COLCHESTER, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College men's basketball team used a mid-game 29-9 run to race past Wilmington (Del.) University, 86-76, on Tuesday in the Ross Sports Center. The Purple Knights, who received votes toward both of last week's national polls, are fourth in this week's D2CSC East Region rankings.
 
RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (8-2), Wilmington (6-5)

SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Sophomore Nolan Marold (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Brewster Academy/Loyola Chicago), 18 points (career high), 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 offensive rebounds, 7-for-10 field goals
• Junior CJ Crews (Tampa, Fla./Bayshore Christian School), 16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 4-for-9 field goals, 8-for-11 free throws
• Sophomore Darrel Yepdo (Dracut, Mass./Brooks School), 14 points, 4 steals, 3 assists, 5-for-11 field goals
• Junior Jacob Duniver (Fredericksburg, Va./Woodstock Academy), 11 points, 8 rebounds, 3-for-7 three-pointers
• Junior Jhamyl Fricas (Lawrence, Mass./Worcester Academy/Connors State), 10 points, 4 rebounds
• Sophomore Alan Brzezinski (Örebro, Sweden/Western Reserve Academy), 8 points, 10 rebounds, 5 offensive rebounds, 2 steals

OPPONENT LEADERS

• Junior Amiri Stewart, 21 points, 3 assists, 3-for-4 three-pointers
• Graduate student Caleb Matthews, 20 points, 5 assists, 4-for-8 three-pointers
• Sophomore Skip Burton, 9 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 offensive rebounds

GAME FACTS

• Saint Michael's moved to 3-0 in the all-time series thanks to holding a 53-36 rebounding lead, including 20-12 on the offensive glass, which led to a 25-6 advantage in second-chance points.
• The Purple and Gold had its largest rebounding margin since a plus-18 showing against American International College last Dec. 3, while its 53 rebounds were its most since snagging 55 against Caldwell University on Nov. 12, 2022.
• After attempting only one free throw in the first half, the Purple Knights went 22-of-30 from the charity stripe in the second half alone.
• Marold picked up his second career double-double.

THE ACTION

• The Purple Knights scored the game's first nine points behind 4-of-8 shooting, holding the Wildcats scoreless on four shots with three turnovers in the opening 4:24 of the contest.
• Wilmington tallied eight of the next 11 points, creeping within 12-8 on junior Asher Kemble's jumper at 14:56, but Marold scored five of his team's points in an ensuing 9-0 spurt.
• The visitors countered with a 13-2 run behind 3-of-3 three-point shooting, as Matthews' triple with 8:46 left made it a 23-21 contest.
• Yepdo knocked down a jumper at 6:59 to kick off a half-ending 14-4 run, which he capped with a three-point play at 33.1 seconds that sent the Purple Knights into the locker room up 40-27.
• The Purple and Gold's run extended to 29-9 by the time Fricas knocked down a pair of free throws at 14:50 of the second stanza, producing a 55-32 lead. Yepdo had a pair of steals and breakaway hoops in the opening stretch of the period, including a dunk, while Brzezinski added one lay-in.
• Wilmington put together a 22-9 run to slowly trim its deficit to 64-54 on sophomore Hiram Alexander's lay-up with 7:58 to go, but Crews scored the next six points, and Saint Michael's remained ahead by double figures until less than 90 seconds remained.
• Burton's backcourt steal and lay-in brought the Wildcats within 82-73 with 1:18 to go, but Wilmington came no closer.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME

• Dec. 30 at Queens (N.Y.) College, 12 p.m.