1,000-Point Milestone Keeps Dickson On CACC Honor Roll for Third Straight Week
New Haven, Conn. - (1/25/2016) – A precursor to the arrival of Winter Storm Jonas, and Chestnut Hill College’s only engagement of the week, the Griffins visited Bloomfield College on Friday, January 22, for a league bout with the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) North-leading Bears. The home side led the entire way, leaving the 1,000th career point for senior guard Luke Dickson (Pitman, N.J.) as the Griffins’ only highlight in the first half. Dickson also recorded 12 second-half points, helping to lead the Scarlet and Gold on a near comeback that left the final at 82-80, Bears.
Dickson reached the milestone with a three-point basket at 6:15 (26-11, Bears) of the opening frame, but after jumping out to 10-point advantage, 19-9, in the opening 10 minutes (9:44) the Bloomfield College (8-10, 7-4) avalanche continued, separating home team for a 46-21 halftime edge with a series of period-ending free throws.
Harbored behind a 22-point deficit, Chestnut Hill College (7-11, 4-6) launched an epic run that would fall two points shy at the game’s conclusion. The relief did not come right away in the second half as sophomore forward Edward McWade (Wildwood, N.J.) layup cut the deficit to 14 points, 55-41, at 15:34 only for the home side to return the spread to 22 points, 63-41, with 11:25 to go. That is when Dickson and freshman forward Antonio Toplyn Jr. (Sicklerville, N.J.) ignited the Griffins on their grand reprieve. The Griffin floor general found the newcomer for a titanic dunk that cut the deficit to 10 points, 70-60, with at 6:23 left to play. The margin reached single digits, 72-63, a minute and a half later (4:53) on a McWade three-pointer and it collapsed to just three points, 78-75, on a Dickson three-pointer with 1:47 showing on the game clock. The momentum was briefly stalled with a series of Bear free throws, 80-75 (0:27), but a layup from freshman forward Dakpe Yiljep (Samaru-Zaria, Nigeria) with 15 seconds (0:15) reverted the deficit to three points, 80-77, once again. Unfortunately, two more Bears free throws gave the home team just enough breathing space to escape Yiljep’s last-second (0:04) three-pointer, 82-80.
Chestnut Hill College continues their CACC schedule on Tuesday, January 26, when they return to Sorgenti Arena for an 8:00 p.m. league contest with Goldey-Beacom College.
