DAVIDSON, NC – Five scorers in double-figures led NCAA DI opponent Davidson College to a 108-39 win over Saint Joseph's College Thursday night at Belk Arena. Zach O'Brien '12 (Schenectady, NY) led the Monks with 15 points.
All 13 Wildcats who played scored as Davidson (7-5) earned its largest win of the season and broke the 100-point barrier for the first time since 2008. Davidson shot 59.4 percent for the game, while holding St. Joseph's (5-3) to 30.9 percent.
The Monks' only share of the lead came on their first possession of the game, as O'Brien hit a jumpshot to knot the game at two apiece 37 seconds into play. The Wildcats proceeded to outscore the Royal Blue by a 22-3 margin over the following seven minutes and controlled the pace for the remainder of the contest.
Davidson held a daunting height advantage over St. Joe's, as 11 Wildcats stand at 6'5" or taller, and utilized the difference in stature to outwork the Monks on the glass. The Wildcats held a 49-20 advantage in boards and tallied 24 second-chance points. St. Joe's, with six offensive caroms in the loss, was held without a bucket on second tries.
St. Joe's set a dubious team record with just two free throw attempts, with both bids going off target, in the loss. For the Monks, the game without making a freebie was just the second in program history. The Royal Blue went 0-4 from the line against New Hampshire College on February 8th, 1975.
Jake Cohen led the 'Cats with 16 points, three steals and two blocks, and added five rebounds. Chris Czerapowicz impressed in his Davidson debut, scoring 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting from beyond the arc. Classmates De'Mon Brooks and Jordan Downing also hit double-figures with 14 and 13 points, respectively. Clint Mann, the fourth newcomer in double-digit scoring, finished with 12 points and led the Wildcats on the glass with eight rebounds.
Chris Petzy '12 (Kensington, NH) added nine points and a team-high seven rebounds for Saint Joseph's. All 15 SJC players appeared in the contest, including Bruno Cavallo '14 (Hampton Bays, NY) who registered his first collegiate bucket - a three-pointer with 1:20 left in the game.
Ten different scorers helped Davidson take a 34-point lead (55-21) into the locker room at halftime. Mann scored eight points in the first 5:05 to give Davidson an early 20-5 lead. The 'Cats extended their lead over the remainder of the half as Downing added nine points in nine minutes of action.
Cohen and Brooks scored Davidson's first 13 points of the second half, while the 'Cats defense held the Monks to just one field goal during the first 6:23.
A pair of free throws by Will Reigel gave the 'Cats a 50-point lead (78-28) with 10:23 remaining. A layup by Brooks with 6:03 to go gave the 'Cats a 60-point lead at 94-34. AJ Atkinson sank a three-ball with 4:12 remaining to push the 'Cats over 100 points at 101-34. Clay Tormey scored his first career points with a three-pointer to give Davidson 108 points.
It was their highest total since defeating Mount Saint Mary (N.Y.) in 2006, 116-55. Davidson's 39 points allowed was the third-best defensive effort in the modern era.
Frank Ben-Eze added eight points and five rebounds. Nik Cochran had six rebounds.
Davidson will next travel to Nashville to take on Vanderbilt Sunday at 4 p.m. CT. Saint Joseph's will host Bowdoin on January 6th at 7:00 PM.
THANKS IN PART TO DAVIDSON COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION
