BOSTON, Mass. - Emmanuel Head Coach Jamahl Jackson earned his 100th career win on Saturday afternoon, when he led the Saints Men's Basketball Team to a 64-48 win over cross-town rival Emerson College. The Great Northeast Athletic Conference contest was the second half of a GNAC double-header played in Emmanuel's Jean Yawkey Center. This was the third-straight GNAC win for the host Saints, who improved to 7-9 on the season and 6-3 in conference play. The loss dropped Emerson to 1-15 overall and 1-8 in the league.
The Saints opened up a 17-5 lead in the early going, when junior guard Michael Mailhot (Norwich, Conn.) dialed in from downtown on consecutive possessions. A conventional three-point play by senior forward Isaiah Duke (Albany, N.Y.) put the Saints up 20-5 with 11:36 remaining in the half.
Two three-balls from junior swingman Connor Morgan (Chepachet, R.I.) stretched the Saints' lead to 26-5 at the ten-minute mark. Emmanuel held on to its twenty-point lead and a pair of free throws from freshman guard Evan Woicik (Somers, Conn.) put Emmanuel up, 32-11 with 4:51 left in the half.
Another trifecta from Morgan extended the spread to twenty-six points at 39-13 with two minutes left. An Emmanuel field goal down the stretch gave the hosts a 41-14 lead heading into the locker room at halftime.
Emmanuel's defense held the Lions to just six first-half field goals, as Emerson shot 20.7% (6-29) from the floor in the first twenty minutes of play. The Saints out-rebounded the Lions, 26-13, in the opening frame. Emmanuel was paced by a balanced first-half offensive attack, with four different players netting multiple hoops, as the Saints shot 53.6% (15-28) from the field.
The Saints were led by 12 points from Morgan, who drained four from behind the arc in the first half. Duke added 9 points, while Mailhot and Theo Robinson (Springfield, Mass.) chipped in with 8 points for the Saints. Emerson's first-half high-scorer was freshman forward Patrick Lowndes (Granby, Conn.) with four points.
Out of the break, Emerson's senior guard Carlos Negrete (Mission Viejo, Calif.) hit a three-pointer from the top of the key to cut the Lions' deficit to 48-24. Scoreless play ensued over the following four minutes, before Lowndes scored a bucket in the paint and was fouled. Emerson senior Drew Venter (Boston, Mass.) laid one in on the break to set the score at 49-29 with 11 minutes to go. Venter then hit from downtown, capping a 20-9 Lions run and bringing Emerson back to within 16 points at 50-34 with 8:30 left to play.
Despite scrappy pressure defense by the Lions and late offensive effort from Venter and Bilali Kalilou-Mack (Windsor, Conn.), the Saints were able to hang on for the 64-48 win.
Emmanuel's balanced attack, featured a quartet of players scoring in double-figures, with Duke's 16 points leading the way. Robinson posted his 10th double-double of the season with 14 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Mailhot also hit for 14 points and Morgan finished with his 12 first-half points.
Venter paced the Lions with 13 points, including 11 in the second half, off of 6 for 7 shooting. Nick Welch chipped in with 5 points and grabbed a team-high 11 boards for Emerson.
With the win, Head Coach Jamahl Jackson joins a class of six other GNAC coaches to eclipse at least 100 career wins. Among the conference win leaders are Paul Booth (Norwich), Dave Morrissette (Rivier), Jamie Benton (Johnson & Wales), Rob Sanicola (Saint Joseph's), Rico Cabral (Mount Ida) and Jim O'Brien (Emerson).
Emmanuel will return to GNAC action on Tuesday, January 24th, when the Saints travel to Mount Ida College for a 6:00 PM tip with the Mustangs. Emerson will host Norwich University on Tuesday night in a 7:00 PM start.