Men's Basketball 12/12/2021 12:00:00 AM

Gardner's Last-Minute Hoop Helps Men's Basketball Past Post, 83-77

Box Score

COLCHESTER, Vt. - Senior Patrick Gardner's (Merrick, N.Y./Calhoun/Nassau CC) tie-breaking hoop with 25 seconds left came amid a game-ending 10-1 run, which sent the Saint Michael's College men's basketball team past Post University, 83-77, on Sunday in the Ross Sports Center.

RECORDS

Saint Michael's (4-5), Post (4-5)

SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

Gardner, 18 points, 13 rebounds, 4 offensive rebounds, 6-for-12 field goals, 5-for-6 free throws
Junior Kasai Brown (Brooklyn, N.Y./Millbrook School), 17 points, 9 rebounds, 4 offensive rebounds, 2 steals, 7-for-8 free throws
First-year Jacob Duniver (Fredericksburg, Va./Woodstock Academy), 10 points, 2 steals, 4-for-6 field goals, 2-for-4 three-pointers
First-year Nic Button (Skaneateles, N.Y./Cheshire Academy), 10 points, 3-for-5 field goals, 4-for-4 free throws
First-year Chuma Oyigbo (Stoughton, Mass./Redemption Christian [N.Y.] Academy), 10 points, 3-for-5 field goals, 2-for-3 three-pointers
First-year Stefano Spassof (Athens, Greece/ACS Athens), 6 points, 6 assists

OPPONENT LEADERS

Senior David Jasson, 19 points, 7-for-11 field goals, 5-for-7 three-pointers
Senior D.J. Frechette, 15 points, 4 assists, 3-for-6 three-pointers
Redshirt senior Devonte McCall, 14 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals
Junior Tyler Small, 11 points, 3-for-3 three-pointers
Junior Jordan Williams, 11 points, 5-for-7 field goals
Senior Isaiah Holmes, 8 assists

GAME FACTS

Saint Michael's held a 36-24 rebounding lead, including a 10-7 edge in offensive boards, which led to a significant 13-3 advantage in second-chance points.
The hosts had a 34-16 lead in paint points, while Post claimed a narrow edge in shooting, 49.2%-49.1%. The Eagles were 13-of-27 (48.1%) on three-pointers, while Saint Michael's posted a large lead on free throws (23-for-27 to 6-for-18).
Gardner notched 16 points and nine rebounds in the second half alone, nearly matching Post's total of 13 boards in the frame. He picked up his sixth double-double of the season.
The Purple Knights improved to 5-0 in the all-time series, including 3-0 at home.

THE ACTION

Jasson hit three three-pointers in an early 59-second stretch, keying an 11-2 run that Frechette capped with a jumper at 13:36 of the opening half that gave Post an 18-9 edge.
Oyigbo's pair of free throws brought Saint Michael's within 29-26 at 7:18, but Small had the final five points of a 7-0 run.
The hosts trimmed the deficit to three points twice before the halftime horn, and Post carried a 45-38 lead into the intermission.
The Purple Knights rallied within one point twice in the opening 3:14 of the second stanza, on lay-ups by Gardner and Button at 18:06 and 16:46, respectively, but the Eagles continued to lead by between one and seven points until the late stages.
Gardner gave Saint Michael's its first lead, 68-67, on a triple with 5:58 to go, the first of five lead swings down the stretch. Frechette countered with a three 31 seconds later before the next five points came courtesy of Purple Knight freebies, and the hosts led 73-70 after a Brown free throw at 3:31.
Holmes (2:38) and Jasson (2:15) made consecutive threes to give Post a 76-73 lead, but the visitors were held to only two shots - both misses - while committing a pair of turnovers from there.
Brown converted a tying three-point play at 2:01, and Gardner snapped a tie with a driving lay-up with 25 ticks remaining. On the ensuing Post possession, Brown forced a turnover before Spassof found Button for a transition lay-up at 10 seconds, giving Saint Michael's an 80-76 lead.
McCall split a pair of free throws at four seconds before Spassof countered with a freebie at 2.9 seconds to reestablish the four-point edge, and Post committed a turnover on the inbound play. Button's pair of freebies clinched the victory.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME