Louison Grabs 1,000th Rebound, Maddox Pours in 19 as Men’s Basketball Rallies To Sweep St. Joseph’s (L.I.)

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's basketball team erased a 13-point deficit with a strong second-half to comeback against sister campus rivals St. Joseph's (Long Island), winning 69-66 in their Hill Center debut and third straight in the "East vs. West" series, adding another dramatic chapter to the annual rivalry.

Vernon Maddox (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's) poured in 19 points, his second highest total of the season, on a perfect 2-of-2 from downtown and 5-of-5 from the charity stripe. The senior also added four rebounds and a team-highs in assists (5) and steals (3).

David Louison (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) secured his ninth double-double of the season, finishing with 18 points and a game-high 11 caroms. The senior made history in the process, securing his 1000th career rebound to become the first Bears player in history to join the 1000-point, 1000-rebound club.

Matt O'Neill (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) dropped in 13 points helped by a pair of made triples. The junior also tallied five boards, two assists and two steals. Alec Willis (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) contributed with his second double-digit scoring performance of the season, finishing with 11 points, four rebounds and two assists.

Sean McCarthy led all scorers with 23 points. The Golden Eagles senior connected on 5-of-10 from long distance and added six rebounds and two assists.

St. Joseph's (L.I.) (5-5) controlled the majority of first-half play. Andy Laurent's trifecta put the Golden Eagles up 33-20 with 4:40 remaining in the first, the largest lead of the game for either side.

The Bears (7-3) snapped out of their lethargic start and responded with a 12-0 run capped by Maddox's triple with 1:00 left in the half, making the score 33-32 Eagles.

The second-half saw seven lead changes as neither team was able to make a significant separation.

Maddox's jumper with 11:32 remaining knotted the game at 50. A short time later, Willis converted on a triple with 9:01 left to give the Bears a 53-52 lead, their first since the 18:14 mark of the first-half.

A triple from McCarthy was followed up by Billy Heenan's three to give the Eagles a 63-58 lead at the 5:38 mark.

But Brooklyn would respond with a 6-0 run, with all points coming from Louison, to move up 64-63 with 2:53 on the clock.

Laurent came back with another trifecta to reclaim a 66-64 lead for the Eagles but Maddox responded with the most pivotal shot of the game, draining his second triple with just 1:27 remaining to put the Bears up 67-66.

Maddox padded the lead by sinking a pair of pressurized free-throws with nine seconds remaining, stretching the Bears' lead to 69-66. The Golden Eagles were unable to convert on a last-second equalizer and Brooklyn secured the dramatic victory in their Hill Center debut.

The Bears finished at 38.3 percent (23-60) from the floor while the Eagles shot 42.6 percent (23-54). Brooklyn held a slight advantage on the glass, outrebounding Long Island 38-36.

The most significant statistical advantage for Brooklyn was their turnover advantage, winning the TO battle 17-9 and converting these mistakes into 18 points. The Bears also asserted themselves down low, outscoring their opponent 28-16 in the paint.

St. Joseph's (Bklyn) will be off until after Christmas when they will head west for a pair of games in Orange, Calif., meeting La Verne on Monday, December 29 at 5 p.m. and Chapman on Tuesday, December 30 at 4:30 p.m. Live stats will be available at SJCBears.com.