Basketball

Albertus Magnus Ends Emerson Season

Game Boxscore

BOSTON, MASS.—Seventh seeded Albertus Magnus College shocked number two seed Emerson college 78-50 at Emerson’s Brown-Plofker Gym to advance to the semifinals of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Tournament. The Falcons rode the 17 point scoring of Byron Reeves to the win.

Albertus never trailed in the game opening up a 15-3 lead less than five minutes into the contest. Emerson went on a 12-4 run to cut the margin to 19-15 at the 10:42 mark, but Albertus outscored the Lions 21-8 over the course of the half to take a 42-23 halftime advantage. The Falcons dominated every facet of the half outscoring Emerson 20-6 in the paint, 13-3 of turnovers, and a 9-0 on second chance points. Albertus also shot 46% from the field in the half, while holding Emerson to 29%.

The second half was more of the same. Emerson cut the lead to 14 on a three point shot by Tom Messinger (So., Florence, Mass.) and a layup by Jeremy Shannon (Jr., Lowell, Mass.). Albertus responded with a jump shot by Mike Barber and a Layup by Francisco Cordova to move the lead to 46-28. Emerson was never able to get closer than 17 points the rest of the contest.

Albertus held a 49-29 rebounding advantage and shot 45% for the game.

Shannon led all scorers with 18 points and added nine rebounds. Messinger had 11 for the Lions. In addition to Reeves, Walden St. Juste with 14 and Andre Beckford with 11 were in double figures for Albertus Magnus.

Emerson finished its season with a 17-9 record. Albertus (14-12) will travel to third seeded St. Joseph’s College in Standish Maine for a 7p.m. tip on Thursday.

Lions Overcome slow start to Drop Raiders 64-55

Game Boxscore

BOSTON, MASS. – Emerson College (17-8, 13-5 Great Northeast Athletic Conference) overcame a slow start and rallied to defeat Rivier College (14-11, 9-9 GNAC) 64-55 in Great Northeast Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball action at Emerson’s Brown-Plofker Gym. The win sews up second place in the Conference for Emerson and the second seed in the GNAC tournament. The Lions will face Albertus Magnus College in a first round game at home on Tuesday at 7p.m.

Emerson didn’t score for the first six minutes of the game and trailed 0-6 following a layup by Rivier’s Lance Bisson . A three-point shot by Tom Messinger (So., Florence, Mass.) finally broke the ice for the Lions at the 13:56 mark of the first half, but Rivier ran the lead to 16-7 following a three from Felipe Lima at the mid-way point. Emerson battled back to get the game to within three at the half on two Jeremy Shannon (Jr., Lowell, Mass., above left) free throws with three ticks remaining in the opening stanza.

Shannon opened the second half with a jumper to pull the Lions to within 29-28 just 16 seconds into the half. Following a layup by the Raiders’ Dj Poitras and a free throw by Bisson, Shannon hit two free throws and Nate Firn (Fr., Waldesboro, N.C.) scored a layup to forge the first tie since the opening tip. Two more Shannon free throws and a Bryan Rouse (Jr., East Greenwich, R.I.) foul shot were answered by a trifecta from Rivier’s Kevin Harrington. A Bisson layup and a Nick Bean three forged a 40-35 lead for the Raiders.

Frin hit a layup and Messinger dropped a three to pull Emerson back even. Bisson then hit a layup but was called for a technical foul. Messinger hit one of two free throws to cut the Rivier lead to 42-41. Shannon hit a layup on the ensuing possession to give the Lions a 43-42 lead that stretched to 45-42 on another Shannon layup. That was quickly answered by a Joe Granato three ball to pull the Raiders even, but Emerson’s Zach Cole (So., Newton, Mass.) nailed a three to give the Lions a 48-45 lead with at the 9:30 mark.

After a Shannon Jump shot opened a five point lead, Granato drilled a three to cut the Emerson lead to two points. Shannon responded with a three ball of his own to forge a 53-48 advantage. A Bisson three cut Emerson’s advantage to 55-53 with 6:09 remaining. Shannon and Bisson then traded layups to keep the margin at two points with 5:27 left.

Neither team was able to score for the next minute and a half until Emerson’s Anthony Remias (Sr., Cranberry Township, Pa.) hit a driving layup on a beautiful feed from Shannon. Messinger hit another three with 2:05 remaining to give the Lions a 62-55 lead and two Firn free throws with 0:47 left sealed the win for the Lions.

Shannon had a huge game for Emerson scoring 24 points (18 in the second half) and adding 13 rebounds and seven assists. Messinger was the only other Lion in double figures with 12 points.

Bisson’s 16 points marked the only Raider who was in double figures. Poitras had nine points and nine boards.

LIONS REGULAR SEASON TITLE HOPES VANISH WITH 79-68 LOSS TO LASELL

From Lasell College Sports Information - 2/27/09

Game Boxscore

NEWTON, MASS. -- The Lasell College men’s basketball team clinched the Great Northeast Athletic Conference regular season title and first place seed in the GNAC tournament tonight with a victory over second place Emerson College, 79-68. Lasell sealed the league title with a 14-3 GNAC record, and a 17-7 overall record, having one regular season game left. Emerson ended the night at a 12-5 conference mark and a 16-8 overall record.

The lead changed four times over the first six minutes of the contest, until the Lasers took control of the board at 14:02 with a baseline jump shot by Brad Caravoulias. Caravoulias’ bucket sent Lasell on an 11-0 run, which included a commanding one handed dunk by Jose Guitian, to put them up by 10 with 9:31 on the clock. Emerson cut the deficit back to just five points after a trey from Tom Messinger (So., Florence, Mass.), his first of five three’s.

However, just three minutes later, the Lasers had capitalized on their momentum, expanding their lead up to 34-20, following trifecta’s by Charles Horton and Kevin Fallon, and finished off by Javon Williams blocking a Lion shot and transitioning to lay in two points for Lasell. The hosts, who shot 42.9% from the field in the half, kept a double-figure lead into the break, closing out at 41-27.

Entering the second half the Lasers continued to push ahead, taking their biggest lead at an eighteen point advantage. In spite of that, Emerson’s Jeremy Shannon (Jr., Lowell, Mass., above left) set in motion a streak for the Lions bringing the visitors within eight points, with just under nine minutes to play. Yet the Lasers would not be displaced as closed out an 11 point win, 79-68.

Two Lasers finished the match-up with double-doubles. Guitian accumulated 26 points, 17 rebounds, and four blocks for the victors, while freshman forward Williams came out with 17 points, 11 boards, and added three blocks. Williams shot 54% from the field, and 100% from the free throw line in his impressive performance. Fallon went 3-6 from downtown, and 100% from the charity stripe to add 13 points for the hosts.

Shannon was the sole Lion to notch double-figures in two categories, completing 26 points and 15 rebounds, to go along with 6 assists and three steals. Messinger went 5-8 from beyond the arc for 15 points. Lasell defense held Emerson’s leading scorer Bryan Rouse (Jr., East Greenwich, R.I.) to just four points and two rebounds through the contest.

Emerson plays Rivier College in Boston on Saturday in the team's final regular season home game. Game time is 1p.m. A win by the Lions will guarantee Emerson the second seed entering the GNAC playoffs which begin on February 24.

Lions Down Monks, 73-57

Game Boxscore

BOSTON, MASS. – Emerson College kept its hopes for first place in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference alive with a convincing 73-57 victory over third place St. Joseph’s (Maine) College at Emerson’s Brown-Plofker Gym.

The Lions (16-7, 12-4 GNAC), who had five players in double figures, were led by Bryan Rouse’s (Jr., East Greenwich, R.I., left) 18 points. Rouse hit a big three-pointer with four seconds remaining in the first half to give Emerson a 35-22 halftime edge.

Emerson had a 20-17 lead with 9:55 remaining in the first half following a traditional three point play by the Monks’ Alonso Davis. The Lions then ran off eight straight points to break the game open. St. Joseph’s (16-7, 10-6 GNAC) cut the lead to 28-21 on buckets by Elbie Murphy and Ray Eatmon, but a layup by Emerson’s Jeremy Shannon (Jr., Lowell, Mass.) and two Tom Messinger (So., Florence, Mass.) free throws set the stage for Rouse’s trifecta to end the half.

St. Joseph’s opened the second half with baskets by Alberto Rue and Murphy, but the nine point deficit was as close as the Monks would come. Emerson extended the lead to 23 points three times in the half.

In addition to Rouse, Messinger had 17 points. Shannon pitched in a dozen with Nathan Firn (Fr., Waldesboro, N.C.) and Anthony Remias (Sr., Cranberry Township, Pa.) each contributing 11. Rue led all scorers with 19 for the Monks, with Murphy putting in 12, and Chris Davis adding 10.

Emerson travels to Lasell College on Tuesday evening at 7p.m for a battle for first place in the Conference.

JWU Men’s Basketball Suffers 83-75 Setback Against Emerson

From Johnson & Wales University Sports Information - 2/10/09

Providence, R.I. – Junior Bryan Rouse (East Greenwich, R.I.) scored a game-high 32 points and added 10 rebounds to lead Emerson to an 83-75 victory against the host Johnson & Wales University men’s basketball team in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference contest at the Harborside Recreation Center on Tuesday evening.

Johnson & Wales freshman Lamonte Thomas (Providence, R.I.) led the way with 15 points, six rebounds and four assists while senior Justin Adams (Providence, R.I.) added 17 points and three boards. Junior Darren Faust (Queens, N.Y.) was also in double figures with 16 points and five rebounds in the setback for the Wildcats.

Junior Jeremy Shannon (Lowell, Mass.) recorded a double-double with 17 points and 11 assists while freshman Nathan Firn (Wadesboro, N.C.) added 16 points and nine boards for the Lions. Sophomore Tom Messinger (Florence, Mass.) was also in double-figures with 13 points off the bench in the victory.

Emerson took an early 11-6 lead after a traditional three-point play by Firn with 16:11 left in the first half. JWU responded and tied the game at 21-21 on a layup by Thomas with 9:43 remaining. The two teams then traded leads for the remainder of the half with JWU holding the 38-37 lead into the locker room at halftime. Emerson had the 21-14 advantage in rebounds in the stanza, but the Lions turned the ball over 14 times which led to 11 Wildcats points.

Johnson & Wales opened the second half on an 8-4 run, capped by a layup from senior Marcus Crenshaw (Baltimore, Md.), giving the team the 46-41 advantage with 16:45 left. The game was tied 57-57 before Emerson used a 7-0 run, capped by a layup by Rouse to put the squad up 64-57 with 7:05 on the clock. The visiting Lions would lead by as many as 12 down the stretch en route to the 83-75 victory.

With the loss Johnson & Wales falls to 9-14, 8-8 in the GNAC while Emerson improves to 15-7 overall and 11-4 in league play.

Emerson next plays Saturday at 1p.m. at home against St. Joseph's College in another GNAC contest.

Lions Crush Cadets

Game Boxscore

BOSTON, MASS. -- Today at the Brown-Plofker Gym, Emerson College took a balanced approach defeating Norwich University 66-56 in men’s basketball.

After Anthony Remias (So., Cranberry Township., Pa.) started the game with a three pointer, off an assist from Bryan Rouse, (Jr., East Greenwich, R.I.) the Lions began scoring consistently in the first half. Nathan Firn (Fr., Wadesboro, N.C.) followed up with a good layup. Inside the first minute the Lions took a 5-0 lead putting up points from inside the paint and from the three point line.

The Lions played with consistency between layups, free throws and three pointers, a pace they would maintain throughout the game. Jeremy Shannon (Jr., Lowell, Mass.) backed up Remias as the pair provided Emerson steady free throw scoring. Firn and Shannon fed consistent layups to the Lion’s score. Rouse even nabbed a three point shot and the Lions drew up a 39-22 lead in the last 44 seconds of the half.

Robert Thurman (Fr., Edwards, Calif.) started the second half with a good jumper, attempting to rally the Cadets. The attempt at the rally was thwarted as the Lions maintained cohesive scoring. Rouse led the lions through the first five minutes of the half, planting free throws and two pointers.

The Lions emphasized consistency on defense, as Remias and Messinger piled on a few steals. The pair capitalized on these plays with more consistent three point shooting, as Norwich University attempted to rally. The Cadets closed the lead to within seven points, but could not gain the lead. Kabir Moss (So., Chico, Calif.) joined Shannon and Remias in their free throw barrage, and Emerson secured their endgame.

Remias and Messinger tied to lead Emerson’s scoring at 15 points. Rouse put up 14 points, and Shannon swooped into a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds.

The lead scorer for the Cadets Joshua Cabrera had 12 points and Darell Marshall had 11. Antonio Davis tied teammate Mike Filipek at seven points.

The Lions face Johnson & Wales in Providence, R.I. on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

Falcons Upset Lions in Tight Game

Game Boxscore

NEW HAVEN, CONN. -- The Albertus Magnus College Falcons made the home court advantage stand up, as the Falcons won a nip and tuck affair from the Emerson College Lions (13-7, 9-4 GNAC), 91-85 in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference match-up.

In a game that featured 20 ties and 25 lead changes, Albertus rode the 25 point, 17 rebound performance of Ray Askew, and got 18 more points from Walden St. Juste, plus 17 from Francisco Cordova to seal the win.

Jeremy Shannon (Jr., Lowell, Mass.) led five Lion players in double figures with 23 points and 10 assists. Nathan Firn (Fr., Waldesboro, N.C.) had 16 points, Anthony Remias (Sr., Cranberry Township, Pa.) added 13, Bryan Rouse (Jr., East Greenwich, R.I.) chipped in 11, and Dan Boylan (Fr. Royal Oak, Mich.) tossed in 10.

Emerson next plays Norwich University on Saturday at 1p.m.

Lions stymie Rams, 70-51

Game Boxscore

BOSTON, MASS -- Emerson College, (13-7, 9-3 Great Northeast Athletic Conference) used a smothering defense and a balanced offense to defeat Suffolk University (3-15, 2-9 GNAC) 70-51 at Emerson. The Lions held Suffolk to 29% shooting from the field, while 10 players hit the scoring column for the winners.

Emerson broke out to a 13-4 first half lead with 13:04 remaining, and held the Rams to four points until the 8:23 mark. The Lions took their larges lead of the first half at 32-16 with 2:41 left on a three-point shot by Anthony Remias (Sr., Cranberry Township, Pa.). Four consecutive Brian Small free throws and a traditional three-point play by Small cut the Emerson advantage to 32-23 at the half.

