MIAMI SHORES, Fla. – The Wesleyan men's basketball team closed out 2019 with a win on Wednesday night as the Cardinals defeated Gwynedd Mercy in the Hoopsmia Shootout, 66-50. Antone Walker led the team with 12 points while Jordan James registered a double-double with 11 and 11 rebounds.
The win marked the fourth-straight for Wesleyan as it improved to 7-2 overall. The Griffins were led by Rich Dunham's game-high 15 but they fell to 7-4 on the year.
FIRST HALF HIGHLIGHTS:
- Both teams struggled offensively early on as the Cardinals were held scoreless until the 13:37 mark following a layup from David Dixon.
- Just over a minute later, Gwynedd Mercy extended its lead to seven with a 3-pointer from Dunham to make it 12-5. It proved to be the largest lead of the game for the Griffins.
- Wesleyan rallied with a 16-0 run capped off by a 3-pointer by Walker at the 6:06 mark to put the Cardinals ahead 21-12.
- With time running out, Sam Peek hit a buzzer-beater to give Wesleyan a 25-17 halftime advantage.
SECOND HALF HIGHLIGHTS:
- The Cardinals scored eight unanswered points to open the second half and their lead was never in doubt.
- With less than five minutes remaining, Shackylle Dezonie scored back-to-back points to give Wesleyan a 57-36 lead, essentially sealing the victory.
- James scored all 11 of his points in the second half on 4-of-6 shooting.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Peek joined James and Walker in double-figures with 11 points and added seven rebounds. Walker dished out a game-high four assists and Dezonie led the bench with nine points. James and Peek each blocked two shots.
- Manny Clark added 11 points off the bench for the Griffins. Dunham also lead the team in rebounds and assists with four and two, respectively.
- The Cardinals held a 45-33 edge in rebounding and had 13 assists while Gwynedd Mercy only dished out four.
UP NEXT:
- Wesleyan is off until Saturday, January 4 when it hosts Mount Saint Vincent at 1 p.m.
