Frostburg, Md. – (2/29/2020) – Following an emotional farewell to Head Men's Basketball Coach Jesse Balcer – who is stepping down from his coaching position to focus on his charge as Chestnut Hill College's Director of Athletics and Recreation – and a senior sendoff to guard Billy Miller VI (Pine Hill, N.J.), the Griffins put the bow on the day with a 93-82 over the University of the Sciences (USciences). A trio of three-point baskets made sophomore guard James Rider IV (Baltimore, Md.) the top scorer (9 points) in a balanced first-half effort. In the second half, sophomore guard Trevonn Pitts (Wyncote, Pa.) took over for the Scarlet and Gold, scoring 15 of his 21 points in the frame and pairing it with 11 rebounds for his second career double-double. Miller was no slouch in his swansong, contributing a season-high 14 points thanks to a 4-of-10 (.400 3PT) perimeter performance.
Miller led the Griffins' perimeter kickoff that pushed Chestnut Hill College (6-22, 6-13) to an early 12-2 (17:10) lead over USciences (6-20, 4-15). The Griffins kept their distance from there, separating by as many as 14 points, 31-17 (7:32), before holding off the Devils to a 38-35 (0:29) halftime spread. After intermission, the Devils briefly emerged for a six-point lead, 59-53 (12:45). Pitts changed that, recording a three-point play (58-56, 12:32) as the precursor to an emphatic dunk (63-63, 10:09) that propelled the Scarlet and Gold on a 25-10 run (87-73, 2:13) and earned them an eventual 93-82 victory.
The Devils were led by a game-high 25 points from sophomore guard Sean Simon (Philadelphia, Pa.) and a 13-point, 24-rebound double-double from freshman forward Connor Murphy (Chester, N.J.). Murphy also provided six assists and two blocks. Junior guard J.J. Melchior (Lansdale, Pa.) (13 points) and sophomore guard Jordan White (Tampa, Fla.) (12 points) also reached double figures for USciences.
Five Griffins finished in double figures; Pitts double-double was the star of the group. He also recorded four assists, two blocks, and two steals. Freshman guard Conor Regan (Mullica Hill, N.J.) contributed 16 points, four rebounds, five assists, four blocks, and two steals. Rider finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, an assist, a block, and a steal. Miller added three rebounds and two assists to his Senior Day scoring, while freshman guard Scottie Spann Jr. (Philadelphia, Pa.) offered 10 points, three rebounds, an assist, and two steals to the Scarlet and Gold's success.
From Chestnut Hill College's start at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III level to its transition to becoming a Division II school in 2007-2008, Coach Balcer has played an integral role in everything from the development of the basketball program to the athletic department's successes. He accrued 169 wins in his time at the helm; his teams landed in the postseason 10 times, with seven trips to the CACC Championship Tournament and three berths in the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) tournament. His team topped the NEAC regular season standings in 2005 and reached the NEAC final in 2007; later the #4 Griffins earned an upset over #1 Philadelphia University for a CACC Quarterfinal win during the 2010-2011 playoffs (64-54, 3/1/2011).