The Lions started the second half with a three-point shot by Tom Messinger (So., Florence, Mass.) just six seconds into the stanza. That started a 13-5 Emerson run that swelled the lead to 45-28 with 15:11 to play. The Lions built a 20 point lead on a layup and subsequent free throw by Jeremy Shannon (Jr., Lowell, Mass.).

Suffolk trimmed the lead to 13 points with 2:09 remaining, but could pull no closer.

Shannon led all scorers with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds. Nathan Firn (Fr., Waldesboro, N.C., above left) had 13 and played a very strong defensive game holding Small to a Suffolk high 13 points. Bryan Rouse (Jr., East Greenwich, R.I.) added 12 for the winners.

Emerson travels to New Haven, Conn. on Thursday for a 7p.m. game at Albertus Magnus College.

Lions edge Monks, 79-77

Game Boxscore

From St. Joseph's College Sports Information - 1/31/09

STANDISH, ME - Emerson College (12-6, 8-3 GNAC) slipped past Saint Joseph's (13-5, 7-4), 79-77, on Saturday afternoon to gain sole possession of second place in the conference. Ray Eatmon scored 21 points to lead the Monks, while Tyler Kelley was 3-4 from three-point range and netted 19 points in the defeat. Emerson's Jeremy Shannon (Jr., Lowell, Mass., left) led all scorers with 27 points.

St. Joe’s trailed 48-36 at halftime, but outscored Emerson 41-31 in the second half and nearly tied the contest in the final seconds, but a driving jumper by Elbie Murphy just missed as time expired, leaving the Lions on top, 79-77.

The Monks owned their largest lead 8:57 into the game after Scot Vachon ‘made a pair of freebies to put his team up 20-11. Three-pointers from Dan Boylan (Fr., Royal Oak, Mich.) on the Lions’ subsequent two possessions cut the SJC lead to three points, 20-17, less than a minute later.

Monks guard Chris Petzy connected from three-point distance with 9:34 left in the half to provide the Royal Blue with a 24-17 cushion, but the Lions kept it a two-possession contest until Shannon drilled a long ball from NBA distance at the 5:45 mark to tie the game at 29 apiece.

The teams swapped leads in the next minute of play, and the Monks held a slim 32-31 lead after Kelley translated a slick Eatmon pass into a layup with 4:47 before the break. Emerson, led by 12 points from Shannon, went on to outscore St. Joe’s 17-4 in the closing minutes of the half and took a 48-36 advantage into the locker room.

Kelley scored the first nine points of the second stanza for the Monks and his last bucket, a layup set up by an Eatmon dish, cut the Emerson lead to 52-47 with 14:52 to play.

Six minutes later, the Monks, trailing 64-58, opened a 10-0 run which was capped by a pair of Murphy freebies that saw the Monks take a 68-64 lead with 6:12 remaining. Another long three from Shannon at the 4:26 mark lifted the Lions to a 72-70 edge, but the Royal Blue countered with two free-throws from Eatmon and a jumpshot from Kelley to regain the lead, 74-72, a minute later.

Shannon and SJC guard Zach O’Brien exchanged baskets in the next minute of play, as the Monks held the slim 76-74 advantage with 2:14 left.

On the next trip down the floor, after a time out, Emerson’s Tom Messinger (So., Florence, MA) made a three pointer from the top of the key off a set play to put the Lions up 77-76 with 38 seconds to go. On the subsequent SJC possession, Murphy drove the lane, was fouled, and made one of his FT attempts to tie the game at 77 apiece with 24 seconds left in regulation.

Shannon, whose last two drives to the hoop ended with Murphy swatting the ball out of midair, weaved his way to the basket and lofted a layup over the outstretched hands of Murphy to provide the visitors with a 79-77 lead with just three seconds remaining. St. Joe’s got the ball past midcourt before calling timeout with 1.8 seconds left. Murphy received the ball off the inbounds pass and got a close-range shot off, but the ball rolled around the rim and out as the final buzzer rang.

Saint Joseph’s held slim advantages in shooting percentage (50.9% to 49.9%) and rebounding (32-29), but was unable to capitalize on their trips to the line in the loss. The Monks got to the charity stripe 28 times, but converted just 16 of those attempts (57.1%). Emerson shot 80% (12-15) from the line in the victory.

For St. Joe’s, Vachon had 10 points, five caroms and five assists and Chris Davis added seven points. O’Brien, Petzy and Murphy, who blocked three shots in the game, all netted six points.

For Emerson, Nathan Firn (Fr., Wadesboro, N.C.) and ‘Bryan Rouse (Jr., East Greenwich, R.I.) both totaled 13 points and Boylan made three treys for nine points.

Emerson is set to host Suffolk University on Monday at 7p.m.

Saints Swamp Lions, 89-67

Game Boxscore

From Emmanuel College Sports Information - 1/29/09

BOSTON, Mass. – The Emmanuel College Saints shot a season best 58.2% from the field en route to an 89-67 trouncing of Emerson College in Thursday night’s men’s basketball contest played at the Jean Yawkey Center. The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) win helped the Saints improve to 9-8 on the season and 6-4 in the conference. The Lions, who were in 2nd place in the league, dropped to 11-6 overall and 7-3 in GNAC play.

In the first five minutes of play, the Saints stormed out to a 13-2 advantage and forced an Emerson timeout after a jumper by senior forward Andres Bustamante. Emerson began to chip away behind the solid play of junior guard Jeremy Shannon (Lowell, Mass.), who hit a three-ball and a lay-up to bring the Lions to within eight, 15-7, with 14:22 remaining in the first half.

The Saints held a solid 10-point lead until the five-minute mark. With 5:27 to play before the break, Emmanuel went on a 14-4 run to stretch the lead to nineteen points, 44-25. Three Lion free throws in the final minute cut the margin to sixteen points going into halftime, 44-28.

In the opening stanza, the Saints shot an incredible 63.3% (19-30) from the floor. Emmanuel was paced by Rob Williams-Hinton and Tyrone Buchanan, who combined for 20 first-half points on 8 for 12 shooting. The Saints doubled up the Lions on the boards, out-rebounding the visitors, 18-9.

Emerson came out of the locker room on fire, going on a 13-4 run to open the second period. After three trifectas from Emerson guard Tom Messinger (So., Florence, Mass.), the Saints found themselves up by just four points, 48-44, with 14:56 showing on the clock. The next six minutes belonged to Emmanuel. The Saints surged out to a sixteen-point lead, going on a 16-4 run, to bring the score to 64-48 with 8:38 to play.

The Lions continued to claw their way back into it. After another Messinger trey and five free throws by junior forward Bryan Rouse (East Greenwich, R.I.), Emerson cut the margin to eight (73-65) with 3:25 to go. The Saints turned up the heat again in the waning moments. A fastbreak dunk by senior forward Mack Spellman ignited a 16-2 Emmanuel run that ended the game for the Lions.

Poor free throw shooting plagued the Lions, who hit just 12 of their 20 attempts. The Saints crushed the visitors on the boards, 45-20. Emmanuel’s 58.2% shooting was the key to the game. The Saints hit 32 of their 55 attempts from the field, 4 of 9 from behind the arc (44.4%), and 21 of 27 (77.8%) from the charity stripe. Despite committing 19 turnovers, versus just 13 by the Lions, the Saints cruised to the twenty-two point victory.

On offense, Emmanuel had a balanced attack with five players scoring in double figures. Junior guard Mike Jackson was the high man for the Saints, scoring 19 points on 7 for 10 shooting. Williams-Hinton and freshman guard Isaiah Duke notched 15 points apiece, while Buchanan finished up with 13 points for Emmanuel. Spellman notched another double-double with 10 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

Messinger was huge for Emerson, leading the Lions with a game-high 20 points. The sophomore guard hit six of his nine attempts from three-point land and shot 7 for 10 from the field for the game. Rouse chipped in with 14 points, earning six from the line. Shannon played a solid game for the Lions, scoring 12 points, to go along with a team-high 7 boards, and game-high 8 assists.

Emerson will take on Saint Joseph’s College in Standish, Maine on Saturday in a 3p.m. tip.

Lions Survive Falcon Rally, 78-74

Game Boxscore

BOSTON, MASS. -- Emerson College (11-5, 7-2 GNAC) built a 12 point halftime lead only to see Albertus Magnus (7-9, 3-6 GNAC) come storming back but fall just short, 78-74, in a Great Northeast Athletic conference contest.

The Lions never trailed in the first half running the lead to 15 on three occasions, the last with 2:20 remaining on a layup by Bryan Rouse (Jr., East Greenwich, R.I.). Mike Barber hit one of two free throws and Bobby Leonzo canned a layup in the final seconds to slice the halftime deficit to a dozen.

Albertus opened the second half with a flourish running off the first 10 points of the half. A Tom Messinger (So., Florence, Mass.) three stemmed the tied temporarily, but a Barber three pointer tied the score at 48 at he 11:36 mark. Albertus took the lead on a Ray Askew layup, but Sam Newman-Beck (Sr., West Medford, Mass.) tied the game for the Lions with a layup of his own. A rouse layup followed by two Barber free throws knotted the score at 52. Jeremy Shannon (Jr., Lowell, Mass.) hit two straight driving layups to forge a 56-52 Emerson lead, and though Albertus twice cut the advantage to one point, the Falcons could never regain the lead.

Shannon led all scorers with 25 points and nine rebounds. Rouse added 21 points, with Nathan Firn ( Fr., Waldesboro, N.C.) dropping in 12 for the winners. Leonzo had 17 points, Francisco Cordova chipped in 14 and Askew had 11.

Emerson next travels to Emmanuel College for a 7p.m. tip off on Thursday evening in a key GNAC match-up.

Lasers zap Lions, 88-77

Game Boxscore

BOSTON, MASS. – In the battle for first place in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Lasell College (11-4, 8-0 GNAC) defeated Emerson College (10-5, 6-3 GNAC) 88-77 at Emerson.

Jose Guitian led Lasell with 20 points and 13 rebounds, 14 of the points in the second half following a foul-plagued opening stanza.

Emerson took an early 4-0 lead, but Lasell responded with seven consecutive points. Emerson pulled to within two points two times over the next minute and a half, but Lasell was then able to extend the lead to 34-21 with 7:24 remaining in the first half. Emerson fought back to narrow the halftime gap to six points at 46-40.

Lasell dominated the paint in the first half outscoring Emerson 32-22 from in the box. The Lasers also capitalized on Emerson turnovers converting 16 points off only eight Emerson miscues.

Emerson again started strongly in the second half, tying the score at 54 with 13:59 remaining on a three-point shot from Tom Messinger (So., Florence, Mass.). Following a Laser time out, Lasell scored the next six points to take a 60-54 lead. Again Emerson came back to within two points on another Messinger three ball, but a 9-0 run by Lasell put the game away.

Bench scoring played a big part in the game with the Laser reserves outscoring Emerson’ subs 30-16. Emerson also converted only 14 of 24 free throws.

In addition to Guitian, Corey Godfrey with 18, Brad Caravoulias with 17, and Charles Horton with a dozen were in double figures for Lasell.

Bryan Rouse (Jr., East Greenwich, R.I.) led Emerson with 22 points and seven rebounds. Messinger, Nathan Firn (Fr., Waldesboro, N.C.), and Jeremy Shannon (Jr., Lowell, Mass.) all had 14 points, while Anthony Remias (Sr., Cranberry township, Pa.) had 11.

Emerson hosts Albertus Magnus College Tuesday evening at 7p.m. in a GNAC contest.

Lions Hold off Determined Wildcats, 79-73

Game Boxscore

BOSTON, MASS. -- Emerson College (10-4, 6-1 Great Northeast Athletic Conference) squandered most of a 16 point second half lead, but behind Bryan Rouse's (Jr., East Greenwich, R.I.) 28 points held on to defeat Johnson & Wales University (5-10, 4-4 GNAC) 79-73.

The Lions had an 11 point lead with 1:41 remaining following a Tom Messinger (So., Florence, Mass.) three-pointer. Calvin Jones (Fr., Providence, R.I.) cut the lead to 78-70 with a traditional three point play. Lamonte Thomas scored a layup following an Emerson missed three and a missed foul shot, to bring the Wildcats to within 78-72 with 31 seconds remaining. Justin Adams could manage to hit just one of two free throws to close the gap to 78-73 with 31 seconds left, but a rouse free throw with five ticks remaining sealed the win.

Rouse had a monster first half leading to a 37-27 halftime advantage. Emerson's center, who had been the GNAC Player of the Week each of the past two weeks, and was named the ECAC New England Division III player of the Week last week, had 18 points and 11 rebounds in the first 20 minutes. Emerson led most of the half, but a 7-1 run by the Wildcats tied the game at 23 with 4:28 remaining. Kabir Moss (So., Chico, Calif.) answered with a three ball and ignited a 14-4 Lion run to end the half.

Emerson led throughout the second half, stretching the lead to 68-52 with 6:58 left in the half. Thomas had 10 points in the Wildcats' comeback, but Rouse's five points during the same stretch enabled the Lions to hang on for the win.

In addition to his 28 points, Rouse, the GNAC's leading scorer, had 16 rebounds, four assists and a steal. Jeremy Shannon had 16 points for Emerson, all but two in the second half, to go along with a half dozen assists. Messinger added 15 on five three-point shots.

Thomas led JWU with 19 points, and Darren Faust had 12. Marcus Crenshaw was also in double figures with 10, had six blocked shots, and had 10 rebounds. Paul Nicholson had a game high 11 boards for JWU, and added five blocks for the Wildcats.

Emerson will host Lasell College in a battle for first place in the GNAC, Saturday afternoon at 1p.m.

NORWICH UPENDS EMERSON, 76-70

From Norwich University Sports Information - 1/19/09

Game Boxscore

NORTHFIELD, Vt. – Jaren Jeffcoat scored a team-high 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and Robert Thurman posted a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds as the Norwich University (4-10, 2-5 Great Northeast Athletic Conference) men’s basketball team overcame a 16-point second half deficit to defeat Emerson (9-4, 5-1 GNAC), 76-70, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) game Monday evening at Andrews Hall.

Jeffcoat scored 17 of his 19 points after halftime to help fuel the Norwich comeback. Joshua Cabrera chipped in 12 points for the Cadets, who improve to 4-10 (2-5 GNAC). Andrew Menzie netted nine points for Norwich, while Antonio Davis added eight points and a team-high 11 rebounds.

