STATEN ISLAND, NY – Junior Khalik Gardner scored a team-high 20 points off the bench to lead the Roberts Wesleyan University Men's Basketball team to a 79-76 victory over the College of Staten Island Wednesday in the first round of the East Coast Conference (ECC) Tournament. The No. 6 seed Redhawks (9-16) advance to the tournament semifinal round and will face St. Thomas Aquinas College at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Daemen.

Roberts trailed for a majority of the game including a 16-point deficit in the second half but a 13-0 run late in the game gave the Redhawks a late lead and Roberts held on for the win with strong free throw shooting.

Staten Island (20-9) led by 10 points with 5:33 to play when freshman Jaden Lee connected on his third 3-pointer in a span of four minutes to start the key run.

Freshman Jordan Brown hit a pair of free throws and then nailed a 3-pointer to continue the run and Gardner scored on a fast break dunk to knot the score at 71-71.

After a defensive rebound by Gardner to regain possession, junior Mohamed Soumahoro hit layup with his back to the basket and added a free throw for a three-point play to extend the run and give Roberts a three-point lead at 74-71.

A free throw for the Dolphins stopped the run but Soumahoro buried a pair of free throws with 35 seconds left to push the lead to four points at 76-72.

A three-point play by CSI cut the lead to a single point with 27 seconds left before Gardner connected on two free throws for a 78-75 lead.

With 2.4 seconds left, CSI hit one free throw and missed the second on purpose but Gardner grabbed the rebound to seal the victory. He was immediately fouled and hit a free throw for the final margin of victory.

Gardner had seven points, four rebounds and two assists in the closing minutes of the game.