McWade Makes Third CACC Weekly Honor Roll
New Haven, Conn. - (2/8/2016) – Sophomore forward Edward McWade (Wildwood, N.J.) averaged 17.0 points-per-game (PPG) and 7.0 rebounds-per-game (RPG) to return to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Weekly Men’s Basketball Report for the first time since December 21. He is Chestnut Hill College’s second leading scorer (13.5 PPG), doing so while averaging 4.8 RPG, and recording 36 assists, four blocks, and eight steals.
Looking to a different cast of characters than usual, Chestnut Hill College earned another valuable South Division victory, 65-64 over Georgian Court University, on the last-minute efforts of senior forward Noel Hightower (Easton, Pa.), sophomore guard Demetrius Isaac (Philadelphia, Pa.), and freshman forward Antonio Toplyn Jr. (Sicklerville, N.J.). McWade led the Griffins with 19 points, making the difference at the free throw line alongside Isaac, who worked his way to the charity stripe for a pair of game-winning free throws with 15 seconds (0:15) remaining on the clock.
The Griffins led by as many as six points, 48-42, on a Toplyn dunk with 11:52 left to play. But a responsorial three-pointer, a Chestnut Hill College turnover, and a layup returned the deficit to a single point, 48-47, just a minute later (10:52). The Lions briefly took the lead on another layup, 49-48 (10:28), before a three-pointer from senior guard Ryan Griffin (West Friendship, Md.) put the Griffins ahead once again, 51-49 (10:11). The lead changed hands six times in the final 10 minutes, tying three times in a process that featured critical three-point baskets from sophomore center Christopher Evans (Norristown, Pa.), 54-54 (7:15), and freshman guard Liban Awl (Manassas, Va.), 57-56 (5:34), before a glut of free throws form Isaac and McWade and a jumper from Griffin won the Griffins the upper hand, 65-64, with only seconds remaining on scoreboard (0:15) and the Lions’ first would-be game-winning effort swatted away by Toplyn.
McWade scored 15 of his team-high 19 points in the first half. He finished 5-of-11 (.455) from the field, 3-of-8 (.375) from three-point range, and 6-of-9 (.667) from the free throw line, while providing six rebounds and two assists.
Chestnut Hill College found themselves chasing Caldwell University in Saturday's CACC game as the Griffins nearly erased a 20-point deficit (55-35, 14:00) only to fall 70-66 after a pair of desperation three-pointers sailed wide of their target. Awl paced the Griffins with 16 points, two rebounds, an assist, and two steals.
With GriffinNation behind them, Chestnut Hill College (9-13, 6-8) launched a 31-13 run that saw Toplyn cut the deficit to two points, 68-66, on a back door for an lay-up, courtesy of freshman forward Dakpe Yiljep (Samaru-Zaria, Nigeria), with 12 seconds (0:12) to play. A quick Griffin foul allowed two insurance free throws to give the Cougars a four-point advantage, 70-66, and enough leeway to escape the Griffins' last-second heaves. McWade grabbed team-high eight rebounds to go along with his 15 points, four assists, and a block.
The men's basketball team continues their CACC schedule on Tuesday, February 9, with an 8:00 p.m. contest against Wilmington University.