Emerson (9-4, 5-1 GNAC) was led by Jeremy Shannon (Jr., Lowell, Mass., above left), who scored 17 of his game-high 24 points after halftime. The junior guard, who scored his 1,000th career point midway through the second half, added a game-high 13 rebounds. Bryan Rouse (Jr., East Greenwich, R.I.) contributed 21 points and seven rebounds for the Lions, while Anthony Remias (Sr., Carnberry Township, Pa.) chipped in 15 points on five three-pointers.

The Cadets outscored the Lions, 48-30, in the second half to score the upset victory. Norwich shot a blistering 62.5 percent from the field in the second stanza. Norwich trailed 46-30 early in the second half, but the Cadets used a 35-6 run over a span of 13 minutes to take a 65-52 lead with 5:24 to play. Jeffcoat scored nine consecutive points during the spurt, including a four-point play, to turn a 52-48 deficit into a 57-52 lead. NU eventually led by as many as 13 before Emerson went on a furious 18-5 run to cut Norwich’s lead down to 72-70 with 31 seconds to play. The Cadets, who struggled from the charity stripe throughout the second half, hit enough free throws down the stretch to seal the win.

The Cadets got off to a quick 6-0 lead less than two minutes into the game. Emerson responded with a 14-2 spurt to take a 14-8 lead at the 14:11 mark. The Lions continued to lead throughout the first half, and they took a 40-28 advantage into halftime.

Rouse scored 13 points in the first half to pace Emerson. Remias hit four three-pointers for 12 points. Cabrera paced the Cadets in the opening frame with 10 points. Thurman added eight points for NU.

Emerson quickly extended its lead to a game-high 16 points as the Lions outscored the Cadets 8-2 to start the second half. Emerson then went very cold from the floor, which allowed Norwich to make its comeback.

The Lions hit just 32.3 percent of their shots after halftime, after nailing 44.4 percent before the break. For the game, Emerson shot 37.9 percent, while Norwich hit 49.1 percent of its shots. The Cadets held a 38-35 rebounding edge.

The Lions return to the court on Wednesday evening at 7p.m. when they will host Johnson & Wales University.

Lions Romp over Raiders

Game Boxscore

NASHUA, N.H. - Emerson College (9-3, 5-0 Great Northeast Athletic Conference) jumped out early with a 10-0 run to begin the game at Rivier College ( and never let the foot off the gas as the Lions cruised to a 95-68 victory at the Muldoon Health Fitness Center.

Jeremy Shannon (Jr., Lowell, Mass.) led the way for the Lions with 23 points on 8-12 shooting form the field. Tom Messinger (So., Florence, Mass., above left) had 20 of Emerson's 53 bench points, while Bryan Rouse (Jr., East Greenwich, R.I.) tossed in 18 points and added 13 rebounds. Emerson shot over 57% from the field in the contest.

The Lions will attempt to extend their five game winning streak on Monday, when they travel to Norwich University for a 5:30p.m. tip-off.

Lions Shoot Down Gulls 83-73

Game Boxscore

BOSTON, MASS. -- The Emerson Lions (8-3) defeated Endicott College (6-7) tonight in non-conference men’s basketball 83-73.

The Lions took the lead early in the first half with three-point shots from Tom Messinger (So., Florence, Mass.) and Jeremy Shannon (Jr., Lowell, Mass.) This six point lead, in the first five minutes, set the tempo for the game.

The Lions scored eight out of 15 three point field goals, for 53.3 percent accuracy. Messinger dominated from downtown putting up nine points in the first half. Endicott did close the lead to within one point early in the first half, but Emerson broke away to finish the half with a 42-30 lead.

Leading scorer Bryan Rouse (Jr., East Greenwich, R.I.) put nine first half points on the scoreboard. Rouse opened the second half strongly with eight more points in the first five minutes. When the Endicott men began addressing the threat posed by Rouse, Messinger and Dan Boylan (Fr., Royal Oak, Mich., above left) stepped up with more three-point shots. Dominating downtown, the pair put nine more points on the board, off three point shots alone. The lions canned 12 of 20 shots from behind the arc in the game.

Anthony Remais (Sr., Cranberry Township, Penn.) also added six points in the half, including an additional three pointer.

Rouse ran the Lions' lead to 20 with 7:51 left to play by sinking another three point shot. Endicott was able to close the score to within ten points to finish the game.

Rouse lead the game in scoring for Emerson, earning a double-double, for a total of 28 points and 10 rebounds in the game. Boylan followed him with 15 points hitting four of five trifectas, and Messinger added with 14 points.

Graham Whitelaw had 20 points for Endicott. Bobby Montrond put up 11 points. Erik Callo , Aaron Karkow and Chris Galbraith each had ten.

Emerson will travel to Rivier College on Saturday for a 1p.m. Great Northeast Athletic Conference start.

Lions' Rally Tames Mustangs, 72-70

Game Boxscore

BOSTON, MASS. – Emerson College (7-4, 4-0 Great Northeast Athletic Conference) rallied from a 13 point halftime deficit to defeat Mount Ida College (6-4, 0-3 GNAC) 72-70. Emerson twice trailed by 16 points in the first half.

Mount Ida dominated the opening 20 minutes holding Emerson, the 2007-208 NCAA Division III shooting percentage champion, to just 33% shooting from the field. A good free throw shot by Travis Hillery gave Mount Ida a 33-17 lead with 5:11 remaining in the half. Anthony Remais (Sr., Cranberry Township, Pa.) hit a jumper to pull Emerson within 14, but Joseph Cabral sunk the back end of a two shot foul to set the lead at 15. Two Remais free throws pulled Emerson within 13, but Michael Dunham buried a three-ball to send the lead back to 16 with 2:47 left. The teams traded baskets and free throws to end the half with Remais dropping a free throw with eight seconds remaining for the 13 point halftime deficit. In the half Mount Ida had a 10-3 point advantage off turnovers and dominated the paint by a 20-12 margin.

Emerson opened the second half with a layup by Nathan Firn (Fr., Waldesboro, N.C.), but Hillery added a layup of his own to give the Mustangs their largest advantage of the second half at 42-29. Emerson knocked the lead down to seven points following foul shots from Jeremy Shannon (Jr., Lowell, Mass.) and Bryan Rouse (Jr., East Greenwich, Conn., above left) with 17:02 remaining. Mount Ida twice managed to push the advantage to 11 points, the first time on a layup by Darren Martinez and took a 50-39 lead on a Hillery layup with 15:18 remaining. Emerson scored the next seven points on a Remais three, a Shannon layup, and a jumper by Rouse to pull within 50-46 with 12:59 left on the clock.

Johrone Bunch stopped the bleeding temporarily with a jumper, but Emerson completed a 14-2 run to take a 54-52 lead on a Firn trifecta. Bunch tied the game on a jumper and a traditional three point play by Teddy Louis gave the Mustangs a 57-54 lead. Rouse hit a jump shot to bring Emerson within a point, but a free throw by Matt Bennett followed by a Louis layup pushed the Mustang lead to 60-54 at the 8:25 mark.

Two Rouse layups tied the score at 60 and Bennett hit one of two free throws to give the Mustangs their last lead of the night. Two Firn foul shots gave Emerson a 62-61 lead. A three point play by Remais gave Emerson a 64-61 advantage, but the Mustangs rallied with two free throws by Isiah Benjamin, and a Bennett jump shot to tie the game at 65 with 4:12 left.

A jump shot by Rouse and a Shannon layup gave Emerson a lead the Lions would not relinquish, although Mount Ida pulled within one point with two minutes remaining and again with seven seconds left on a Bennett layup. Rouse hit one of two free throws to give Emerson a 72-70 lead, but a Bunch three-point shot at the buzzer was wide left.

Rouse lead all scorers and rebounders in the game with 26 points and 11 boards. Remais added a dozen points for the Lions while Shannon, the GNAC’s leading scorer coming into the game, was held to nine. Firn also chipped in with nine.

For the Mustangs, Bunch dropped in 18 points, Bennett had 16, and Hillery scored 14. Bunch also had nine rebounds and seven assists.

Emerson will face non-conference foe Endicott College Thursday evening in a 5p.m. tip at home.

Rouse scores 1,000th Point as Lions take Neighborhood Tilt

From Suffolk University Sports Information - 1/10/09

Game Boxscore

BOSTON, MASS. -- The Suffolk University Men's Basketball team (0-3 GNAC, 1-9 overall) could not survive a late defensive surge by the Emerson Lions (3-0 GNAC, 6-3 overall) in an 88-81 loss to their cross town rival Saturday afternoon at Suffolk's Regan Gymnasium.

Mario Massimino led the Rams with 21 points on 10-17 shooting. It was Massimino's second consecutive 20-point performance. Sophomore guard Allan Ray added six rebounds.

Emerson's Bryan Rouse (Jr., East Greenwich, Conn., upper left) reached the 1,000 point plateau in the Lions' Great Northeast Athletic Conference victory with 21 points. He is the 11th player in Emerson's history to achieve that feat. Rouse shot 9-15 and added seven rebounds. Rouse was honored at half-court for his achievement after his bucket 3:35 into the game. Junior point guard Jeremy Shannon (Lowell, Mass.) was one assist shy of a triple-double in the contest as he finished with a game-high 23 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists. Rouse and Shannon are currently first and second in the conference in scoring.

Suffolk took a 39-34 lead into the break, but a 15-point turnaround and a Rouse jumper gave the Lions a 69-59 lead with 7:12 remaining. The Rams battled back, using back-to-back shots from Joe Ransom and Massimino to cut the deficit to 74-71 with 3:11 on the clock. Ransom finished his afternoon with four points and six rebounds.

After a Tom Messinger (So., Florence, Mass.) three-pointer from the corner put the Lions up 77-71, field goals from Small and Massimino made it a 78-76 game with just 1:52 remaining.

Emerson's defense held Suffolk to 0-3 shooting and forced a turnover in the Rams' next four possessions to wrap up the win. The Lions shot 6-7 from the free-throw line down the stretch.

Emerson hosts Mount Ida on Tuesday in a 5:00pm game.

Lions edge Saints 96-93 in Double OT

Game Boxscore

BOSTON, MASS. – Despite hitting only three of seven free throws in the second overtime period, Emerson College (5-3, 2-0 Great Northeast Athletic Conference) held on to outlast Emmanuel College (2-5, 0-2 GNAC) 96-93 in double overtime at Emerson.

The game was close throughout as there were 14 ties and 25 lead changes. Emerson led at the half 41-39 on a three point shot by Dan Boylan (Fr., Royal Oak, Mich.) with 19 seconds remaining. Each team shot well in the opening stanza with Emmanuel hitting at a 63% clip from the field and Emerson shooting .591. Six Emerson three point shots, including a 3-5 performance from behind the arc by Tom Messinger (So., Florence, Mass., left), kept the Lions in the game. Messinger led all first half scorers with 17 points.

Emmanuel crept to a four point lead with 11:46 remaining in the second half when Rob Williams-Hinton made a layup to put the Saints up 58-54. Emerson responded with a 10-0 run including another Messinger three, and a layup by Bryan Rouse (Jr., East Greenwich, R.I.). The Lions’ six-point lead was the largest of the half for either team.

A layup by the Saints Tyrone Buchanan gave Emmanuel the lead back at 67-66 with just under five minutes to play. The team traded free throws before a Drew Venter (Fr., Boston, Mass.) layup gave Emerson a 71-69 lead with 3:37 to play. Emmanuel’s Andres Bustamante hit a foul shot, followed by two free throws by Shannon giving the Lions a 73-71 edge. A Shannon jumper at 2:46 was followed by a layup by Isaiah Duke. Mike Jackson tied the game for Emmanuel with 1:37 remaining in regulation on a drive, but fouled Shannon on the ensuing possession. Shannon hit the back end of two free throws to give Emerson a 76-75 edge. Shannon returned the favor 63 second later and put Williams-Hinton at the line with 47 ticks left. Williams-Hinton missed the first and hit the second to forge the tie. A three point attempt at the end of the half by Messinger didn’t connect.

Williams-Hinton opened the first overtime with a layup, but Emerson answered on a Shannon layup, and a Rouse layup and two free throws from Rouse to gain a 82-78 advantage. A Messinger layup gave Emerson its last points of the period with 2:19 to play. A layup by Duke and a free throw by Jackson with a minute remaining set the stage for a traditional three point play by Tyrone Buchanan that tied the game at 84 with 25 seconds left. A three-point attempt by Shannon and an attempted put back by Rouse as time expired led to the second overtime.

Rouse opened the second overtime with a layup and a free throw. Emmanuel responded on a jumper by Williams-Hinton and a layup by Eric Spanbauer to take an 88-87 lead. Rouse countered with a layup of his own with 3:25 remaining to take the lead back. A Duke free throw tied the score at 89, and Shannon responded with a layup. Spanbauer matched that shot to force the last tie of the game. A Messinger three-ball moved the Lions to a 94-91 lead at the 58 second mark. Anthony Remias (Sr., Cranberry Township, Pa.) made one of two free throws to give Emerson a four point lead. Spanbauer made a layup to bring Emmanuel within two, but the Saints could get no closer despite Boylan making only one of four foul shots down the stretch.

Messinger led all players with a career high 29 points. Shannon added 24 (with 11 rebounds) and Rouse had 22 for Emerson. Williams-Hinton lead five Saints in double figures with 28 points. Mack Spellman (Sr., Clinton, N.Y.) had a double-double for Emmanuel with 10 points and 12 boards.

Emerson is now idle until the new year. The Lions resume play at Suffolk University on January 10 at 2p.m.

Engineers Survive Emerson Rally, 65-57

From MIT Sports Information - December 9, 2008

Game Boxscore

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – MIT delivered a phenomenal first-half of basketball and led by as many as 26 points in the second. It nearly wasn’t enough as Emerson stormed back before falling to the Engineers, 65-57, on Tuesday in Rockwell Cage. Jimmy Bartolotta made the difference for MIT after scoring a game-high 27 points.

Coming out of the break with a 37-18 lead, the Engineers extended the advantage to 47-21 with 17 minutes left in the game. Freshman Jamie Karraker, who finished the night with 15 points, scored the first six points of the second frame after scoring the first nine markers of the game.

