Christopher Dacanay
Sports Editor
The Barons basketball team finished its 8 p.m. home game Monday against the St. Vincent College Bearcats with a 20-point lead, taking the game with 86-66 on the scoreboard.
The Barons lost the initial jump ball, and the two teams vied against each other to gain an advantage. A 3-pointer by junior guard Colton Hage won the advantage for the Barons, and they began pulling ahead.
The Bearcats were stalled at 11 points for a time as the Barons continued to rack up the points, eventually doubling the Bearcats’ score. That strong lead was punctuated by a fastbreak and subsequent dunk from redshirt sophomore guard Josh Zimmerman.
The latter part of the first half saw graduate student guard Sean Hickey nailing two consecutive 3-pointers. Immediately after, sophomore forward Nicholas Allienello followed with his own 3-pointer.
The Barons kept the Bearcats subdued at 26 points, preventing them from scoring while raking in their own buckets. The first half closed with the Barons leading confidently at 49-32 after a good jumper by junior guard Aidan Hickey.
The second half ground to a start, eventually culminating in a shooting fest. The Bearcats continued falling behind on the scoreboard but were able to sink some shots of their own. Meanwhile, the Barons broke 75 points.
The second half saw an influx of substitutions from both teams. The Bearcats carried out a few more points as the half closed, but sophomore guard Alan Wood had the last laugh with a 3-pointer to close the game – a definitive Baron victory.
Coach Joseph Wallace said, “I thought we came out in a business-like manner and set the tone for how we wanted the game to flow. Josh Zimmerman continues to establish his presence on both sides of the floor and was ultra-efficient offensively.”
Wallace said, “Colton Hage played with a lot of purpose and made some timely shots. His confidence has continued to grow.
“Nick Allienello brought a lot of passion in his play and contributed with 10 points and nine rebounds,” Wallace said. “(Sophomore guard) Tristan McDannell did a really nice job of running our offense and getting good looks for his teammates including (freshman forward center) Yann Yonkeu, who had 11 points.”
The Barons will return to their home court at 4 p.m. Feb. 5 for their match against Westminster College on Kuzma Day, a day remembering the late Henry J. Kuzma, the namesake of the Finnegan Fieldhouse’s Kuzma Court.