Men's Basketball Stays Hot, Downs WPI, 88-71
SPRINGFIELD, Mass., Feb. 15, 2005 – Springfield College junior guard
Derek Yvon (East Longmeadow, Mass.) scored 26 points as the Pride upended first-place WPI, 88-71, in a New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) men’s basketball game tonight in Blake Arena.
The Pride, which improved to 19-5 overall and 9-2 in the conference, won its sixth-straight contest and its ninth in 10 outings. SC shot 50.8 percent (33-65) from the field and outscored the Engineers 42-24 in the paint.
Yvon, who was 8-of-12 from the field and 9-of-9 from the free-throw line, moved into 12th place on SC’s all-time scoring list with 1,377 career points. Junior forward
Joel Aponte (Windsor, Conn.) registered 13 points and 10 rebounds, and senior guard
Jason O’Tash (Alfred, Maine) added 11 points. Sophomore point guard
Anthony Pizzo (Clifton Park, N.Y.) had nine assists, eight points and four steals.
WPI (20-3, 10-2 NEWMAC) was led by sophomore guard Ryan Cain, who matched Yvon’s 26 points. Cain also matched Yvon from the line, converting 9-of-9.
The Pride started fast, jumping out to a 14-2 lead just 5:12 into the game. Junior forward
Mike DeCesar (Acton, Mass.) scored seven of his nine points in that stretch. WPI responded by scoring 22 of the next 32 points, and tied the game at 24-24 on junior guard Ryan Flynn’s three-pointer with 6:45 left in the half. With the score tied 31-31 with 2:04 until intermission, SC closed out the first half with an 8-3 run to take a 39-34 lead into the locker room. Freshman guard
Jamal Gibbs (Norwalk, Conn.) drilled a key three-pointer in the run.
SC continued its strong play in the second half, opening with a 17-6 run to take a 56-40 lead at 15:09. O’Tash hit two three pointers in the run. WPI, which trailed by as many as 19 midway through the half, closed within 77-69 after Flynn’s lay-up with 4:24 to play. Yvon hit a three-pointer on the Pride’s next possession to key a decisive 9-0 run which gave SC an 86-69 lead with 2:20 to play.
Team Links
Head Coach Charlie Brock
Charlie Brock in 2012-13 will enter his 15th season as the head coach at Springfield College and his 33rd season as a head coach overall. Brock’s achievements as a coach are certainly impressive. He has taken three schools to the NCAA Division III Tournament and has an overall, 32-year record of 440-397.
Read more.
Contact Head Coach Charlie Brock
E-Mail | Phone: 413.748.3229
