Box Score Philadelphia, Pa. – (11/28/2012) – The fans of Sorgenti Arena were not sold short in this evening's home opener as Chestnut Hill College trailed for a large majority of the contest before having a shot at defeating the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) in regulation. The Bears forced overtime, 69-69, where the Griffins separated from the Bears for an 84-80 victory on the hustle and determination of sophomore forward Alssene Saintilus (Irvington, N.J.) and senior guard Mark DiRugeris Jr. (Woodbury, N.J.). Five Griffins finished in double figures; Saintilus led the pride and tied his career-high with 18 points.
 
Chestnut Hill College (3-3) quickly erased a 33-29 NYIT (3-3) halftime advantage only to trail the Bears until the final seconds of regulation. With 0:39 seconds remaining, senior guard Francis Ashe (Hyattsville, Md.) earned and converted two shots from the free throw line to deliver the Griffins a 68-67 lead. A Bear miss led to a desperation foul on the Griffins resulting fastbreak, which put Saintilus at the charity stripe for a pair of free throws. He hit his first attempt to put the Griffins ahead two, 69-67, but his second caromed off the glass to senior forward Keyvon Roberts (Corona, N.Y.), who looked to even the affair on the ensuing Bear possession. He missed the game-winning attempt, but junior guard Phil Izevbehai (Huntington, N.Y.) grabbed the offensive board and forced overtime, 69-69, with less than a second on the clock (00:00.9). After spreading the ball around in a busy second half the Griffins turned to Saintilus and DiRugeris in overtime. The duo combined for 11 points in the extra frame and brought the Griffins to a six-point lead, 83-77, before the final horn sounded on a 84-80 Griffin victory.
 
Izevbehai led the Bears with 19 points, three rebounds, five assists, and a steal. He was the focus of the Bears attack, which also received double digit scoring performances from Roberts, sophomore guard Jahleel Felix (Flushing, N.Y.), and senior forward Azel Prather Jr. (Glenarden, Md.). Roberts finished with 16 points, six rebounds, and two blocks, while Felix and Prather each contributed 11 points in the loss.
 
Saintilus added six rebounds, an assist, a block, and three steals to his team-leading scoring performance, but the Griffins received contributions from all participants. DiRugeris recorded 17 points and four rebounds. Junior guard Jakeem Bogans (Philadelphia, Pa.) helped ignite a stagnate Griffin offense with 14 points while also contributing on the defensive end with two steals. Sophomore center Seamus Radtke (Philadelphia, Pa.) scored all ten of his points in the first half while also grabbing a team-high nine rebounds. Navigating the offense, Ashe matched a career-high with seven assists while also providing ten points, seven rebounds, and three assists.
  
The men's basketball team begins their Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) schedule on Saturday, December 1, with a 3:00 p.m. contest against Bloomfield College.