Rookie Dan Boylan (Fr., Royal Oak, Mich.) sparked a 25-8 run for the Lions midway through the second that reduced a once seemingly insurmountable lead to single digits. Trailing 55-46 with five minutes left in regulation, Emerson continued to chip at the lead. Tom Messinger (So., Florence, Mass.) drilled his second three of the half with 53 seconds left to bring the Lions within four (59-55) for the first time since the 14-minute mark of the first half. Unfortunately, time ran out for Emerson as MIT secured its third consecutive win at the free-throw line.

In addition to his game-high effort on the offensive end, Bartolotta grabbed nine rebounds, made three steals and registered all four of MIT’s blocked shots.

Emerson leading scorer Jeremy Shannon (Jr., Lowell, Mass.) was held to 17 points on 6-of-15 shooting, although he scored 11 of his points during Emerson’s furious comeback late in the game. Bryan Rouse (Jr., East Greenwich, R.I.) cooled off after a hot start in the paint and finished with 16 points.

The turnovers and rebounds were fairly even, with MIT closing plus-four on the glass. The Engineers held the Lions to 27% shooting in the first half (6-of-22), while the Lions turned the tables on MIT’s offense in the second (8-of-22).

With the game tied 7-7 five minutes into the action, the Engineers quickly doubled their total behind four free-throws and a three off the hand of Bartolotta. MIT maintained the pressure throughout the half with Eric Zuk’s three giving the Cardinal and Gray its largest lead of the half at 33-14 with less than four minutes to play

Emerson next hosts Emmanuel College on Saturday, December 13 in a 12:00 noon start.

No Roar for Lions, as Brandeis prevails 97-70

Game Boxscore

BOSTON, MASS. -- Brandeis University (4-3) dominated Emerson College (4-2) on the boards, in the paint, and in scoring taking a 97-70 non-conference men's basketball victory.

Brandeis’ was led by Terell Hollins' (So., Springfield, Mass.) career-high 27 points and 14 rebounds.

At 14:32 in the first half the Judges took the lead 12-0. The Lions managed to close the lead to 14-7. It was the closest Emerson came for the rest of the game. Brandeis showed a strong inside game scoring 26 points in the paint the half.

At 14:41 in the second half Emerson again closed the lead to seven points. Brandeis countered with a15-0 run that effectively ended the game.

Brandeis shot a blazing 62.5 percent from the field and dominated in rebounds 42-24.

Bryan Rouse (So., East Greenwich, R.I.) scored 24 points for Emerson, and Jeremy Shannon (So., Lowell, Mass.) scored 15, with 10 rebounds for his second consecutive double-double.

Emerson next plays at MIT on Tuesday evening at 7p.m.

Shannon’s 30 Second Half Points Power Lions Past Eagles

From Daniel Webster College Sports Information (12/4/08)

Game Boxscore

NASHUA, N.H. – Held to just seven points in the first half, Emerson College junior guard Jeremy Shannon (Lowell, Mass., left) exploded for 28 second half points guiding the Lions past host Daniel Webster College, 81-62 in a regional men’s basketball matchup Thursday night at Vagge Gymnasium.

Shannon, who added 12 rebounds, nine assists and two steals, scored 20 consecutive second half points for Emerson as the Lions (4-1) rebounded from an early six-point second half deficit and shot 71-percent in the second frame after hitting just 28-percent in the first.

Bryan Rouse (E. Greenwich, R.I.) added 17 for the Lions, while Drew Venter (Boston, Mass.) added 12.

Brian Inge (Fort Washington, Md.) led the Eagles (3-2) with 14 points, while Steve Savage (Salem, N.H.) added 12 and Victor Rios (Staten Island, N.Y.) knocked down 10.

With Emerson trailing 34-31, Shannon's scoring spree led to a 20-5 run that put the visitors in control by nine at 46-37 with 15:07 to play.

After the Eagles would whittle the lead to three on an Inge trey for a 51-48 game with 10:06 to go, Emerson answered with a 15-0 run keyed by eight points from Shannon and three straight layups from Rouse.

Emerson hosts Brandeis Saturday at 1p.m.

Rouse Shines as Lions Turn off Beacons

Game Boxscore

BOSTON, MASS. – Emerson College center Bryan Rouse (Jr., East Greenwich, R.I.) dropped in 38 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Emerson College (3-1) to an 86-58 victory over UMass Boston (1-3) at Emerson’s Bobbi Brown and Steven Plofker Gymnasium. Rouse shot 15 for 19 from the filed including four of five three-point shots.

Emerson began the game with an 11-0 run. UMass Boston got on the board with 14:44 remaining in the first half on a jumper by James St. Fleur, Jr. (Fr., Brockton, Mass.). The nine point deficit was as close as the Beacons would come in the half as Emerson cruised to a 40-28 halftime advantage.

A three point shot by UMass Boston’s Chris Milton (Fr., Milton, Mass.) dropped the Lion advantage to 40-31 to open the second half, but Emerson them went on a 9-0 run to stretch the lead to 18 points. The Lions continued to pull away throughout the half, three times stretching the advantage to 31 points.

Emerson, the defending NCAA Champion in Field Goal Percentage in Division III, shot .565 for the game, and held the Beacons under 38% shooting. The Lions dominated the inside game outscoring UMass Boston 24-8 in the paint.

Jeremy Shannon (Jr., Lowell, Mass.) added 20 points for Emerson on 8-12 shooting from the field and 2-3 on trifectas. Shannon also had eight assists, five rebounds and four steals. For UMass Boston, Milton had 18 making three three-point shots, and Pat Joseph (So., Queens, N.Y.) was also in double figures with 10 points and added seven rebounds.

Emerson next plays at home on Saturday, December 6 at 1p.m. against Brandeis University in a non-conference contest.

Babson Men’s Hoops Outguns Emerson, 94-89

From Babson College Sports Information -- November 25, 2008

Game Boxscore

BABSON PARK, MASS. – Senior captain Zach Etten (Hollis, N.H.) recorded a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds and sophomore Shelton Ladson (New York, N.Y.) added 18 points and nine boards to lead the Babson College men’s basketball team to a thrilling 94-89 victory over visiting Emerson College in a non-conference matchup of unbeatens on Tuesday night. With the win, the Beavers remained perfect at 4-0, while the Lions suffered their first loss to drop to 2-1.

Etten shot just 4-for-12 from the floor but hit all 11 of his free throw attempts for 22 points while also posting 10 rebounds and four assists. Ladson chipped in with 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including a stellar 5-for-5 clip from three-point range, while also pulling down nine boards and dishing out three helpers. First-year Marcus Edwards (East Hampton, N.Y.) also shot 6-for-11 for 14 points, including six straight during a critical 9-2 run late in the game, senior Pat Belniak (Sutton, Mass.) hit 5-of-6 to finish with 13 points and six rebounds, and sophomore Eric White (Hyattsville, Md.) chipped in with eight points off the bench, including two key trifectas in the second half.

Junior Jeremy Shannon (Lowell, Mass.) had a monster game in defeat for Emerson, shooting 15-for-22 from the field and 10-for-11 from the line for a game-high 42 points to go with nine assists, four rebounds, and three steals. Junior Bryan Rouse (East Greenwich, Conn.) added 18 points and five boards while hitting 6-of-11 from the floor, and sophomore Tom Messinger (Florence, Mass.) netted 14 points.

Babson began the game with an 18-5 run that was fueled by nine early points from Ladson, but Emerson closed the gap to 34-32 with a 12-2 spurt later in the period that featured six points from Shannon and three-pointers from Messinger and Rouse. The two teams would remain close for the rest of the half as Babson took an eventual 48-43 lead into the break.

The first seven minutes of the second half featured three ties and five lead changes, culminating with a three-pointer by Messinger that gave the Lions their final advantage of the game, 64-63, with 12:41 left to play. Babson then embarked on a 14-2 run that was highlighted by a pair of three-pointers by White and another trifecta by Ladson as the Beavers jumped out to a 77-66 lead with 9:23 to go.

Emerson still trailed by double figures at 79-69 with 7:32 remaining, but the Lions erupted for eight straight points, including two more buckets by Shannon, to pull to within two at 79-77 with 4:24 on the clock. However, the Beavers put the game away with a 9-2 barrage over the next three minutes, including six straight points by Edwards and a three-pointer by Etten, to extend their lead to 88-79 with 1:40 remaining.

The Lions would get back to within five after a three by Shannon made it 92-87 with 35 ticks left, but Babson first-year Lambros Papalambros (Quincy, Mass.) hit two big free throws with 22 seconds on the clock as the Beavers held on for the eventual 94-89 victory.

Emerson next plays Tuesday, December 2 when the Lions will host UMass Boston in their home opener in a 5p.m. tip off.

Shannon Buzzer Beater Tames Mustangs

From Mount Ida College Sports Information

Game Boxscore

Saturday, November 22, 2008 (Newton Centre, MA) - With the score tied at 63-63 with 3.3 seconds remaining in the contest, junior guard Jeremy Shannon (Lowell, MA/Canterbury School) netted the game winning three-pointer with time expiring for visiting Emerson College men’s basketball to give the Lions the 66-63 victory over Mount Ida College in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action this Saturday afternoon. The Mustangs drop their first loss of the season (3-1) and their first GNAC (0-1) loss while the Lions improve to 2-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play.

The game opened with the visitors scoring the first six points of the contest off two consecutive shots from downtown by sophomore Tom Messinger (Florence, MA/Deerfield Academy) and junior Bryan Rouse (East Greenwich, RI/Toll Gate) up 6-0 in the first three minutes.

The entire first half was sloppy for everyone with both teams shooting under 35 percent. The Lions led early on by as many as nine capped off by a Shannon jumper ahead 18-9 with 9:14 to go before the break. The Mustangs would turn up the offense and pull within four points of the lead off a Johrone Bunch (Meriden, CT/F.T. Maloney) three pointer trailing 18-14 at the seven minute mark.

The teams would exchange baskets for the next six minutes until Mount Ida knotted the score at 25-25 on two good free throws by junior Darren Martinez (Mattapan, MA/Brookline). Neither squad converted in the final minute of the first half heading into the break deadlocked at 25-25. The Lions were in serious foul trouble going into the second set with three starters at three fouls a piece.

The second half opened with a barrage of three’s in the first five and a half minutes all drained by Messinger giving Emerson the immediate six point advantage. The Mustangs answered on a couple of Matt Bennett (Rochester, NH/Spaulding) jumpers keeping the lead close, not giving the visitors a chance to blow the game open only trailing 39-33.

The Lions pulled ahead by eight points with 13 minutes to go in the contest on a couple of Shannon free throws up 43-35. But Mount Ida would not be denied answering with two huge shots from behind the arc by Bennett and junior Bruce Cary (Standish, ME/Bonny Eagle) erasing the lead and going up by one, 46-45, at the ten minute mark.

The Mustangs started to control the advantage and led by as many as six point on a Travis Hillery (Tyngsboro, MA/Central Catholic) lay-up leading 53-47 with the crowd going wild. The visitors were in severe foul trouble at this point and ended up losing Messinger and freshman Nathan Firn (Wadesboro, NC/Joseph A. Foran) within 30 second span at the four minute mark. Mount Ida was ahead 61-56 on a Bennett lay-up with 3:54 remaining in the game immediately after two Lions had fouled out.

Shannon took over the game with 3:34 to go scoring seven out of the last nine points for his team including the buzzer beater. He would cut the hosts lead to three off (58-61) a jumper in the paint. Immediately following a Bennett lay-up to pull away again by five (58-63), Shannon drained another from downtown to pull within two at 63-61 with less than three minutes to go. A Hillery foul gave Lions center Rouse two free throws that he ended up making to lock up the game at 63-63 with under a minute remaining.

Emerson had two chances to win the contest. Their first was off a Mustang turnover at the top of the key by Martinez giving them the ball and 30 seconds for a last shot for the victory. They ended up missing the first off a runner in the lane by Shannon that was deflected out of bounds with 3.3 seconds on the clock. They inbounded the ball from underneath the basket to Shannon and with two Mustangs in his face. He threw up a turn around prayer than was knocked down with the buzzer sounding. The Lions, who were outplayed for most of the game, snuck away with the 66-63 victory, their first conference win of the year.

The Mustangs saw a couple of outstanding individual performances, especially by Bennett, who netted a game high 24 points with 11 caroms good for his first double-double of the season. Bunch was perfect from the charity stripe going 8-8 with 13 points and one rebound. Thompson and Cary scored six points a piece and combined for 12 boards.

Emerson saw three great performances statistically from Messinger who dropped in 15 points all coming off the three-pointer. Rouse netted a team high 22 points with five boards going 7-8 from the line. Shannon was the difference for his squad though scoring 19 points, 15 coming in the second half, nine caroms, and three assists for the game.

Emerson next plays Tuesday evening at Babson College in a 7p.m. start.

Lions Edge Wheaton in Double OT to take season opener

From Wheaton College Sports Information - 11/20/08

Video

NORTON, MA- The Wheaton College men's basketball team nearly withstood Emerson College's barrage of three-pointers before falling in its home opener, 100-97 in double overtime on Thursday evening in Emerson Gymnasium. The Lyons fell to 3-1, being denied the second 4-0 start in program history, while the visitors won their opener while taking their second straight meeting from Wheaton after losing the first 13. The Lions, who led Division III in shooting percentage last year, received national votes for five weeks during the 2007-08 season.

Wheaton pushed out to a 44-38 lead at 16:21 of the second half, but Emerson responded with nine straight points during a 1:22 span, taking the lead on freshman Drew Venter's (Boston, MA/Mansfield) three. The Lyons pulled within one point four times before freshman Anthony Weeks (Fitchburg, MA/Worcester Academy) converted a three-point play to give his squad a 56-54 edge at 8:21.

Freshman Alex Dempsey (Anchorage, AK/West) nailed a three from the corner just 21 seconds later, giving Emerson the lead right back. The Lions twice extended their lead to four points before Wheaton sophomore Anthony Coppola (Watertown, MA/Watertown) drew the teams even at 65 with 3:34 to play. That proved to be the second of six second-half ties, two of which occurred in the final 14.2 seconds. After Coppola's driving lay-up put the Lyons on top with 26.8 ticks to go, Dempsey's bucket with 14.2 seconds remaining knotted the score. Weeks' reverse lay-in and ensuing free throw gave the hosts a 75-72 edge with 7.0 left, but junior Jeremy Shannon (Lowell, MA/Canterbury School) canned an off-balance three from the top of the key with 0.2 showing.

