Men's Basketball Rallly Comes Up Short at Dean

FRANKLIN, Mass. - The Elms College Men's Basketball traveled to Dean College in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) matchup Saturday afternoon.

BASICS
Score: Elms College 67 | Dean College 85
Records: Blazers 1-13, 1-2 (GNAC) | Bulldogs 10-3, 2-1 (GNAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED

Dean would start the contest with an early 5-3 lead after making their first two shots, but junior guard/forward Max Rolnick (Vaughan, Ontario) would connect with graduate student forward Neilon Bridgeman (Brooklyn, N.Y.) for a three-point shot to score Elms' first basket of the contest. The two sides would trade possessions until Bridgeman would receive a pass from junior guard Aden Goffe (New Haven, Conn.) to make a layup to tie the game, but the Bulldogs offense would continue to score to regain the lead. Seconds later, Rolnick would find an open sophomore guard Andrew Ciaglo (Hadley, Mass.) for a three-pointer to bring the scoring deficit to one point. The two conference foes would produce strong defense stands, not allowing many scoring opportunities for their opponent, including a block from Goffe and a free throw by senior forward Addison Phifer (Hadley, Mass.) for the Blazers. As Dean continued to make baskets, but Elms would continue their efforts to trim down the Bulldogs' lead, seeing three-point shots from senior guard Kishaun Cole (Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.) and junior center/guard/forward Edgardo Jacob Cancel (Northampton, Mass.), two three-point plays by Goffe, a jump shot by Goffe, layups from Phifer, Ciaglo, and junior forward RJ Mayfield (Springfield, Mass.), a pair of free throws from Goffe and Mayfield, blocks by Bridgeman, Mayfield, and Cole, and steals from Goffe and Ciaglo, but Dean would maintain their lead going into the halftime break, 40-33.

The second half would begin with a different narrative, as the Blazers defense would force the Bulldogs to turn the ball over in the opening possession, followed by Ciaglo connecting with an open Goffe for a jump shot for the first basket of the half. Dean's offense would regain their momentum from the first half, scoring eight points, but a three-pointer from Goffe, a layup by Mayfield, and a block by Phifer would assist Elms in bringing the score to within 10 points. As the Bulldogs continued to add to their, the Blazers efforts would not be ignored, as Goffe would make a pair of layups and a jump shot, a pair of layups and jump shots, a slam dunk, along with a pair of free throws by Mayfield, a layup from Ciaglo, senior guard/forward Aaron Sanchez (the Bronx, N.Y.) making a layup, a pair of free throws, and a block, along with free throws from Cole and first year forward Daniel Villanueva (Seymour, Conn.), and a block from Bridgeman. But as the final horn sounded, Dean would defeat Elms 85-67.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Goffe - 21 points, eight rebounds, two assists, a block, and a steal.

• Mayfield - 18 points, two rebounds, and a block.

• Ciaglo - seven points, three rebounds, an assist, and a steal.

• Bridgeman - five points, three rebounds, two blocks, and an assist.

• Cole - four points, two rebounds, two assists, and a block.

• Sanchez - four points, three rebounds, and a block.

• Phifer - three points, three rebounds, and a block.

• Cancel - three points and two rebounds.

• Villanueva - two points and a rebound.

UP NEXT: The Elms College Men's Basketball team will host Colby-Sawyer College in a conference matchup on Wednesday, January 7th at 7 pm at Picknelly Arena.

--

For continuing coverage of Elms College Athletics, visit www.ecblazers.com and follow the Blazers on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.