Brown-Johnson's 46 Leads Neumann in 114-110 Overtime Win
Michael Damon
TOURNMAENT PAGE
By Michael Damon
MADISON, N.J.— No. 2 seed Neumann College and No. 3 seed Drew University combined for 224 points in a high scoring affair, and it was Neumann College who came out on top with a 114-110 win in overtime in the opening round of the ECAC DIII Men’s Basketball Championships.
With the win, Neumann improves to 21-8 overall and advances into the quarterfinal round of the tournament and will play against Juniata College on Friday at 11 a.m. on the campus of Wilkes University. Drew University’s season ends at 16-11.
Drew had the lead for most of the first half, and the Rangers led by as much as 19 in the opening stanza. Up 42-34 with 5:24 to go, the Rangers used a 13-2 run over the next 2:04 to take a 55-36 lead with 2:40 to go.
Drew maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the first half and went into halftime ahead 60-46.
In the second half, Neumann cut into its deficit and tied the score at 72 with 10:53 to go. Drew went back on top each time, while Neumann came back to tie it three times. After the Rangers retook their leads, the Knights tied the score at 74 with 9:02 to go, 76 with 7:57 to go and 78 with 7:25 to go. Neumann finally took its first second half lead with 6:26to go on a three point field goal by Jordan Collins to make the score 81-80.
Over the next seven minutes, neither team led by more than three. But Drew managed to build its lead up to four with twenty-five seconds left on a pair of free throws. A lay-up by Neumann’s
Raquan Brown-Johnson with 19 nineteen seconds left made the score 94-92. Drew went 1-for-2 from the free throw line to go back up by three. But a three pointer by Brown with three seconds left tied the score at 95 and send the game into overtime.
In the extra session, Neumann never trailed. Drew tied the score once at 97 with 4:07 remaining, but the Rangers never retook the lead. A three point field goal by Neumann ignited a 5-2 spurt and the Knights never looked back. Neumann led by as much as seven in the final minute before securing the win.
Neumann was led by Brown-Johnson with 46 points, 16 rebounds, six assists, four steals and three blocked shots. He shot 18-for-27 from the field in the win. Fellow teammate
Tyaire Hudson chipped in with 22 points, eight rebounds and five steals.
Billy Cassidy added 17 points, while connecting on four three point field goals.
Drew was led by
Yonathan Napoleon with 31 points on 10-for-13 shooting, including 6-for-9 from behind the arc.
Nate Aldrich went 11-for-14 for 26 points and 13 rebounds.
Riley Collins added 18 points and eight assists.
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