CARLISLE, Pa. - The Dickinson men's basketball team put three players in double-figures and held a ten-point advantage at the break in their home opener on Wednesday night against Centenary University. Unfortunately, for the Red and White the visiting Cyclones outpaced the Red and White 53-35 over the final 20 minutes to leave the Kline Center with an 81-73 non-conference win.
- The teams were trading scores through the first nine minutes as buckets for Ryan Leskauskas, David Petrusev and Brandon Wiercinski had things locked at 10-10.
- Following a Michael Salvatore jumper, first-years Andrew Cerullo and Joey Dopirak along with support from Isaiah Edmond and Matt Mahoney opened up a 23-17 edge for DC with just under seven minutes left.
- A pair of Naire Preston free throws slowed things down for a second, before Edmond and Petrusev accounted for seven of the next ten making it 30-22 with 3:59 left.
- Kenneth Rankin and Brandon Yale trimmed the gap to 30-26, prior to Mahoney and Wiercinski burying three pointers to help the Devils hold a 38-28 advantage at half.
- Blessing Agbonlaho, Aaron Bailey and Petrusev allowed the hosts to maintain a 43-35 cushion three minutes in.
- A three ball for Justin Carbone and driving finish by Rankin cut the margin to 45-40, but three points each for Cerullo and Dopirak along with a tough bucket from Petrusev pushed the DC edge out to 54-40 with 11:22 left.
- Then the visitors went on the attack with Shawn Falk and Rankin book-ending an 11-2 run over the ensuing three-and-a-half minutes cut the deficit to 56-49.
- An "old-fashioned" three-point play by Dopirak stalled the charge for a moment. However, baskets for Falk, Preston, Rankin and Salvatore brought the Cylcones to the front thanks to a 19-4 outburst making 70-63 with a minute to go.
- Bailey and Edmond would add buckets for the Red and White down the stretch, but Centenary was able to keep the Devils at arm's length the rest of the way for the 81-73 win.Â
- Points - Petrusev (17), Edmond (15), Dopirak (10)
- Rebounds - Edmond (5), Dopirak (4)
- Assists - Cerullo (3), Bailey and Leskauskas (2)
- Blocks - Agbonlaho and Dopirak (1)
- Points - Rankin (24), Preston (19), Falk (12), Carbone (10)
- Rebounds - Lane (9), Salvatore (6), Carbone (5)
- Assists - Rankin and Salvatore (4), Lane (3)
- Blocks - Carbone (1)
- Dickinson (0-1) will stay at home for their next game on Saturday afternoon at 4pm when they welcome the Eastern University Eagles to the Kline Center.
