STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – The Saint Anselm College men's basketball team dropped a 93-84 decision to St. Thomas Aquinas College on Saturday at the CSI Sports & Recreation Center, falling in the opening game of the 24th Annual Tournament of Heroes hosted by the College of Staten Island.
Highlights
- This marked the 12th all-time meeting between these two programs as Saint Anselm falls to 9-3 against St. Thomas Aquinas in the series that began in 2004.
- Sophomore Luka Vudragovic led all Saint Anselm scorers with 20 points, shooting 7-of-12 from the floor and 4-of-9 from three-point range while adding three assists and two steals.
- Junior Paulius Rapolis recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, shooting a perfect 6-of-6 from the field.
- Redshirt junior Trevor Labrecque also scored 13 points, adding five rebounds while converting 6-of-8 attempts from the free-throw line.
- Sophomore Jakye Rainey added eight points, including a pair of three-pointers off the bench.
- Saint Anselm shot 47.5 percent from the field and 48.0 percent from beyond the arc, connecting on 12 three-pointers.
How it Happened
Saint Anselm opened the contest with an early 5-0 lead, as Rapolis scored the first basket before Vudragovic connected from beyond the arc. The Hawks continued to build their advantage, using an early 10-2 run to take a 17-9 lead. Vudragovic knocked down another three-pointer, while junior Greg Guidinger added a three of his own off an offensive rebound from junior Giulio Rigato.
The Hawks maintained their advantage through much of the opening half, leading 31-26 with just over six minutes remaining. St. Thomas Aquinas responded with a strong closing stretch, however, scoring 15 of the final 18 points of the half to take a 41-34 lead into the break. Rapolis paced Saint Anselm with 10 first-half points, while Vudragovic added nine.
Saint Anselm worked to close the gap coming out of halftime. Rapolis opened the scoring with a layup, and Massung converted a pair of free throws before Labrecque connected from three-point range to bring the Hawks within one, 40-41. After the Spartans extended their lead, Vudragovic and redshirt sophomore Antoni Siewruk helped keep Saint Anselm within reach, with Siewruk adding a second-chance layup to make it 42-45.
St. Thomas Aquinas answered with a key scoring stretch to extend its advantage, but the Hawks continued to battle. Vudragovic and Rainey connected from the field, while Rigato added a three-pointer to help Saint Anselm stay within striking distance. Massung converted a pair of free throws before scoring on a fast-break layup and completing the three-point play to bring the Hawks within six, 66-72, with just over six minutes remaining.
Saint Anselm continued to look for a late comeback, as Rigato knocked down another three-pointer and Vudragovic added a pair of baskets, including a three-pointer with 1:43 remaining. The Spartans responded at the free-throw line and maintained their advantage down the stretch to secure the 93-84 decision.
Up Next
Saint Anselm men's basketball (1-1, 0-0 NE10) concludes its stay at the Tournament of Heroes on Sunday, Nov. 15, taking on the College of Staten Island at the Sports & Recreation Center in Staten Island, N.Y. with tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.
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