In the first overtime period, Coppola scored the first bucket and dished off for the second to make it 79-75, but consecutive treys by the Lions put them on top by two before Weeks knotted the game at 81 with 2:09 to go. Shannon drained another three from five feet beyond the arc at 47 ticks, but Wheaton sophomore Ryan Sasso (Peabody, MA/Bishop Fenwick) converted a three-point play with 23.8 left, spinning in the lane and banking the ball off glass for his bucket. The Lyons regained possession after an Emerson miss but could not get a shot off.

The teams played through three more ties in the second extra session, with free throws by Coppola forcing the final two, the 12th and 13th of the game. However, a Dempsey three with 1:20 left put Emerson on top for good. A Coppola hoop at 20.7 again made it a 98-97 contest, but two Emerson free throws at 14.2 created the final margin, and a Lyon three from the corner with time winding down was off the mark.

In the opening stanza, a 7-0 Wheaton run pushed it to a 9-5 edge by 14:29, but Emerson later scored six straight and captured an 18-15 edge before the Lyons came back. Down by a 20-19 count, Wheaton ran off eight straight points to take a 27-20 lead on senior Nick Michel's (Hyde Park, MA/Boston Latin School) basket at 4:37. The visiting Lions whittled their deficit to 33-32 by halftime, scoring the final three points on free throws.

Coppola led Wheaton with 23 points while going 5-of-7 from the charity stripe and snagging a game-high-tying nine rebounds. He reached the 100-point mark for the season, becoming the first Lyon to reach the plateau in his team's initial four games. Sasso turned in 19 points and three steals, while Weeks collected 18 points on 5-of-7 shooting, turning in a 7-of-8 showing on free-throw tries. Stehle shot 7-of-10 for 17 points.

Junior Bryan Rouse (East Greenwich, RI/Toll Gate) notched a game-high 28 points for Emerson, going 9-of-12 at the line, while Shannon shot 5-of-7 from deep en route to a near-triple-double of 25 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds. Dempsey finished with 17 points, and Venter shot 5-of-6 for 15 points. The Lions shot just 2-of-7 from three-point range in the opening period before going 11-of-16 after halftime.

Emerson next plays at Mount Ida College Saturday at 1p.m. in the season's Great Northeast Athletic Conference opener.

Nor'easters Blow Emerson Out of ECAC Tourney 104-99 in OT

Game Boxscore

Boston, Mass. (3/5/08) - Johnnie Jefferson scored 43 points including 10 in overtime as eighth seeded University of New England (16-11) upset top seeded Emerson College (24-5) 104-99 in the first round of the Eastern College Athletic Conference New England Division III Tournament. The win by the Nor'easters capped off a night of upsets as second seeded Emmanuel College and fourth seeded Fitchburg State College each were eliminated on their home floor.

Following a close initial 10 minutes which saw three ties and seven lead changes, Emerson went out to a 34-22 lead. A 12-0 run for UNE erased the deficit over the next 6:30 as two free throws from Isaac Stickney tied the game with 3:32 remaining. Emerson immediately ran the lead back to six on back to back trifectas by Tom Messinger (Fr., Florence, Mass.) and Will Dawkins (Sr., Springfield, Mass., above left), and went into halftime with a 43-39 advantage.

Emerson pulled out to a 50-39 margin to begin the second half and for the next four minutes UNE could pull no closer than six. The Lions ran the lead back to 10 on four different occasions, the last being a 69-59 advantage following two free throws by Dawkins.

A 10-0 run, with seven points coming from Jefferson, tied the game at 69 with 6:39 remaining. The Lions responded again with a 7-2 run taking a 76-71 lead with an even five minutes on the clock. Layups by Chas Rentrope and Franco Foti brought the Nor'easters to within 76-75. A Dawkins free throw gave the Lions a two point lead, but Jefferson made a traditional three point play to give UNE a 78-77 advantage. A Stickney free throw followed by a Jefferson three ball gave UNE an 82-77 lead with 1:29 left in regulation.

Messenger hit a three at the 1:08 mark to pull Emerson to within two, but a Jaykyri Simpson layup gave UNE an 84-80 lead at 39 seconds. Dawkins nailed a three ball to pull the Lions within a point. Rentrope hit two free throws at 23 seconds for an 86-83 lead, but Dawkins came back and after a Jeremy Shannon (So., Lowell, Mass.) rebound of Dawkins' missed three, buried a 25 foot shot with seven seconds left to force the extra period.

Emerson got the tip to begin the extra session, but turned the ball over. Jefferson hit a layup to give the Nor'easters the lead for good only 13 seconds into the overtime.

In addition to Jefferson, Stickney with 16 and Rentrope and Foti with 12 each were in double figures for UNE. Dawkins ended his career with a 33 point, seven rebound effort for the Lions. Shannon finished with 21 points and nine rebounds, and Bryan Rouse (So., East Greenwich, R.I.) had 17 for the Lions.

First time is a Charm as Lasell Defeats Lions for GNAC Title, 86-72

Game Boxscore

Boston, Mass. (3/1/08) - Second seeded Lasell College (20-8) rode the scoring and rebounding of Tournament MVP Jose Guitian (Jr., Miami, Fla.) to take the Great Northeast Athletic Conference title with an 86-72 victory over top seeded Emerson College (24-4). Guitian scored 26 points on 10 of 13 shooting, including 3 of 5 from three point range, and he pulled in 11 rebounds.

Lasell, in its first year in the Conference, took a 42-32 halftime lead following an 8-0 run over the final five minutes of the half. The 10 point bulge was the largest of the half for either team.

Emerson rallied in the first five minutes of the second half, outscoring the Lasers 17-5 taking the lead on a Ben Chase (Sr., Newburyport, Mass.) jumper with 13:46 remaining. Lasell responded immediately with a three ball from Guitian, then scored the game's next 13 points to take a 62-49 lead.

The Lions fought back to within four points with 1:14 remaining on a Will Dawkins (Sr., Springfield, Mass.) free throw, but Dawkins missed the second free throw and although Jeremy Shannon (So., Lowell, Mass., above left) got the rebound, he missed the ensuing layup with Guitian rebounding. A trifecta from Brad Caravoulias (Jr., Dracut, Mass.) put the final nail in the Lions' coffin with 1:01 remaining. It was Caravoulias' sixth three-pointer of the afternoon.

Shannon led all scorers with 26 points. Chase and Bryan Rouse (So., East Greenwich, R.I.) each had 14 for Emerson.

In addition to Guitian, Lasell had two other 20 point scorers, Caravoulias dropped in 21, and Jamie Crawford (Sr., Coral Springs, Fla.) pitched in 20. Crawford also added 12 rebounds.

With the win, Lasell earns the GNAC's Automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament. Emerson is in the running for an at large bid. The Tournament field will be announced at noon Monday.

EMERSON TIPS MONKS 79-75 TO ADVANCE TO GNAC CHAMPIONSHIP

Game Boxscore

Boston, Mass. (2/28/08) - Emerson College (24-3) rode the 28 point, eight rebound performance of Bryan Rouse (So., East Greenwich, R.I.) to a 79-75 win over St. Joseph's College (14-13) in the semi-finals of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship Tournament. The win sends the top seeded Lions to the Championship Game for the third time in four years where they will host second seeded Lasell College at 1:00pm on Saturday, March 1.

The game was close throughout with Emerson opening up the largest lead with an 11-1 run breaking a 23-23 first half tie. St. Joe's was able to pull within 38-34 at the half. The first half featured three ties and nine lead changes.

Emerson held the lead for the first six minutes of the second half until a jump shot by Elbie Murphy knotted the score at 49. After Emerson took a four point lead following a layup by Rouse, Murphy answered with a layup of his own, and Alberto Rue nailed a three-ball to give the Monks a 56-55 lead with 10:53 remaining. Two free throws from GNAC Player of the Year Jeremy Shannon (So., Lowell, Mass.) briefly gave Emerson the lead, but another trifecta from Rue put the Monks up 59-57.

Shannon drilled two free throws to tie the score at 59 at the 9:27 mark, and Tom Messinger (Fr., Florence, Mass.) nailed a three to give the Lions a 62-59 advantage. A second consecutive three point shot from Messinger put the Lions up by six. St. Joe's pulled back to within three points on three different occasions, but a three pointer by Will Dawkins (Sr., Springfield, Mass.) moved the lead to 79-72 with 12 seconds left and sealed the victory.

In addition to Rouse, Shannon with 18 and Messinger with 14 were in double figures for the Lions. Dawkins had eight assists.

Five Monks were in double figures led by Murphy and Rue with 14. Scott Vachon scored a dozen, while Eric Friend and Raymond Eatmon each had 10.

Dawkins Leads Emerson To GNAC Semi-Finals with 93-70 Victory

Game Boxscore

Boston, Mass. - Will Dawkins (Sr., Springfield, Mass.) scored 24 points, had nine rebounds, and dished our six assists to lead top seeded Emerson College (23-3) to a 93-70 victory over number eight seed Daniel Webster College (8-18) in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference first round game. Dawkins, who became the GNAC's all-time championship tournament scoring leader with 151 points, led five Lions in double figures in the balanced effort.

Emerson never trailed in the game but the Eagles remained close for the first 14 minutes. Emerson led 31-24 with 8:30 left in the first half, but Daniel Webster pulled to within a basket at 36-34 on a layup by Steve Savage. From that point on it was all Emerson as the Lions went on a 16-0 run and ended the half with a 20-4 blitz.

The Lions continued to pull away in the second half as the lead swelled to 84-51 with nearly eleven minutes remaining in the game. A three point shot by Chris Hansen narrowed the Emerson margin to 18 with 4:03 left, but that was as close as the Eagles would come.

In addition to Dawkins, Bryan Rouse (So., East Greenwich, R.I.) had 16 points and eight boards, Ben Chase (Sr., Newburyport, Mass.) had 15 points, and Jeremy Shannon (So., Lowell, Mass.) and Tom Messenger (Fr., Florence, Mass.) each had a dozen points. Brian Inge led the Eagles with 14, with Hansen and Adam Landry adding 11.

Emerson advances to the Semi-final round on Thursday evening when the Lions will host fifth seeded St. Joseph's College at 7:00pm. St Joe's defeated fourth seed Johnson & Wales University 71-68 in Providence. Daniel Webster was playing its final game in the GNAC. The Eagles will be switching to the New England Collegiate Conference at the conclusion of the academic year.

EMERSON CAPTURES GNAC REGULAR SEASON CROWN WITH 74-48 WIN OVER NORWICH

Game Boxscore

Boston, Mass. (2/23/08) - Emerson College (22-3, 15-3 GNAC) captured the Great Northeast Athletic Conference regular season title with a 74-48 victory over Norwich University (12-12, 8-10 GNAC). The Emerson win, coupled with St. Joseph's College 69-68 defeat of Emmanuel College gave the Lions sole possession of the title.

Ben Chase (Sr., Newburyport, Mass.) and Bryan Rouse (So., East Greenwich, R.I.) combined for 38 points in the victory, and Jeremy Shannon (So., Lowell, Mass.) added 12 with six assists.

Emerson raced out to a 40-21 halftime lead. After falling behind 3-2, the Lions went on a 27-5 run to take their biggest lead of the half with 8:15 remaining. Norwich was able to pull to within 17 on three occasions, but that was as close as the Cadets would get.

Emerson put the game away by scoring 15 of the first 16 points of the second half. The lead swelled to 65-29 with 8:15 left in the second half.

Derrick Montiero led Norwich with 12 points.

The game marked the final regular season home game for Emerson College seniors Joe Boylan (Royal Oak, Mich.) Chase, Will Dawkins (Springfield, Mass.), and Rhys Thieriot (San Francisco, Calif.).

Emerson with the first seed in the GNAC Playoffs will host Daniel Webster College in a first round game Tuesday night at 7:00pm.

Lions Gain Share of GNAC Top Spot With 82-79 Victory Over Emmanuel

Game Boxscore

Boston, Mass. (2/19/08) - Emerson College (21-3, 14-3 Great Northeast Athletic Conference) got clutch free throw shooting from Bryan Rouse (So., East Greenwich, R.I., left) and Jeremy Shannon (So., Lowell, Mass.) as the Lions rallied to defeat Emmanuel College (16-8, 14-3 GNAC) 82-79. The victory for Emerson moves the Lions into a first place tie with Emmanuel in the GNAC.

Rouse was six for six from the charity stripe in the last 1:45 and also hit a jumper to power the Lions who had rallied from a 63-53 deficit halfway through the second half.

Emerson controlled most of the first half action, twice holding 12 point leads. Emmanuel closed the half on a 17-6 run to pull even at 41 on a layup by Levi Smith in the final seconds.

Rouse opened the second half scoring with a jump shot, but Emmanuel’s Mack Spellman nailed a three to give the Saints a 44-43 lead. Shannon tied the game with a free throw, but the Saints scored the next 11 points to take a 55-44 lead. The teams traded baskets until a jumper by Smith gave Emmanuel a 63-53 lead with 10:00 remaining. Tom Messenger (Fr., Florence, Mass.) started the Lion comeback with a three pointer, and a Shannon free throw cut the lead to six. Emerson’s Will Dawkins (Sr., Springfield, Mass.) canned a layup to reduce the margin to four, but a Mike Jackson (So., New York, N.Y.) jump shot extended the advantage to 65-59.

Emerson scored the next six points to tie the game on two free throws each from Rouse and Shannon and a Ben Chase (Sr., Newburyport, Mass.) jump shot. The teams traded the lead six times and forged three ties over the next four and a half minutes. Two Rouse free throws gave Emerson a 77-75 lead with 1:03 left for a lead the Lions would not relinquish. Spellman, who nailed a three in the final seconds at Johnson & Wales on Saturday to give the Saints a win, rimmed out a three pointer at the buzzer that would have sent the game to overtime.

Rouse and Shannon led the Lions with 20 points each with Rouse being 10 for 10 from the charity stripe. Chase had 12 and Dawkins 13.

Spellman and Rob Williams-Hinton shared game scoring honors with 22 each. Smith added 18 for the Saints.

Emerson will face Norwich Saturday, February 23 at 1:00 in the regular season finale. Should the Lions win, they will earn the top seed and home court advantage in the GNAC Championship tournament that begins on February 26.

EMERSON SURVIVES RAIDER SCARE IN OT THRILLER, 72-70

NASHUA, N.H. (2/16/08) - Rivier College's (11-11, 8-7 Great Northeast Athletic Conference), Jeff Carpenter missed the first of a two shot foul with no time remaining in overtime to give Emerson College (20-3, 13-3 GNAC) a 72-70 victory in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference contest. The victory for Emerson sets up a first-place showdown with Emmanuel College on Tuesday night.

