NEW LONDON, N.H. – January 8, 2019 – The Colby-Sawyer men's basketball team defeated the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.), 91-88, in the first ever Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) game for each team.

USJ is led by coaching legend Jim Calhoun.

The Chargers snap their four-game losing skid to improve to 7-6 overall and 1-0 in the conference. Colby-Sawyer travels to Johnson & Wales on Thursday before ending the week at Anna Maria on Saturday. USJ drops to 9-6 overall and 0-1 in the GNAC. The Blue Jays host Emmanuel on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Colby-Sawyer junior Patrick Coffey (Westford, Mass.) led all players with 29 points. Junior Dana Bean (Franklin, N.H.) posted 20 points and 16 rebounds, while senior Jourdain Bell (Manchester, N.H.) added 15 points to move into 15th on the all-time scoring list with 1288. First-year Nick Backer (Tamarac, Fla.) contributed 12 points, five assists and four steals. Sophomore KJ Synvrit (Miami, Fla.) registered 10 points and nine rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench.

USJ received a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds from first-year Noreaga Davis (Bridgeport, Conn.). First-year Chris Childs (Bronx, N.Y.) was second on the team with 17 points. First-year Delshawn Jackson Jr. (Hartford, Conn.) contributed 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Sophomore Mike Sagay (Bloomfield, Conn.) and first-year Ryan O'Neill (Litchfield, Conn.) added 13 points apiece.

In a game that featured 12 ties and 18 lead changes, the Chargers were able to secure the victory as Nick Backer went 4-for-4 from the free throw line in the final 29 seconds.  

The visitors opened the game on a 7-2 run, but the Chargers responded with the next five points to tie the game with 13:58 to play in the first half. A Synvrit layup with 7:04 left, gave Colby-Sawyer its largest lead of the half at 27-22. USJ scored the next six to regain the lead, which would change a couple more times in the half. In the final minute, a Coffey jumper sent the Chargers into the lockerroom with a 41-38 advantage. Colby-Sawyer shot 42.9% from the floor and held USH to 34.2%. The Blue Jays were 9-of-18 from the free throw line in the first 20 minutes.

The second half was just as tight as the first, but Colby-Sawyer took its largest lead of the game at 52-45 a little more than three minutes into the frame. USJ battled back to tie the game on a 7-0 run capped by a Nadir Dixon-Thompson (Dorchester, Mass.) layup. The game remained close for the next several minutes, with neither team taking a lead of more than two. A Dana Bean dunk broke the trend with 4:06 left to play as the Chargers went in front 75-72. Less than a minute later, the game would be tied for the 12th time as a Jackson Jr. layup knotted the score at 79-79. Colby-Sawyer made four-straight free throws, two from Coffey and two from Bell to take an 83-79 lead that they would not relinquish. A Childs trey pulled USJ within one at 85-84, but layup by Synvrit put the Chargers back on top by three.

Colby-Sawyer shot 49.3% from the floor and made 20-of-24 free throws. USJ was 38.9% from the field and converted just 25-of-40 free throw attempts.

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