Men's Basketball Holds Off Chestnut Hill on Senior Day

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – Playing their final home game of the season, the University of Bridgeport's men's basketball team pulled out a 73-64 triumph over Chestnut Hill on Saturday. UB's seventh conference victory of the year put an exclamation point on Senior Day inside Hubbell Gym.

The tone was set early on the defensive end, as the Purple Knights limited the Griffins to just 28 first-half points on 11-of-28 (39.3%) shooting while forcing 11 turnovers over the opening 20 minutes.

Bridgeport, meanwhile, took care of the basketball with only five first-half miscues and closed the period on a 13-3 run. Fittingly, senior Lamar Austin punctuated the surge with a three-pointer in the final 25 seconds to send UB into the locker room with a 40-28 advantage.

UB's depth proved to be a major factor throughout the afternoon. Fourteen players logged at least four minutes of action, and 11 different Purple Knights knocked down at least one field goal. The UB bench was especially dominant, outscoring Chestnut Hill's reserves by a commanding 41-7 margin.

Five Purple Knights finished with at least eight points, led by Jason Edokpayi's 14-point effort, marking his 20th consecutive game in double figures. He also added three blocks to anchor the interior defense.

Jaheem Tyson provided a spark off the bench with 12 points, six rebounds, two assists and a steal, while Shedrach Makanjuola filled the stat sheet with eight points, a team-high eight rebounds and two blocks.

Jaden Palmer chipped in eight points and dished out a team-best three assists, and Jayson Handy contributed nine points, including seven in the second half to help steady the lead.

As a team, the Purple Knights shot 43.9 percent from the field, held a 40-35 edge on the glass, and turned Chestnut Hill's 19 turnovers into 28 points.

UP NEXT
The Purple Knights will play a pair of road games next week, beginning with a visit to first-place Felician on Wednesday night (7 p.m.).