MEN'S BASKETBALL SAILS PAST SOUTHERN VERMONT, 105-67
CHICOPEE, MA, Dec. 6, 2007 - Elms College junior forward Malakie Berry (Enfield, CT) netted a team-high 18 points, sophomore point guard Juan Galdon (Holyoke, MA) added 16 points in just 17 minutes and the Blazers had 14 players reach the scoring column en route to a 105-67 win over Southern Vermont in Thursday night's non-conference men's basketball game at the Maguire Center.
With the win, Elms College improved to 6-1 to record the best start in the program's 10-year history. Southern Vermont lost its seventh straight to fall to 1-7.
The Blazers, who posted their second 100-plus point outing in the last three games, raced out to a 20-4 lead in the game's opening 5:15 and never looked back.
Elms College led by as many as 31 in the opening half and led 54-29 at intermission while limiting Southern Vermont to just 35.7 percent shooting from the field (10 of 28).
The Blazers then exploded for a 14-0 run in the first 2:19 of the
second half on consecutive 3-pointers by junior forward Joe
Esile (Milford, CT), freshman center Juan Alverio
(Toa Baja, Puerto Rico) (two straight 3-pointers), and
Galdon. A jumper by senior guard Randy Hite (Hartford,
CT) ended the run that extended Elms College's lead to
68-29.
Senior forward Nick Harrington (Brooklyn, NY) was sensational for Southern Vermont, as he led all scorers with a game-high 34 points and 16 rebounds.
Harrington, who finished 13 of 18 from the field, also recorded his 1,000th career point on a free throw in the first half.
The Blazers held decisive advantages in bench scoring (57-16) and points off turnovers (41-15).
Elms College opens up North Atlantic Conference (NAC) play this Saturday, December 8 when it hosts Wheelock College. Tip-off at the Maguire Center is set for 1:00 p.m.