Box Score Philadelphia, Pa. - (11/25/2015) – Today's contest turned into a tale of two halves. Fortunately both were in the Griffins' favor as Chestnut Hill College gave themselves a 35-27 halftime lead with a superior rebounding effort, 25-16, and shooting performance, 41.2%-32.4%, before putting the Marauders away, 92-77, in a free-throw heavy second half that saw a combined 48 chances at the charity stripe. The Griffins' starting backcourt of senior Luke Dickson (Pitman, N.J.) and sophomore Demetrius Isaac (Philadelphia, Pa.) was nearly unstoppable as Dickson added nine assists, two rebounds, and two steals to his fourth 20-point effort while Isaac netted a career-high 27 points in addition to five rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
 
The contest opened in a pre-holiday haze as Millersville University (2-3) and Chestnut Hill College (2-3) combined to turn the ball over nine times in the opening seven minutes (12:55), The calamity ended with a jumper from freshman forward Dakpe Yiljep (Samaru-Zaria, Nigeria) that gave the Griffins an 11-10 advantage with 12:27 remaining. The Marauders answered with a 7-2 run that earned them a 17-13 lead, but the gain was quickly erased when Dickson drew a three-point shooting foul which he converted to cut the deficit to one point, 17-16, midway through the frame (10:15). On the ensuing possession, a strip-and-steal from Yiljep produced an open three-point shot, which the first-year wing cashed in for a two point lead, 19-17 (9:57), and the momentum. Working hard on the glass, freshman forward Antonio Toplyn Jr. (Sickerville, N.J.) gave the Griffins the extra possession to extend their advantage to eight points, 35-27, by intermission.
 
The Griffin rush continued after the break with Dickson weaving in-and-out of traffic,  spreading the ball around in a 11-5 run that left the Marauders down 11 points, 46-35, and praying for their three-point attempts to fall. But the Marauders' sweet tooth for the long range bucket was their undoing as they were only successful on 13-of-34 (38.2%) tries, while continuing to put Dickson and Isaac at the line. The game plan put Chestnut Hill College on the charity stripe 33 times in the second half, of which they hit 25 (25-of-33, .758), to expand their lead to 18 points, 68-50, with 7:55 to play and leaving it at 15 points, 92-77, when the final buzzer rang.
 
Senior guard Shawn Williams (Philadelphia, Pa.) was the Millersville University effort in the second half, scoring all 25 of his points in the closing frame. He added six rebounds, six assists, and a steal to his point production. Looking to help, junior forward Ricky Mosely (York, Pa.) and junior guard Cornell Yarde II (Reading, Pa.) combined to take 15 threes, they hit seven (7-of-15, .467) in the fleeting long-range effort.
 
The Griffin offense was in prime condition this afternoon with eight players combining for 20 assists on 29 field goals. The result was a balanced box score that included four double-digit scorers, five players with least five rebounds, and a 50.0% (29-of-58) team shooting performance. Isaac's 27 points led the team, besting his season-opening effort versus the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) on November 14 by one point (26 points), while Dickson covered up his worst shooting effort of the season (5-of-14, .357) with an impressive day at the point (nine assists) and free throw line (8-of-9, .889). Toplyn was rewarded for his rebounding – four offensively and four defensively - scoring a season-high 17 points in addition to a pair of blocks. Sophomore forward Edward McWade (Wildwood, N.J.) was the fourth Griffin in double figures with ten points. He also totaled seven rebounds, four assists, and a steal in his third double-digit scoring performance of the season. Senior captain Noel Hightower (Easton, Pa.) finished with four points, five assists, two steals and a team-high ten rebounds while Yiljep and junior forward Gerald Evariste (Philadelphia, Pa.) combined for 14 points, ten rebounds, five blocks, and a steal.
 
Following the Thanksgiving break, the Chestnut Hill College men's basketball team heads to UDC on Saturday, November 28, for a 6:00 p.m. rematch with the Firebirds.