 in the league and 9-14 overall.
Elms opened the game strong as a three-pointer from sophomore Chris Ceus (Santaluces, Fla.) handed the Blazers a 7-2 lead with 17:16 on the clock. The Pride used a 6-0 run to take their first lead of the contest, 8-7, at the 13:38 mark. Elms senior Jerry Buchanon (Windsor, Conn.) netted six straight points in just over a minute to regain a 13-8 lead, and the Blazers pushed the advantage to 19-15 behind three consecutive buckets from junior Symon Smith (Oklahoma City, Okla.) with 9:41 left in the period. Back-to-back three-pointers from Buchanon and junior Trifon Bish (St. Catherine, Jamaica) built a 28-21 advantage for Elms. The Pride whittled the lead down to four points, 31-27, but the Blazers responded with a 6-1 run to take a 37-28 lead. Regis closed the half on a hot streak, outscoring the Blazers 13-5 over the final four minutes of the half to make it a 42-41 game heading into the intermission.
Regis freshman Ademola Afonja (Staten Island, N.Y.) knocked down a pair of baskets to hand the Pride a 45-44 lead with 17:44 to play. The Blazers regained control with a 6-0 run, behind four points from Buchanon, but the Pride answered with a 7-0 run to take back a 52-50 advantage with 12:49 on the clock. Six straight points from Afonja padded the Regis lead, followed by five points from senior Hector Heredia (Lawrence, Mass.) to push the Pride lead to 65-60. With 6:22 on the clock, Elms sophomore Andre Wright (Danbury, Conn.) jarred a three-pointer a pull the Blazers even at 65-65. Afonja delivered a put-back dunk at the 5:27 mark to give Regis a 69-66 lead, but Buchanon connected on a pair of jumpers to knot things at 70-70. The Blazers paced the Pride on layups from Buchanon and Smith, but a trey from senior Jordan Monts (Springfield, Mass.) regained a 75-74 lead for Regis with 1:26 remaining. Buchanon drew a foul on a three-point attempt and made all three free throws to put Elms ahead 77-75, but Regis junior Sam Jean-Gilles (Melrose, Mass.) buried a three-pointer at the other end to hand the Pride a 78-77 lead. With 18 seconds left, Smith drew a foul in the paint, and made one of two free throws to send the game to overtime tied at 78-78.
Regis built an 82-78 lead on opening buckets from freshman Isaiah Wilson (Cambria Heights, N.Y.) and Afonja. The Blazers chipped the lead to 84-83 with a 6-1 run over the next two minutes. Monts converted a layup to put the Pride ahead 86-83, but Buchanon answered with a three-pointer to tie the score at 86-86. Following a Regis turnover, Buchanon knocked down a fall-away jumper in the paint to give Elms an 88-86 lead until senior Jeff Tagger Jr. (Brockton, Mass.) converted a three-pointer from the wing to give the Pride an 89-88 lead. On the Blazers possession, Buchanon drove the lane and slipped a pass to Bish in the corner for a deep three-pointer to put Elms on top 91-89 with 19 seconds to play. Heredia drew a foul in the paint and went to the foul line, where he missed his first free throw and made the second to make it a 91-90 game. Buchanon sealed the win with a pair of free throws in the final seconds to send Elms to the 93-90 win.
Buchanon set a new Elms College single game scoring record with a career-high 43 points, shooting 14-of-24 from the field, and matched a program-high going 13-of-13 from the foul line. Buchanon added five rebounds, five steals and two assists. Smith logged a career-high 23 points with six rebounds, a game-high four assists and three steals. Sophomore Devonte Marshall (Springfield, Mass.) added six points and six rebounds in the win.
Regis had five scorers in double figures led by a team-high 18 points and a game-high eight rebounds from Afonja. Monts had 14 points, five rebounds and three assists, and Gilles tallied 12 points and six rebounds. Heredia and sophomore Jawuan Lewis (Jacksonville, Fla.) chipped in 11 points apiece, while Wilson dished out a game-high four assists with eight points and five rebounds.
The Pride outrebounded the Blazers, 50-28, during the contest. Elms connected on 53.1% (34-of-64) from the field, including 34.8% (8-of-23) from three-point range, and 70.8% (17-of-24) from the free throw line. Regis shot 45.8% (33-of-72) from the floor, 58.3% (7-of-12) from three-point range, and 68% (17-of-25) from the foul stripe.
The Blazers will look to remain in the win column as they host Newbury in a NECC contest at Picknelly Arena Tuesday night at 8:00 p.m. The Pride travel to Lesley University for NECC action Tuesday at 8:00 p.m.
Release Courtesy of Elms College Sports Information