HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. - The Dickinson men's basketball team overcame a five-point halftime deficit to find their way into the win column on Friday night with a 65-55 win over the host Centenary University at the John M. Reeves Student Recreation Center in non-conference action. Newcomer
David Petrusev led the way on the night for the Red and White posting a game-high 17 points in his first game in a Dickinson College jersey.
The Red and White began the game quick as layups from
Isaiah Edmond and
Andrew Gostovich made it 4-0 inside the opening minute. Four of the next six went the way of the home side with Gregory Garcia and Kenneth Rankin knocking down jumpers, while
Nate Ogbu stuck home a pair of free throws to maintain the lead at 6-4 with not even two minutes off the clock. Centenary used the next two minutes to work their way in front by a score of 8-6 thanks to buckets from Naire Preston and Rankin. Dickinson then rallied back as Petrusev notched his first five points, while
Aaron Bailey and Edmond each converted at the charity line to cap off an 8-1 charge for a 14-9 advantage with 12:28 left. After a quick 5-0 push for the home side, the two teams traded baskets with
Randy Shephard, Ogbu and Petrusev leaving things locked at 20-20 inside the ten minute mark. The Cyclones then started to "blow" up and down the floor as a layup from Eseosa Omoruyi sparked a 10-2 run for the hosts ending on a Colin Gery "and one" to open up an eight-point cushion (30-22). A pair of jumpers for Petrusev cut the deficit down to 32-26, but baskets by Jamil DeSouza-Kenan and Preston stretched the margin to double-digits 36-26 with two minutes to go. Dickinson would end the period by tallying the final five points of the frame as Bailey drilled two at the stripe and Edmond finished the "old-fashioned" three-point play to make it 36-31 at half.
It took the Red and White just one minute to cut the deficit to just one as
Anthony Goeb took the ball from Shawn Morgan and went "coast to coast" for the finish, before taking a feed from
Skyler Venezia and cashing in (36-35). Dickinson continued their early run with a jumper for Venezia and a solo free throw by Ogbu pushed DC ahead 38-36 at the 16:16 mark. A triple out of the hands of Omoruyi as well as a free throw for Mike Salvatore knotted the score at 40-40, before back-to-back Petrusev jumpers were followed by a trey for
Brandon Wiercinski to give the guests a 47-40 edge. A layup for Preston stunted the momentum for just a second as Bailey, Goeb and Venezia embarked on a 7-2 outburst to claim a 56-44 lead with just under eight minutes left. The next four Cyclones points went to Rankin all at the charity stripe to trim the gap to 56-48. However, a three-ball from Wiercinski and a three-point play by Ogbu extended it back to a dozen 62-50 at the 16:08 mark. The Devils would then salt the game away at the foul line as Edmond, Goeb and Ogbu all converted at the line to set the 65-55 final.
Red Devil Leaders
Points - Petrusev (17), Ogbu (9), Edmond and Venezia (8)
Assists - Venezia (4), Petrusev (2), Goeb and Gostovich (1)
Rebounds - Edmond (9), Gostovich (7)
Cyclone Leaders
Points - Rankin (14), Preston (12)
Assists - Preston (2)
Rebounds - Omoruyi (6), Rankin (5)
Next on the Court
Dickinson (1-2) will finally take to the Kline Center floor on Tuesday night at 8pm for the Centennial Conference opener against McDaniel College.