Emerson, playing without second leading scorer and rebounder Will Dawkins who was out with the flu, rallied from an 11 point deficit after Rivier's Kevin Harrington hit a three-point shot with 16:18 remaining in the contest. The Lions scored 16 of the next 18 points to take a 50-47 lead, but Harrington hit another trifecta to pull the Raiders even with 9:48 left. Emerson was able to take a 55-54 lead with at the 5:08 mark on a three-ball from Tommy Messinger (Fr., Florence, Mass.). The Lions increased the lead to 59-55 on a Bryan Rouse (So., East Greenwich, R.I.) layup, but a 10-1 run for Rivier saw the Lions down 65-60 with 1:13 remaining in regulation.

Ben Chase (Sr., Newburyport, Mass.) started the rally with a deep three-pointer at 1:02, and after Rivier's Lance Bisson missed two free throws with 10 seconds left, Emerson's Jeremy Shannon (So., Lowell, Mass.) drove the length of the floor and hit a layup to tie the game with three ticks on the clock. Bisson missed a jumper at the buzzer to send the game to the extra period.

The first half was close throughout with five ties and a dozen lead changes. Rivier's 37-30 halftime advantage was the largest lead of the half.

Chase led Emerson in scoring with 18 points. Shannon had 17, Joe Boylan (Sr., Royal Oak, Mich.) had 14, and Rouse chipped in 12.

Emerson will host Emmanuel College on Tuesday evening at 7:00pm with first place in the GNAC on the line.

MOUNT IDA MEN'S BASKETBALL HANGS TOUGH WITH CONFERENCE #2 SEED EMERSON COLLEGE BUT DROPS 88-70

From Mount Ida College Sports Information 2/12/08

Newton Center, Mass. - The Mount Ida College Men's Basketball team hosted Emerson College this Tuesday night dropping a tough 88-70 loss. The Mustangs dropped to 7-15 overall and 4-11 in league competition while the Lions move to 19-3 overall and 12-3 in the GNAC.

In a game that had only one lead change and 44 fouls committed, Mount Ida started the first half with a 6-2 run that was led by junior center Otis Thompson who had all of his eight points in the first stanza. A three pointer by junior guard Michael Dunham would cut the lead to 16-13. Dunham would leave the game and would not return with what appeared to be a knee injury. Emerson would keep on cruising and would end the half with a three pointer by visiting Anthony Remias (Jr., Cranberry Township, PA/N. Catholic) to make it 48-32 in favor of the Lions.

The Lions would continue their hot shooting from beyond the arc and ending the game by making 40 percent from downtown. Although the Mustangs would not let up, the visitors would pull ahead by a game high 21 points with 13:36 remaining and would never look back.

The Mustangs would be led by junior forward Matt Bennett netted a team high 12 points and five rebounds, he was the only MIC player in double figures.

Emerson was led by three players in double figures including a game high 23 points from sophomore Bryan Rouse (So., East Greenwich, R.I.). Ben Chase (Sr., Newburyport, Mass.) and Jeremy Shannon (So., Lowell, Mass.) would combine for 35 points and eight boards.

The Lions next game is at Rivier College on Saturday, February 16 at 1:00pm.

Lions Down Suffolk in Neighborhood Battle, 83-66

Game Boxscore

BOSTON, MASS. (2/9/08) – Emerson College (18-3, 11-3 Great Northeast Athletic Conference) started the game with a 19-4 run and never looked back as the Lions defeated Suffolk University (2-19, 1-13) 83-66 on Emerson’s first Alumni Day.

Jeremy Shannon (So., Lowell, Mass., left) scored 21 points and Bryan Rouse (So., East Greenwich, R.I.) added 20 to lead the Lions, while Ben Chase (Sr., Newburyport, Mass.) had 16. Chase and Rouse each also added seven rebounds.

Emerson ran the lead to 16 points at the end of the first half holding a 44-28 advantage. The lead increased to 67-36 on a three-point shot from Chase with 8:51 remaining. The Rams were never able to get any closer than the final margin.

Mario Massimino led the Rams with 15 points. Mike Fleming and Kevin Blake were also in double figures with 14 and 12 points respectively.

Emerson travels to Mount Ida on Tuesday night at 6:00pm for a GNAC contest, while Suffolk travels to Rivier College for a 7:00pm tip.

EMERSON COLLEGE SURVIVES SCARE FROM ALBERTUS 88-79

Game Boxscore
Emerson College (17-3, 10-3 Great Northeast Athletic Conference) roared out to a 47-28 halftime lead only to see the margin dwindle to three points with under twelve minutes remaining, but the Lions held on to defeat Albertus Magnus (1-19, 1-12 GNAC) 88-79.

Two free throws by Bryan Rouse (So., East Greenwich, R.I., left) topped off Emerson's largest lead at 23 points with 6:31 remaining in the first half. a 13-2 run by the Falcons cut the lead to 12, but Ben Chase (Sr., Newburyport, Mass.) buried a three-ball and then hit a jumper to halt the skid.

A Jeremy Shannon (So., Lowell, Mass.) layup on the first possession of the second half moved the lead to 21, but a 28-10 run by Albertus Magnus made it a three point game with 11:49 remaining. The Falcons had a chance to tie, but Bobby Leonzo missed a three-point shot and Shannon hit a jumper and a Chase layup gave Emerson a 63-56 lead. The Falcons' Francisco Cordova connected on a traditional three-point play to make the score 63-59, but Rouse connected on two free throws and a jumper to move the lead to eight with 7:40 remaining. The Falcons could come no closer than seven points the remainder of the contest.

Rouse led Emerson with 26 points and nine rebounds. Chase had 20 points, with Joe Boylan chipping in 15. Emerson played without second leading scorer Will Dawkins, who is nursing an ankle injury.

The Falcons were led by Francisco Cordova's game high 27 points.

Emerson will host Suffolk University Saturday afternoon February 9 at 2:00pm.

JWU Men’s Basketball Falls To Emerson, 63-61

from Johnson & Wales University Sports Information (2/5/08)

Game Boxscore

Providence, R.I. – Ben Chase (Sr., Newburyport, Mass., left) scored 21 points and added six rebounds and four steals to lead Emerson to a 63-61 victory against Johnson & Wales in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference contest at the Harborside Recreation Center on Tuesday evening.

Senior Greg Samuels had a double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds to lead the way for Johnson & Wales. Senior Tirone McCray added 14 points and seven rebounds while fellow senior Charlie Ware narrowly missed a double-double with 10 points and nine boards in the setback for the Wildcats.

Emerson Jeremy Shannon (So., Lowell, Mass.) scored 14 points and added five rebounds and five assists while Bryan Rouse (So., East Greenwich, R.I.) added 12 points and eight boards in the victory for the Lions.

Johnson & Wales jumped out to an early lead and held a 28-16 advantage after a jumper by McCray with 6:25 left in the first half. Emerson responded, however and used a 12-4 run to close out the half and make the score 32-28 heading into the locker room at halftime. JWU out-rebounded Emerson by a 25-11 margin and had 16 second chance points. The visiting Lions were able to force 14 JWU turnovers.

Emerson continued its strong play early in the second half and took their first lead since early in the first half when a free throw by Rouse gave the Lions a 33-32 lead with 18:17 remaining. The two teams then traded baskets with the score tied 45-45 with 10:04 left on the clock. Emerson then used a 10-2 run, capped by a layup by Will Dawkins (Sr., Springfield, Mass.) to take a 55-47 lead with 6:38 remaining. The Lions led by as many as nine points (60-51) down the stretch before JWU went on a 10-3 run to cut the lead to 63-61 on a layup by McCray with three seconds left. The Wildcats went for the steal on the inbounds pass, however Emerson successfully pushed the ball up court to seal the 63-61 victory.

With the loss, JWU is now 13-7 overall and 10-4 in the GNAC while Emerson improves to 16-3 on the season and 9-3 in league play. Emerson next plays at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Conn. on Thursday at 7:00pm.

Lions Return to Winning Ways, Defeat St. Joseph's 80-70

Game Boxscore
Boston, Mass. (2/2/08) – Emerson (15-3, 8-3 Great Northeast Athletic Conference) got 20 points from both Will Dawkins (Sr., Springfield, Mass.) and Jeremy Shannon (So., Lowell, Mass.) to defeat St. Joseph's College (9-9, 7-4 GNAC) 80-70 in a battle for third place in the GNAC standings.

Following a see-saw first 12 minutes that saw five ties and seven lead changes, Emerson took the lead for good on a Bryan Rouse (So., East Greenwich, R.I.) layup. Emerson gradually increased the lead throughout the remainder of the half, peaking at 42-30 with just over a minute left. A free throw shot by Elbie Murphy and a jumper by Chris Davis made the halftime score 42-33.

Three times in the first seven minutes of the second half St. Joe’s cut the lead to five points, but a three point shot by Dawkins triggered a 19-6 run for the Lions to give Emerson a 69-51 lead with 5:53 remaining. The margin reached 19 points following a traditional three point play by Shannon with 2:10 left, and St. Joseph’s scored 11 of the game’s final 13 points for the final margin.

In addition to Dawkins and Shannon who had a double-double with 13 rebounds, Jon Showers (Fr., York, Pa.) with 11 and Joe Boylan (Sr., Royal Oak, Mich.) with 10 were also in double figures for the Lions.

Murphy had 20 points for St. Joe’s, while Mitch Ouellet had 13, and Davis scored a dozen.

Emerson next plays Tuesday, February 5 at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I. at 7:00pm.

Wildcat Second Half Downs Emerson, 80-75

Game Boxscore
Boston, Mass. (1/31/08) – Emerson College (14-3, 7-3 Great Northeast Athletic Conference) roared out to an 18 point halftime lead only to see Johnson and Wales (13-5, 10-2 GNAC) score the first 16 points of the second half and complete a 25-4 run to take the lead, as the Wildcats pulled out an 80-75 victory.

Emerson, the top field goal shooting percentage team in the NCAA, was held to 21 second half points and 29% shooting by the Wildcats who blocked nine shots in the contest and out rebounded Emerson 44-21.

After taking a 60-59 lead with 11:08 remaining Johnson & Wales extended the lead to 66-61 on a jumper by Darren Faust. Emerson retook the lead on a jumper by Ben Chase (Sr., Newburyport, Mass.) and a layup by the Lions’ Will Dawkins (Sr., Springfield, Mass.) gave Emerson a 70-67 lead with 2:45 to go. Emerson had a chance to extend the lead, but Chase missed a three and following a missed jumper by the Wildcats’ Tirone McCray, Jeremy Shannon (So., Lowell, Mass., above left) turned the ball over for the Lions.

The GNAC’ leading scorer Japhet Kerr was then fouled on a three point attempt and sank all three free throws to knot the game at 70 with 1:24 remaining.

Emerson’s Bryan Rouse (So., East Greenwich, R.I.), playing his first game since December 11th due to an ankle injury, had a jumper blocked by Cornejo Rogers who made the Lions pay by dropping in a layup at the other end to give the Wildcats a lead they would not relinquish.

Johnson & Wales was led by Kerr with 20 points. Greg Samuels had 17, and both McCray (15) and Rogers (10) had double-doubles each with 13 rebounds.

Emerson’s Shannon was the game’s high scorer with 23 points and added 11 rebounds and six assists. Dawkins had 15 points with seven assists and three steals, while Chase and Jon Showers (Fr., York, Pa.) had 12 points each.

Emerson next hosts St. Joseph’s College on Saturday February 2 at 12:00 noon.

Dawkins scores 1,500th Career Point as Emerson Downs Daniel Webster, 91-61

Game Boxscore

BOSTON, Mass. (1/29/08) – Emerson College’s Will Dawkins (Sr., Springfield, Mass., left) became only the fourth player in Emerson College basketball history to score 1,500 career points, as he led the Lions (14-2, 7-2 Great Northeast Athletic Conference) over Daniel Webster College (3-12, 1-9 GNAC). Dawkins historic points came on a layup with 5:39 remaining in the first half and gave the Lions a 27-20 lead.

Emerson would increase the lead to 18 points by halftime as the Lions went on a 12-0 run over the final two minutes of the first stanza to put the game away.

Emerson’s Ben Chase (Sr., Newburyport, Mass.) led all scorers in the game with 29 points. Dawkins chipped in 18 with seven assists and Jon Showers (Fr., York, Pa.) dropped 15 on five of seven three point shooting. Emerson, the top team in the NCAA in field goal shooting percentage, hit 54% of its shots during the game including 59% from three point range.

Steve Savage had 20 for the Eagles with 10 rebounds. Ahmad Hemingway had 11, and Adam Landry scored 10 in the losing cause.

Emerson next hosts Johnson & Wales University at home on Thursday, January 31 at 7:00pm.

Williams-Hinton Buzzer-Beater Downs Emerson, 76-75

from Emmanuel College Sports Information - 1/26/08

Game Boxscore

Boston, MA – Emmanuel’s junior guard Rob Williams-Hinton (drilled a deep three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Saints a 76-75 win over Emerson College in a cross-town men’s basketball rivalry on Saturday afternoon. The Saints improved to 11-5 on the season and 9-1 in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC), while Emerson fell to 13-2 overall and 6-2 in GNAC play.

The nail-biting game featured 8 lead changes and 9 ties. The Saints led for the opening four minutes of the game, but Emerson quickly took charge and held onto the lead for the remaining sixteen minutes of the first half and twelve and a half minutes into the second half. In total, the Lions led for 29 of the 40 minutes, but Emmanuel kept it close, never falling behind by more than 10 points. The Lions’ largest lead of the game (10 points) came with five minutes remaining in the opening half of play. After a 29-minute Emerson advantage, the Saints went ahead late in the second stanza on a jumper in the paint by Williams-Hinton.

With under a minute to play, Emmanuel trailed by one, 74-73. After an Emerson miss by Anthony Remias (Jr., Cranberry Township, Pa.), the Saints regained possession and called timeout with 13 seconds remaining. The Saints came out of the timeout and turned the ball over, as William-Hinton tried to find Tyrone Buchanan on a pick and roll. Emmanuel’s Mack Spellman then fouled Emerson’s Jon Showers (Fr., York, Pa.), sending the Lions to the line for the two-shot bonus with 4 seconds to play. Showers made just one of two and put the Lions up by two, 75-73. Emmanuel called another quick timeout before Williams-Hinton’s heroics. The Saints passed the ball into Williams-Hinton in the backcourt and he was able to take three quick dribbles before launching the long-range game-winner.

