Box Score Philadelphia, Pa. - (11/14/2015) – Chestnut Hill College made good on Coach Balcer's preseason quotes as five Griffins finished in double figures, running the Firebirds of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) out of Philadelphia University's Gallagher Center by a 93-86 final in this evening's season-opening tilt. Powered by a relentless backcourt comprised of senior Luke Dickson (Pitman, N.J.) and sophomore Demetrius Isaac (Philadelphia, Pa.), the Griffins controlled double-digit leads in both halves on a brilliant 16-of-28 (.571) shooting performance that included a 50.0% clip from long range and a preserving 82.6% (19-of-23) second-half free throw effort.
 
A late first-half run by UDC (0-1) made for a narrow halftime spread, 38-37 Chestnut Hill College (1-0), but the Griffin offense took on a feverish pace in the second half, separating the Scarlet and Gold by as many as 16 points, 68-52, just past the midway point (9:46). Isaac and Dickson took turns scoring and distributing, propelling the Griffins on an early second-half run that expanded the one-point halftime advantage to a cool dozen, 54-42, on a Dickson three-pointer less than five minutes (15:15) into the concluding frame. Five and a half minutes later, a put-back from senior captain Noel Hightower (Easton, Pa.) pushed the Chestnut Hill College lead to its largest margin, 68-52 (@ 9:46), and left UDC playing catch-up for the remainder of the affair.
 
It was speed and a team effort that built the Griffins' first-half advantage to as many as 12 points, 28-16, with 5:51 left to play in the frame. Following a fastbreak dunk from junior guard Reggie Sidbury (Landover, Md.), 20-16 (@ 8:48), the Griffins went to work on their surplus with back-to-back baskets from junior forward Gerald Evariste (Philadelphia, Pa.), a fastbreak steal and dunk from Hightower to freshman forward Antonio Toplyn Jr. (Sicklerville, N.J.), a pair of Hightower free throws leaving the Firebirds looking for a spark. Junior guard Kasim Chandler (Newark, N.J.) tried to be that spark, but his team-high 25 points were not enough to catch Balcer's bunch before the final buzzer.
 
Chandler was 6-of-12 (.500) from the floor, 3-of-6 (.500) from three-point range, and a perfect 10-of-10 (1.000) from the charity stripe. He also recorded two rebounds, three assists, and three steals in a team-high 33 minutes. Junior guard Joseph Nickerson (Newark, N.J.) and junior forward Jayone Troutman (Chicago, Ill.) also finished in double figures, respectively scoring 19 and 14 points for the Firebirds. Nickerson grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.

Chestnut Hill College received a combined 47 points, six rebounds, 13 assists, a block, and four steals from its starting backcourt. Isaac finished with a team, game, season, and career-high 26 points. He also recorded two rebounds, a team, game, season, and career-high ten assists, and two steals, while Dickson totaled 21 points, four rebounds, three assists, a block, and two steals. Isaac was 7-of-12 (.583) from the field and 12-of-14 (.857) from the line as Dickson connected on four three-pointers (4-of-7, .571) in a 6-of-14 (.429) shooting performance that brought with it a 5-of-6 (.833) free throw effort. Evariste put in a workman's effort in the paint, finishing with a career-highs in points (14) and rebounds (nine) and providing one monster block in the first half. Hightower and freshman forward Dakpe Yiljep (Samaru-Zaria, Nigeria) each recorded 11 points, the former with an additional five rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal, and the latter also grabbed three rebounds. Yiljep finished 3-of-6 (50.0%) from long range, hitting two of his three-point (2-of-3, .667) baskets in an impressive first-half performance. In his first game as a Griffin, Toplyn totaled six points, five rebounds, an assist, and three blocks.
 
The Griffins continue their tip-off weekend back at Sorgenti Arena, tomorrow, Sunday, November 15, with a 1:00 p.m. contest opposite Franklin Pierce University, who lost to CACC rival Philadelphia University by a 80-75 overtime-final earlier today.