WEST HARTFORD, Conn. --- (www.OLDWESTBURYPANTHERS.com) SUNY Old Westbury men's basketball were unable to recover from an early deficit en route to a non-conference loss to the University of Saint Joseph Bluejays (9-2) Sunday afternoon in the championship game of the USJ Holiday Tournament – Presented by Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast inside O'Connell Center in West Hartford, Connecticut. With the loss, Old Westbury moves to 4-6 to close out the 2019 calendar year.
Pierrce Perry averaged 9.5 points, 10.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in two games to be recognized as a member of the all-tournament team.
The game opened with four three-pointers coming at the hands of Panther guards Charles Wingate (19:34) and Justin Alleyne-Washington (17:36) and Bluejay guards Delshawn Jackson Jr. (19:06) and Ryan O'Neill (17:12) for a six-all game. Saint Joseph then scored eight-straight points to take the 14-6 lead with 14:44 remaining. Old Westbury responded by outscoring Saint Joseph 23-13 over the next 6:27 to regain the brief two-point lead, 29-27. Jalen Samuels sank a free-throw at 6:14 to help the Bluejays take a three-point lead before Alleyne-Washington connected from deep to knot the game at 32 with 5:51 left. From 5:08 to 42 seconds, Taelon Martin laid in two to ignite an 17-8 Saint Joseph run to build the nine-point cushion, 49-40, before Pedro Marquez's layup sent the 49-42 game into the break.
Saint Joseph grew its lead to 10 points after Jackson Jr.'s triple with 16:39 showing on the second-half clock. Jonathan Jamieson dropped in two as part of Old Westbury's five-unanswered points in the span of 23 seconds to trim the deficit to five, 58-53. Over the next 11 minutes, the Bluejays remained the aggressor and extended its lead to a game-high 15 points (89-74). The Panthers put together a much needed 9-1 spurt from 2:53 to 1:22 capped by Wingate's jumper to pull within seven points, 90-83, before Saint Joseph sank six-straight freebies to settle the 96-83 final.
Alleyne-Washington finished with 21 points (8-of-10 FT), four rebounds and two blocks to lead Old Westbury. Wingate followed with 20 points (8-of-13 FG, 4-of-5 3FG). Marquez chipped in 16 points (4-of-10 3FG) and six assists while Perry contributed 12 points (4-of-7 FT), 12 rebounds (game-high) and three blocks to post his third-career double-double. Jamieson added 11 points.
Delshawn Jackson Jr. led the way with a game-high 34 points (9-of-16 FG, 5-of-12 3FG, 11-of-11 FT) and five rebounds to lead the Bluejays to victory. Jordan Powell poured in 20 points (9-of-14 FG), pulled down nine rebounds and swatted away three shots. Jaecee Martin added 14 points and dished out a game-high nine assists.
In the end, Old Westbury shot 40.9 percent (27-of-66) from the field, 41.4 percent (12-of-29) from three-point range and 70.8percent (17-of-24) from the free-throw line. By comparison, Saint Joseph hit on 53.6 percent (30-of-56) from the floor, 41.2percent (7-of-17) from beyond the arc and 76.3 percent (29-of-38) from the charity stripe. Saint Joseph won the boards battle, 41-35, while scoring 12 second-chance points off 10 offensive rebounds. Saint Joseph outplayed Old Westbury in assists (18-16), steals (7-4), fastbreak points (8-2), bench points (14-3) and points in the paint (40-26) while scoring 17 points off 12 Panther miscues. Both teams were even in blocks at six apiece.
UP NEXT:
Old Westbury returns to the court in 2020 for a Skyline Conference road matchup on January 6 against the Sarah Lawrence College Gryphons (4-4, 0-0 Skyline) at 7 p.m. inside Campbell Sports Center in Bronxville, New York. The Panthers will enter January 6 game with a 9-0 record against Sarah Lawrence since the Gryphons joined the Skyline Conference in 2014-15.
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