The Springfield College men's basketball team held on for an 87-83 over Emmanuel in the the Emmanuel College Tip-Off Classic at Andy Yosinoff Court on Saturday evening.
The win lifts Springfield's record to 4-0, while the Saints slipped to 2-1 with their first setback of the season.
Jake Ross (Northampton, Mass.) netted over 30 points for the fourth-straight game to begin the season as he totaled 31 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists, and three blocks, while Heath Post (Cheshire, Conn.) delivered 14 points and 13 boards. Daryl Costa(Providence. R.I.) added nine points and four helpers for a Pride team that turned 15 offensive rebounds into 24 second-chance points. The Pride finished the game shooting 31-for-72 (43%), including 11-of-27 (41%) from beyond the arc.
Zachary Crisafulli paced Emmanuel with a team-high 23 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals, and Marcus Fox recorded a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Crisafulli scored the first twelve points for the Saints in the early minutes of the game, taking the lead against the Pride single handedly before Ross and Costa matched three-point shots to take a 19-14 lead seven minutes into the game. The Pride was able to extend the lead to 32-20 after a crafty finish in the paint by Trey Witter (Unionville, Conn.) at the 8:41 mark, but the Saints continued to push within range as Fox and Jack Moulder hit back to back shots behind the arc to pull within 32-28 However, Robert Baum (West Springfield, Mass.) and Ross answered with triples of their own to push the lead back to eight, only have the Saints put together an 11-4 burst in the 3:31 to make it a two-point game, 46-44, at the half.
EC took their first lead of the second half at 52-50 as Fox made a jump shot and Gio Ciampa followed with a trifecta to, but the Pride answered with eight-straight points, getting another three from Costa to regain a 58-52 lead. Springfield was able to extend the lead back to 72-62, with eight and a half minutes left in regulation following a three from Ross. Both teams battled through the next three minutes of play but the Saints closed the lead to single digits after a made three point jump shot by Emmett Riddick and a layup by Fox, 78-73. In the final two minutes of play, Fox backed down a Pride defender to connect on a layup but Ross ran the floor and matched with a shot behind the arc of his own to hold onto the five point lead. The Pride's defense stood tough in the final minutes and both Ross and Noah Cummings (Epsom, N.H.) converted from the free throw line en route to the victory.
Springfield will return to Blake Arena on Tuesday when it hosts Becker at 7:00 pm.