ROCHESTER, N.Y. –
Isaiah Lewis and
Justin Vaughan combined for 28 of the team's 41 second half points to lead the Roberts Wesleyan men's basketball team to a seven point win over Nyack on Saturday afternoon, 79-72.
Vaughan finished with a game-high 20 points, 13 of which came in the second half. Lewis scored 18 total points including 15 in the second half alone. Together the two guards were 14-of-14 from the free throw line in the second half providing clutch free throws down the stretch for the Redhawks.
Despite a poor shooting day from three point range Roberts used the inside game to build a 13 point lead at the end of the first half. As a team the Redhawks were 13-of-30 (43.3%) from the field in the first half and just 3-of-13 (23.1%) from long range. Junior center
Jean Toussaint scored nine points in the first half and pulled down seven rebounds en route to his second double-double of the season. Toussaint finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
The Redhawks got out to a slow start in the second half allowing Nyack to go on a 10-0 run cutting the lead to just three points. It took just under five minutes for the Redhawks to score their first bucket of the second half when Vaughan hit a three pointer at the 15:09 mark.
The Warriors would tie the game at 44-44 with 11:27 remaining and then overtake the lead for the first time since the start of the game with 7:28 left, 52-51. Lewis answered with six straight points to help the Redhawks retake a 57-56 lead. Roberts would not give up the lead from there rolling to the 79-72 win.
Roberts crashed the glass hard against Nyack outrebounding the visitors 46-31 in the game including 18 offensive rebounds, leading to 18 second chance points.
The Redhawks continue to get quality play from the bench players as the reserves tallied 38 points in total.
This is the second time Roberts has defeated the Warriors this season. The Redhawks defeated Nyack in the first game of the season 67-60 in the opening matchup of the ECC-CACC Challenge hosted by Daemen.
Next up is an away contest against Mercyhurst University on Monday at 7 p.m. The Redhawks will look to continue the winning streak and go 7-0.
