ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Senior Nicholas Johnson scored a career-high 25 points, punctuated by a slam dunk with 35 seconds remaining, as the Roberts Wesleyan University men's basketball team defeated College of Staten Island 87-81 in an East Coast Conference game on Saturday at the Voller Athletic Center.
Johnson, a 6-6 forward, scored 16 points in the first half to keep the Redhawks (7-10, 5-4 ECC) in the game. Roberts made only 9 of its 35 shots in the opening 20 minutes, but led 36-35 at the break as Johnson went 4-for-8 from the field, including 2-for-2 on three-pointers, and made 6 of 7 free throws.
"He really set the tone early and his teammates were able to find him and get him the ball," Roberts coach Mark Saladzius said. "He is confident in his jumper and it helped keep us in the game."
"My teammates did a great job of finding me and I was able to make some shots," said Johnson, who also led the Redhawks with 10 rebounds. "This was an important game and everybody knows what's at stake. We are just trying to take the necessary steps every day to get better as a team."
Roberts regrouped in the second half and made 18 of its 35 field goal attempts (51.4 percent) and 10 of its 11 free throws (90.9%).
Malik Brooks returned to the lineup and scored 13 of his 15 points in the second half and Abou Gbane scored nine of his 16. Rian Carter finished with nine points and went 6-for-6 from the free-throw line, including 4-for-4 in the final 21 seconds. Ja'Kair Sanchez added 7 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists.
Both teams held the lead in the second half and the game was tied at 70 with four minutes to play before the Redhawks closed it out. A jumper by Jean Arstill gave Roberts  a lead it wouldn't relinquish with 3:39 left and Johnson's slam put Roberts up 81-76 and drew a huge reaction from the crowd.
"It brought us some energy," Johnson said. "I felt it from the crowd, I felt it from the bench. I just felt all of the energy in the building."
The Redhawks have won two of the first three games on a six-game homestand, but do not return to action again until 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 1 against Saint Thomas Aquinas at the Voller Athletic Center.
"Our goal is just to go out there and maintain our principles and play to our standard," Saladzius said. "If we do that the wins will take care of themselves."