Ohradka's 29-Point Outburst Paces Men's Hoops To Victory
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Newbury College (4-15 (2-8 NECC)) | 36 | 37 | 73 |
|
Elms (2-18 (2-8 NECC)) | 41 | 39 | 80 |
CHICOPEE, Mass. – Elms freshman Michal Ohraka (Feeding Hills, Mass.) exploded for a career-high 29 points to lead the Blazer men's basketball team to an 80-73 New England Collegiate Conference win over Newbury on Saturday.
Ohradka hit 8-of-11 shots from the field including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc and converted 10-of-11 free throw attempts to overshadow classmate Greg Metelus' (Palm Beach, Fla.) second-consecutive 20-plus point performance. Metelus finished with 21 points on 7-of-17 shooting after scoring 27 points at Mitchell earlier in the week. Ohradka added three assists, three steals and two boards in the game while Metelus finished with six boards, four assists and two blocks. Andre Peguero added an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double for the Blazers, who improve to 2-18 overall and 2-8 in the NECC with the win.
Five Newbury (4-15, 2-8 NECC) players scored in double figures, led by 17 points from Jeduan Langston (Roxbury, Mass.). Miguel Rivera (Waterbury, Conn.) and Daivon Edwards (Roxbury, Mass.) each finished with 15 points, Ato Botsio (Canton, Mass.) added 12 and Wayne Massey (Gwynn Oak, Md.) had 10.
Elms led 41-36 at halftime but Newbury charged back at the beginning of the second half to take a 50-47 lead with 16:18 to play. The Blazers responded with an 8-0 run to regain the lead only to see the Nighthawks tie the game at 57-57 with a run of their own. The score stayed tight until Elms sealed the victory from the free throw line in the final 31 seconds.
The Blazers shot 48 percent (26-of-54) from the field and held Newbury to just 39 percent (26-of-67) shooting. Elms owned a 43-35 rebounding advantage but lost the turnover battle, 21-15. A 23-of-27 (85.2 percent) free throw shooting performance for the game helped the Blazers pick up the win.
Elms will hit the road for three straight games, visiting Rhode Island College (Feb. 5), Dean College (Feb. 7) and Wheelock (Feb. 10) before hosting Southern Vermont on Feb. 14 for Senior Night. Newbury will host Lesley University on Feb. 7.