Williams-Hinton knocked down 11 of his 21 attempts from the field and 3 of 7 from three-point range to total a game-high 28 points in 32 minutes of play. Rookie forward Tyrone Buchanan was the Saints’ only other player scoring in double figures. Buchanan made good on 6 for 9 shots from the floor and 4 of 6 from the line for 16 points, while pulling down 6 rebounds. Mack Spellman grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, while chipping in with 8 points in the win.

The Lions were led by Ben Chase’s (Sr., Newburyport, Mass.) 24 points. Will Dawkins (Sr., Springfield, Mass.) knocked down 6 of 11 from the field and 8 of 9 from the line for 21 points, while dishing out a game-high 8 assists. Jeremy Shannon (So., Lowell, Mass.) hit 5 of 7 from the floor, chipping in with 16 points and a team-high 6 rebounds before fouling out with a minute and a half to play.

Both teams had just one loss in GNAC play entering today’s battle. Both the Saints and the Lions lost on the road at Norwich University earlier this season. Emmanuel, now 9-1 in the conference, will play again on Tuesday night (1/29) in a non-conference match-up at Endicott College at 7pm. Emerson will host the Eagles of Daniel Webster College on Tuesday night at 7pm.

Emerson Runs By Rams in Neighborhood Rivalry, 108-89

From Suffolk University Sports Information - 1/24/08

Game Boxscore

BOSTON, Mass. - Jeremy Shannon (So., Lowell, Mass.) recorded a near triple-double with 25 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds to lead six players in double figures as Emerson College extended its winning streak to four straight with a 108-89 Great Northeast Athletic Conference men’s basketball victory over Suffolk University Thursday evening at Regan Gymnasium.

The visiting Lions (13-1, 6-1 GNAC) blistered the nets at a 65 percent clip for the contest in racing out to an 11-point lead (24-13) midway through the opening 20 minutes of play before extending that margin to 20 points (56-36) at the break. Emerson, which connected for nine of its 10 three pointers in the first half, maintained its double-digit edge after intermission, as the Lions extended their advantage to as many as 27 points in the closing nine minutes after hitting 31 of their first 42 shots of the evening.

Ben Chase (Sr., Newburyport, Mass.) added 21 points and seven rebounds for the winners, who also received 14 points each from Will Dawkins (Sr., Springfield, Mass.) and Samuel Newman-Beck (Sr., West Medford, Mass.). Joe Boylan (Sr., Royal Oak, Mich.) chipped in with 13 points for Emerson, which also received 10 points from Anthony Remias (Jr., Cranberry Township, Pa.) as the Lions shot 53 percent from behind the arc and held a 24-18 scoring edge at the foul line while converting 28 turnovers into 36 points.

Freshman Allan Ray netted a career-high 21 points in the setback for the host Rams (2-14, 1-8 GNAC), who also received 13 points each from sophomores Alan Jaziri and Joseph Ransom. Freshman Samuel Alexanian chipped in with 12 points for the hosts, as Suffolk shot 50 percent from the field and canned seven three-pointers while holding a 37-30 rebounding edge for the contest.

Emerson heads across town on Saturday afternoon to take on Emmanuel in a GNAC match-up of the two top teams in the GNAC at the Jean Yawkey Center that tips-off at 1:00pm.

Chase, Dawkins Combine for 59 As Lions Tame Eagles, 90-79

From Daniel Webster College Sports Information - 1/19/08

Game Boxscore

Nashua, N.H. - The dynamic Emerson duo of Will Dawkins (Sr., Springfield, Mass., left) and Ben Chase (Sr., Newburyport, Mass.) combined for 59 points and Jeremy Shannon (Jr., Lowell, Mass.) added 17 as the Lions topped host Daniel Webster, 90-79 in GNAC men's basketball Saturday.

Dawkins knocked down 30 points, while Chase added 29 and seven rebounds as the Lions (12-1, 5-1 GNAC) won their third straight.

Brian Inge led the Eagles (3-9, 1-6 GNAC) with 27 points including four three pointers, while Chris Hanson added 12 points, all coming on four three pointers.

Emerson came out firing, shooting an unconscious 71% from the field (17-24) in the first half, building a 51-29 lead at the break but the lead was too much despite the Eagles shooting 65% in the second half.

Trailing 56-31 with 16:41 left, the Eagles followed with a 14-4 run keyed by two jumpers and a trey from Inge, two jumpers from Tim Jackson and a layup from Joel Prince to make it a 60-45 game with 11:50 to go. The lead remained at 15 over the next two minutes, but a key layup and three pointer from Shannon helped rebuild the lead to 19.

Emerson travels to Suffolk Thursday for a 7:30pm GNAC matchup.

Emerson Fires Past Endicott, 85-53

From Endicott College Sports Information - January 17, 2008

Game Boxscore

BEVERLY, Mass. – Emerson College held Endicott to a season-low 53 points, as the Lions fired past the Gulls, 85-53, in a non-conference men’s basketball game in Beverly, Massachusetts on Thursday night.

Emerson, now 11-1 on the season, used a high-tempo, quick ball movement offense to build a 10 point advantage at the midpoint of the opening frame. Ben Chase (Sr., Newburyport, Mass.) knocked down three of his 21 first half points at the 9:39 mark, sparking a 10-1 run resulting in a 31-14 lead for the visitors.

The Lions would carry their hot hand into the intermission as Will Dawkins (Sr., Springfield, Mass.) connected from behind the arc to give Emerson a 43-23 lead at the break. The Lions shot 55.6% (15-of-27) from the floor in the first half and also buried seven 3-pointers in the opening 20 minutes.

The second half was much of the same for Emerson, as the visitors used an energetic game plan to smother the Gulls on both ends of the court. The Lions forced the Gulls to turn the ball over a total of 26 times – 11 in the second half - resulting in 31 points. Dawkins caught fire in the second stanza, as he shot 6-for-7 from the field for 18 second half points. Emerson led by as many as 36, as they cruised to the 85-53 win.

The Lions were led by Chase’s game-high 27 points on 11-of-17 shooting. Dawkins scored 26 points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, while Jeremy Shannon (So., Lowell, Mass.) had 15 points and six assists in the win.

Endicott was paced by Tom Connor’s 11 points and seven rebounds in 17 minutes. Freshman guard Ben Ford had seven points while senior Todd Burton notched eight points in the losing effort.

With the win, Emerson improves to 11-1 while Endicott falls to 4-9 . The Lions return to action on Saturday afternoon as they take on Daniel Webster College in Nashua , N.H., at 3:00 pm.

Lions Top Century Mark in Rout of Albertus Magnus, 101-51

Game Boxscore

Boston, Mass. - Ben Chase (Sr., Newburyport, Mass.) led four Emerson College players in double figures with 26 points as the Lions (10-1, 4-1 Great Northeast Athletic Conference) defeated Albertus Magnus College ( 1-10, 1-4 GNAC) 101-51.

Emerson broke an 11-11 tie with a Joe Boylan (Sr., Royal Oak, Mich.) free throw, and the Lions went on a 12-2 run to take control of the game. Albertus was able to cut the Lions' lead to 27-21 on a Bobby Leonzo traditional three point play with 8:10 remaining, but Emerson went on a 14-4 spurt to make the halftime score 43-25.

The second half proved to be more of the same as Emerson continued to pull away throughout the half.

In addition to Chase, John Showers (Fr., York, Penn.) had 17 points, Boylan added 16, and Will Dawkins (Sr., Springfield, Mass.) dropped in 15. Emerson shot a blistering 65% from the field in the game and was 61% from three point land.

Leonzo led Albertus with 19.

Emerson travels to Beverly, Mass., on Thursday evening to play a non-conference contest at Endicott College in a 7:00pm tip.

Norwich Runs Past Emerson, 90-77

From Norwich University Sports Information, 1/12/08

Game Boxscore

NORTHFIELD, VT. – Jaren Jeffcoat scored 10 of his career-high 27 points in the final five minutes of the second half to help lead Norwich past Emerson, 90-77, in a GNAC men’s basketball game Saturday afternoon at Andrews Hall. Jeffcoat, who provided an enormous lift off the bench, also posted a career-high 10 rebounds for his first-ever double.

Jerrold Williams added 19 points, and Jamel Bedford notched his sixth double-double of year with 17 points and 14 rebounds as the Cadets snapped a four-game losing streak and improve to 5-5 (1-3 GNAC). Mike Filipek chipped in 10 points, while Derrick Montiero contributed eight points and team-high five assists.

Emerson, which was dealt its first loss of the 2007-08 campaign, falls to 9-1 (3-1 GNAC). The Lions were led by Jeremy Shannon (So., Lowell, Mass.) and Will Dawkins (Sr., Springfield, Mass.), who scored 20 points apiece. Ben Chase (Sr., Newburyport, Mass.) added 17 points for Emerson.

The Lions came out on fire, hitting on its first six field goal attempts to take a 15-6 lead at the 15:17 mark. Norwich came storming back with a 24-5 run over the next 11 minutes to assume a 30-20 advantage with 4:35 to play on the first half clock. The Cadets, who would never trail again in the game, held the Lions to 1-of-12 shooting during the spurt.

Norwich never let Emerson get any closer than seven points the rest of the half, and the Cadets took a 38-29 lead into the locker room.

Jeffcoat sparked the Cadets’ offense off the bench in the opening stanza, 11 points and grabbing five rebounds. Williams netted 12 points in the first 20 minutes, while Bedford chipped in nine points and nine rebounds in the frame. 

Norwich held a commanding 24-6 rebounding margin in the first half, including a 12-1 edge on the offensive glass. The Cadets shot a blistering 50.0 percent from the field in the first half.

Emerson opened the second half on a 7-4 spurt to pull to within six points at 42-36 at the 16:18 mark. Back-to-back three-pointers by Tim Fico doubled the Cadets’ lead, putting NU on top 48-36 just 73 seconds later.

Norwich maintained a lead of at least nine points over the next 10 minutes, but a double-digit lead over the next several minutes before Emerson used cut the lead down to five points at 73-68 with 2:57 to play. That was as close as the Lions would get, though, as Norwich converted 7-of-8 free throws in the final 1:05 to preserve the victory.

Norwich shot a blistering 54.8 percent from the field for the game, and the Cadets held a dominant 47-16 rebounding edge.

Emerson Rallies to Drop Lasell, Remain Undefeated, 83-79

Game Boxscore

NEWTON, MASS. - Emerson College (9-0, 3-0 Great Northeast Athletic Conference) outscored Lasell College (4-5, 1-2) 10-4 over the last three minutes of the game to take an 83-79 victory. Ben Chase ( Sr., Newburyport, Mass., left), and Will Dawkins (Sr., Springfield, Mass.) keyed the run.

Lasell held a 75-73 lead following a layup by Jose Guitian with 3:03 remaining in the game. Chase answered with his sixth three-point shot of the game. Dwayne Powell hit two free throws for the Lasers to give Lasell a 77-76 lead with 2:30 remaining. Dawkins missed a jumper at the 2:04 mark, but Guitian committed on offensive foul to give the ball back to the Lions. Dawkins then made a layup on an assist from Chase to give Emerson a 78-77 lead. A Dawkins steal resulted in a missed layup for Emerson, but Jeremy Shannon (So., Lowell, Mass.) rebounded the ensuing missed three-point shot for Lasell. Two Dawkins free throws gave the Lions an 80-77 lead, then Dawkins made a steal with 20 seconds left and was fouled. After hitting one of two free throws Dawkins gave the Lions an 81-77 lead. Lasell missed a three-point attempt with 12 seconds left. Dawkins drained two free throws to give Emerson an 83-77 lead. Dwayne Powell's uncontested layup at the buzzer forged the final score.

The game was close throughout as the second half featured eight ties and eight lead changes. Emerson led throughout the first half until Lasell's Jamie Crawford hit a three with 5:59 to go in the first half giving Lasell a 29-28 lead. The Lasers extended the margin to 41-33 on a Crawford three point shot with 2:17 left, but Tim McGhee (So., Dover, Del.) and John Showers (Fr., York, Penn.) each hit trifectas to pull the Lions within 41-39 at the half. Chase had a career high 30 points for the Lions on 12 of 16 shooting from the floor and making six of seven three-point attempts. Dawkins had 21 points for the Lions who shot 57.9% for the game despite being out-rebounded 36-14. Guitian had 20 points and 15 rebounds for the Lasers.

Emerson's next game is Saturday, January 12 at Norwich University at 3:00pm.

Lions Remain Undefeated with Victory Over Rivier, 67-63

Game Boxscore

BOSTON, MASS. - Emerson College (8-0, 2-0 Great Northeast Athletic Conference) roared out to a 13-2 lead in the opening three minutes against defending GNAC champion Rivier College (6-4, 2-1 GNAC) and hung on for a 67-63 victory to continue the best start in the history of the program. Jeremy Shannon (So., Lowell, Mass., left) paced the Lions with eight points during the run.

Rivier pulled to within three points on three separate occasions in the first half, the last time being on a Danny Ford layup to make the score 23-20 with eight minutes remaining in the half. The Lions' lead swelled to 10 points on a three-point shot by John Showers (Fr., York, Penn.) with three minutes remaining in the stanza. John McAllen hit two free throws to pull Rivier within 36-28, but on the ensuing possession, McAllen fouled Joe Boylan (Sr., Royal Oak, Mich. who hit two shots to push the lead back to double digits. A jumper by Bryan Mills closed the first half scoring with Emerson holding a 38-30 lead.

Shannon increased the led to 11 with a layup and a free throw to open the second half. Consecutive three-point shots by McAllen and Bryant Mills started the Raiders comeback and Ford followed with a traditional three-point play to pull Rivier within 41-39. A Ben Chase (Sr., Newburyport, Mass. layup increased the Emerson lead to four, and following a Mills free throw, Shannon hit another layup to give the Lions a five point lead. Ford hit another traditional three point play to move the score to 45-43, and after Shannon hit one of two free throws, a Kevin Harrington jumper brought Rivier to within one. That was as close as the Raiders would get as Emerson went on a 9-2 run for a 54-47 lead with 7:14 remaining.

Rivier crept back to within two points with 2:09 left as Jeff Carpenter, the GNAC's leading scorer hit one of two free-throws. A layup by Chase and a three point dagger by Emerson's Will Dawkins (Sr., Springfield, Mass. with 30 seconds remaining put the game out of reach.

