Philadelphia, Pa. - (1/29/2020) – Staying in the thick of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) playoff race, Chestnut Hill College earned valuable win with tonight's 84-76 league victory over Georgian Court University. Freshman guard Scottie Spann Jr. (Philadelphia, Pa.) led four Griffins in double figures with 22 points; he also grabbed nine rebounds and provided both a block and a steal on the defensive end.
 
Chestnut Hill College (4-16, 4-7) turned the corner midway through the first half, tying the Lions at 14-14 (13:55) and stealing the momentum on the physical play of sophomore guard Trevonn Pitts (Wyncote, Pa.) before finishing the frame with a 10-4 run; 37-31. The Griffins added insult to injury with a flurry of three-point baskets to start the second half as Spann hit the first (40-33, 19:24) and the last in an 11-4 rush that gave the Scarlet and Gold a 48-37 lead with 17:18 remaining. Another Spann basket pushed the Chestnut Hill College lead to 13 points, 50-37 (15:40), which was enough separation to withstand the Georgian Court University (7-11, 5-6) rally that cut the difference to three points, 60-57 (10:31), midway through the period. The following Scarlet and Gold run included a pair of huge three pointers (13:17, 10:52) from sophomore guard James Rider IV (Baltimore, Md.) and returned the Griffins to their 13-point, (72-59) perch with 6:58 left to play. The Lions rallied once more in the time remaining, cutting the margin to four points, 78-74 (1:08), before Chestnut Hill College frequented the free throw line for an 84-76 prize.
 
All five Georgian Court University starters finished in double figures; senior guard Caleb Bowser (Philadelphia, Pa.) and junior forward Alonzo Ortiz-Traylor (New York, N.Y.) led pack with 19 points apiece. Bowser added seven rebounds, four assists, and five steals to his points, while Ortiz-Traylor additionally recorded five rebounds, three assists, and three blocks.
 
Although Spann led the Griffins in scoring, Rider's outside shooting was key for Chestnut Hill College. He hit 4-of-6 (.667) from long range and finished the contest with 19 points, while recording three rebounds and a steal. Pitts finished with 17 points, six rebounds, two assists, a block, and four steals. In addition to Rider, sophomore forward Amir Warrick (Washington, DC) was a valuable reserve for the Griffins. He totaled 10 points, four rebounds, three assists, and a block. Sophomore forward Keyon Butler (Chester, Pa.) helped Chestnut Hill College to a 41-31 rebounding advantage with a team-high 10 boards.

Chestnut Hill College continues their CACC schedule on Saturday, February 1, when they visit Concordia College (NY) for a 3:00 p.m. tip-off.