Etheart’s Big Double-Double Powers Men’s Basketball Past Sarah Lawrence

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Despite a slim 35-32 halftime lead, the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's basketball team ran away to a 15-point, 75-60 victory over Sarah Lawrence College on Thursday night. Sophomore forward Stephane Etheart (Hollis, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) paced the Bears with a dominant 23-point, 17-rebound double-double (both game-highs). SJC evened their record in Skyline play (3-3) with the win and they now sit at 4-5 overall.

The Basics

• Final Score: St. Joseph's 75, Sarah Lawrence 60
• Records: St. Joseph's (4-5, 3-3), Sarah Lawrence (1-9, 1-5)
• Location: Brooklyn, N.Y. — The Hill Center
• SJC Starters: Willis (G), Sirakis (G), Etheart (F), Etheart (F), Meiner (F)

Turning Point

• An alley-oop dunk from Etheart pushed the Bears' lead to 15 and capped off a 14-3 run early in the second half giving them control of the game.

How It Happened

• There was a lid on the basket for both teams early but Etheart totaled seven of his squad's nine points as they hung onto a four-point lead five minutes into play.
• Senior captain Alec Willis (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) then caught fire scoring six-straight points for the Bears giving them their first double-digit lead of the night 17-6 (13:09).
• Sarah Lawrence didn't quit though, as they reeled off a 10-0 run five minutes before the break finished off by back-to-back triples from senior Malin Segal. Both sides traded buckets for the remainder of the period, but Willis had the final say with a made jumper six seconds before the buzzer to give the Bears a three-point halftime advantage.
• St. Joseph's offense was revitalized in the second with their 14-3 run and they led by as much as 21, with a steal and breakaway dunk from Sebastien Etheart (Hollis, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) putting the exclamation point on their third conference win of the year.

Highlights

For the Bears

• Stephane Etheart was active of defense as well amassing five steals and two blocks to compliment his season-highs of 23 points and 17 rebounds.
• Willis dropped in 13 on an efficient 6-for-9 as well as three steals.
• Sophomores Dimitri Sirakis (Hollis, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) and Sebastien Etheart tallied 11 points each, while Etheart also contributed six rebounds, six assists, and two steals.
• Kavan Meiner (Staten Island, N.Y./Susan Wagner) was the fifth Bear in double-figures with 10 on top of eight boards.

Inside the Box Score

• 21 Sarah Lawrence turnovers limited their offense throughout the game, even though their 33.3 3FG% topped the Bears' 18.8%.
• Free throw shooting played a major in role in the outcome as SJC converted at an 80% rate compared to the Gryphons' 42.9%.

The Bear Facts

• The Bears won the first 13 contests in the all-time series, but Sarah Lawrence triumphed last season 78-65. With the win, however, SJC is 5-0 versus the Gryphons at home.
• With the victory St. Joseph's moves into a tie a tie with Yeshiva for sixth place in the Skyline standings.

Next Up for the Bears

• A battle with sister school SJC Long Island on the road on Saturday (Dec. 9) at 1 p.m. Live stats and video available at SJCBears.com.