Harrington and Ford each tallied 15 points in the contest with Mills adding 12. The Lions held Carpenter to only nine points on the night, but the burly swingman did pull down 22 rebounds. Shannon led all scorers with 19 points, with Boylan adding 15, and Dawkins 13 with five assists. Chase grabbed 10 rebounds for the Lions.

Emerson's next game is a GNAC matchup on Thursday, January 10 at Lasell College at 7:00pm.

Lions Finish Perfect First Semester With 91-81 Win Over MIT

Game Boxscore

BOSTON, MASS. – Emerson College rode the strength of six players in double figures to a 91-81 non-conference victory over MIT. The victory gives Emerson a 7-0 record and extends the best start in the history of the program. It is also only the second time the Lions have defeated the Engineers in 16 meetings.

Ben Chase (Sr., Newburyport, Mass., left) led the attack with 23 points. Chase was 9-10 from the field including two three-point shots and also was a perfect three for three from the free throw line. Will Dawkins (Sr., Springfield, Mass.) dropped in 15 for the Lions.

Emerson led throughout the game taking the lead on a Dawkins lay-up 18 seconds into the contest. Emerson was able to extend the lead to eight points on a Jeremy Shannon (So., Lowell, Mass.) lay-up with 11:55 remaining in the half.

MIT battled back to tie the game at 22-22 on a lay-up by Jimmy Bartolotta, but Emerson went on a 15-6 run to extend the lead to nine points. A three-pointer by Daniel McCue closed the gap to six, but two free throws by Jon Showers (Fr., York, Penn.) gave the Lions a 41-33 halftime lead.

Following a lay-up by Bartolotta, MIT cut the lead to six to begin the second half. Emerson responded with a 7-0 run to go up 48-35. MIT crept back to within eight on a lay-up by Will Mroz, but a 9-1 run by the Lions moved the lead to 16.

MIT made one final push, pulling to within nine with 3:35 remaining on a lay-up by Billy Johnson. A traditional three point play by Chase, a lay-up by Dawkins, and two free throws each from Joe Boylan (Sr., Royal Oak, Mich.) and Anthony Remias (Jr., Cranberry Township, Penn.) gave Emerson a comfortable 90-74 lead with 1:35 remaining in the game.

MIT out rebounded Emerson 42 -12 in the game but the Engineers committed 29 turnovers and 33 personal fouls. Emerson shot a blistering 57.4% from the field for the game including five of six attempts from three point land and 32 of 38 free throws.

Bartolotta led all scorers in the contest with 30 points, with Johnson (15), McCue (11) and Mroz (11) also in double figures. Johnson had a double-double with 10 rebounds.

In addition to Chase and Dawkins, Boylan had 12, Remias 11, Shannon 12, and Bryan Rouse (East Greenwich, R.I.) 11 points. Dawkins also contributed six assists and six steals.

Emerson’s next game is Tuesday, January 8 at home against defending Great Northeast Athletic Conference champion Rivier College at 7:00pm.

Emerson Ruins Mount Ida's GNAC Debut, 88-57

Game Boxscore

BOSTON, MASS. - Emerson College (6-0, 1-0 Great Northeast Athletic Conference) rode the strength of 63% shooting from the field to defeat Mount Ida College (2-4, 0-1 GNAC) in the first men's basketball game for the Mustangs in the GNAC. The Lions hit 32 of 51 shots, led by Bryan Rouse (So., East Greenwich, R.I.) who was eight of 10 from the field.

After falling behind 3-0 to open the game, Emerson went on an 18-2 run to put the game away early. The Lions led 46-24 at the half.

Rouse led all scorers in the game with 22 points and Will Dawkins (Sr., Springfield, Mass.) pitched in 21 for the winners. Ben Chase (Sr., Newburyport, Mass.) with 14 and Anthony Remias (Jr., Cranberry Township, Penn., upper left) with 10 were also in double figures for the Lions. Remias also had four rebounds, four assists and a steal.

Emerson's next game is Tuesday, December 11, when the Lions will host MIT in a 7:00pm start.

Lions Defeat Lyons in Battle of Unbeatens, 84-63

Game Boxscore

BOSTON, MASS. - Emerson College (5-0) used a 22-9 run to end the first half and went on to defeat Wheaton College (3-1) in a non-conference contest. The Lions were led through the run by Will Dawkins (Sr., Springfield, Mass., left) who scored seven points and added two assists.

The game was tight throughout the first eleven minutes with Emerson gaining a 14-9 lead but Wheaton rebounding to go ahead 17-16 with 8:14 remaining. Dawkins both started and ended the run making a jumper with 7:37 left and canning another with four seconds remaining to give Emerson a 38-26 halftime lead.

The teams traded three-pointers to begin the second half. Bryan Rouse (So., East Greenwich, R.I.) canned a layup to give the Lions a 14 point lead, but Wheaton's Brent DiGiovanna hit two free throws to keep the lead at 12. Following another layup by Rouse, Anthony Coppola canned a three to bring the Lyons to within 11. Joe Boylan (Sr., Royal Oak, Mich.) answered with a trifecta for Emerson, and following a layup by Wheaton's Bud Gaffney, Emerson scored the next eight points to put the game out of reach.

Rouse and Dawkins led all scorers with 21 points each. Ben Chase (Sr., Newburyport, Mass.) added 14 and Jeremy Shannon (So., Lowell, Mass.) had 11 for the Lions. Digiovanna dropped in 13 points for Wheaton with Coppola and Ryan Sasso also in double figures with 13 and 11 respectively.

Emerson opens its Great Northeast Athletic Conference season on Saturday at home against Mount Ida College at 1:00pm.

Rouse Leads Emerson Men's Basketball Over UMass Boston, 74-64

Game Boxscore

From UMass Boston Sports Information - 11/27/07

BOSTON, MASS. – Center Bryan Rouse (So., East Greenwich, R.I., left) netted a game-high 22 points to lead the Emerson College men’s basketball team over host University of Massachusetts Boston, 74-64, tonight at the Clark Athletic Center on the UMass Boston campus. The Beacons fall to 1-3 on the season, while the Lions improve to a perfect 4-0.

Emerson shot a robust 59.1 % (13-22) from the floor in the second half to contribute to a 50% (27-54) showing for the night and forced UMass Boston into 27 turnovers, including 15 in the second half.

UMass Boston owned a 22-19 lead with 6:36 to play in the first half, before the Lions went on a 12-2 run, capped by a three-pointer from senior guard Will Dawkins (Sr., Springfield, Mass.), to take a 31-24 lead with 3:11 to go in opening half. The Beacons shot back with six straight points to pull to within 31-30 with 1:38 showing in the first half, but Emerson scored six unanswered points of its own to take a 37-30 advantage with 40 seconds remaining in the half and took a 37-33 lead into the intermission.

The Lions began the second half with an 11-4 burst to take a 48-37 lead with 15:33 to play in the second stanza and maintained a 59-49 lead with 9:54 showing in the second half, but freshman guard Giorgios Hologitas made a pair of lay-ups for UMB to cut the deficit to 59-53 with 8:35 showing on the second half clock. The Beacons stayed within 61-55 with 6:33 left in the game, before Emerson put the game out of reach with a 13-2 run, paced by seven points from guard Jeremy Shannon ( So., Lowell, Mass.), to take its largest lead of the night at 74-57 with 1:31 to go in the contest. UMass Boston would get no closer than 10 points the rest of the way.

The Lions took a 15-7 advantage with 12:22 left in the first half, before the Beacons put together a 15-4 blitz, led by seven points from senior forward Mark Doran to take a 22-19 lead.

Rouse grabbed eight rebounds, dished for two assists and came up with a steal for Emerson, while Shannon finished with 18 points on 4-7 from the floor and 10-14 from the line to go with five rebounds, a steal and an assist. Dawkins chipped in with 11 points, seven boards, six assists, two steals and a block.

Lions Stay Perfect With First Ever Victory Over Babson, 89-76

Game Boxscore

BOSTON, MASS. - Emerson College (3-0) rode the 8-12 three-point shooting of freshman guard Tom Messinger (Florence, Mass., left) to defeat Babson College (1-2) 89-76 in a non-conference matchup. The victory for the Lions is the first ever over Babson.

After trading early baskets, the Beavers twice took five point leads in the first half. Emerson went on a 9-0 run to take a 18-14 lead, and although Babson was able to cut the lead to 21-20 at the 9:55 mark on a basket by Zach Etten (Jr., Hollis, N.H.) Emerson held Babson scoreless for the next three minutes in building a 27-20 advantage. The Beavers were able to pull within 27-23 on three consecutive free throws, but a 7-0 Lion run capped by a Messinger trifecta gave the Lions an 11point advantage. The lead swelled to 14 on a Ben Chase (Sr., Newburyport, Mass.) traditional three point play.

Babson cut the lead to eight points a minute into the second half, but Emerson gradually pulled away, eventually building a 27 point lead at 79-52 with 4:35 remaining. A late flurry cut the Emerson lead to 12 as the reserves from both teams saw playing time.

Messinger led all scorers with 28 points. Jeremy Shannon (So., Lowell, Mass.) and Bryan Rouse ( So., East Greenwich, R.I.) each had 15. Will Dawkins (Sr., Springfield, Mass.) had 13 and Chase 11 for the Lions. Etten led Babson in Scoring with 15. Brian MacDonald (Sr., Beverly, Mass.) and Kyle MacDonald (Sr., Weathersfield, Conn.) each had 10.

Lions Take Vassar Tourney with 70-67 Victory, Chase Named MVP

From Vassar College Sports Information - 11/17/07

Game Boxscore

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y.  -- Junior guard Brian Butterworth missed a game-tying three-pointer as time expired to give Emerson College a 70-67 win in the championship game of the Vassar Tip-Off Tournament this afternoon at the Athletic Center.

The Brewers (1-1) had a chance to send the game into overtime after Emerson guard Jeremy Shannon (So., Lowell, Mass.) missed the second of two free throws that could have put the Lions in front by four with 20 seconds remaining. After a Vassar timeout, the Brewers ran a play that gave Butterworth an opportunity to tie the score with two seconds remaining. However, Butterworth’s attempt bounced around the rim and fell out giving the Lions’ another dramatic victory. Emerson advanced to the title game on a three-pointer by guard Will Dawkins (Sr., Springfield, Mass.) the night before.

Emerson (2-0) was led by forward Ben Chase (Sr., Newburyport, Mass., above left) who led all scorers with 25 points on 11-of-13 shooting from the field and was named tournament MVP. Shannon added 16 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Lions who watched an 11-point lead disappear with 2:34 to play.

Trailing 56-45 with 11 minutes remaining the Brewers pulled even on two free throws by Butterworth at the 2:30 mark. Vassar received a spark from sophomore reserve guard Casey Black who sank two, three-pointers, grabbed two rebounds and blocked a shot to spark the Brewers. His second three-pointer came with nine minutes remaining and sparked a 12-1 Vassar run that evened the score at 57. After Emerson answered with seven straight points, the Brewers once again responded behind the play of senior forward Lawrence Avitabile who scored four straight points to cut the Vassar deficit to 64-61 with five minutes remaining. After a defensive stop by Vassar, senior guard Tyson Brazell hit a jumper with just under three minutes to play that carved the Emerson lead down to two. For their efforts, Avitabile and Brazell each earned a spot on the all-tournament team. Avitabile had 19 points and 11 rebounds to record the 24th double-double of this career. Brazell contributed 17 points, four rebounds and three assists.

Forward Bryan Rouse (So., East Greenwich, R.I.) was also named to the all-tournament team for Emerson. He finished with 11 points, four rebounds and two blocked shots.

Dawkins Three Lifts Lions to Championship Game, 74-71

From Vassar College Sports information - 11/16/07

Game Boxscore

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- In the second game of the Vassar College Tip-Off Tournament, Emerson College’s Will Dawkins (Sr., Springfield, Mass., left) hit a 3-point shot with one second remaining to lead the Lions past William Paterson, 74-71, in the nightcap of the Vassar College Men’s Tip-Off Tournament. Emerson will face Vassar in the championship game at 3:00 pm, while William Paterson faces Baruch at 1:00 pm.

In a wild and frenetic ending, William Paterson, which had been held scoreless for 7:55 of the second half (from 11:05 to 3:12) had tied the game at 71-71 following a jumper by guard Al-Basser Holloway with five seconds to play. Dawkins took the inbound pass and made a mad dash down the right side of the floor and canned his jumper as time expired. William Paterson had taken a 69-68 lead after senior guard Joey Spiegel went coast to coast following an Emerson missed layup to convert his own layup and a free throw to put the Pioneers ahead, 69-68. With 17 seconds to play, Emerson’s sophomore center Bryan Rouse (So., East Greenwich, R.I.) put Emerson in front 71-69 following a conversion of a layup and free throw.

Emerson’s comeback was keyed by Rouse who scored 18 points, five coming during a critical stretch when the Lions took control of the game, erasing a 13 point halftime deficit and building a five-point lead (60-55) of their own. Both teams battled back and forth over the final five minutes.

Emerson got a team high 19 points from Tom Messinger (Fr., Florence, Mass.), who shot 6 for 10 from three-point range and 16 from Dawkins. William Paterson was led by Spiegel’s 20 points and 10 from Gabriel Paul.

The Pioneers held a 35-22 halftime lead and led by double figures for the first ten minutes of the second half. The Lions, however, turned up their aggressiveness and defensive tenacity and were able to cut the William Paterson lead to 52-50 with 8:38 to play following three straight baskets by Rouse and two by Shannon. A long range three pointer by freshman guard Jon Showers (Fr., York, Penn.) provided the Lions with their first lead of the game, 53-52 with 7:41 to play, finishing an 11-0 run. A single free throw by William Paterson guard Al-Basser Holloway tied the game at 53-53 moments later and set up the frenetic, scrappy finish.

In the first half, both teams started slowly in a feeling out process, yet the score was only tied once, 2-2, with 18:32 to play. From that point, William Paterson capitalized on 14 Emerson turnovers and a commanding inside game (16 points in the paint) to gradually pull away, taking 35-22 intermission lead. Spiegel had nine first half points for the Pioneers, and his single free throw with 3:30 to play provided the Pioneers with their largest lead at 31-18. Rouse had eight first half points for Emerson, which shot only 31 percent in the first half compared to 48 percent for William Paterson.