Men's Basketball Takes Down Yale 66-56
1/2/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 2, 2003
Box Score
Moraga, CA - The Saint Mary's men's basketball team held Yale to 22 points in the second en route to a 66-56 victory over the Yale Bulldogs on Thursday night from McKeon Pavilion. Daniel Kickert paced the Gaels by matching his career-high with 19 points and Chase Poole notched his third double-double of the season with 13 points and a career-high 18 boards. With the win Saint Mary's improves to 7-5 and Yale falls to 5-4 on the season.
Saint Mary's trailed 34-28 at halftime before outscoring the Bulldogs 24-6 over the first 14 minutes of the second session. After shooting 54 percent from the floor in the first half, Yale was held to just 23.5 percent shooting in the second half, making 6-of-22 shots from the floor.
The 19 points for Kickert marks the fourth time he has scored 19 this season. The double-double for Poole was his second straight after scoring a career-high 26 points and grabbing 11 rebounds against Brown on Monday. In additions to Kickert and Poole's double figure night, Anthony Woodards matched his career-high with 11 points and Samuel Saint-Jean added 10 points.
The game opened with SMC and Yale exchanging baskets for the first four minutes. With Yale leading 9-8, the Gaels went on an 8-0 run to take a 16-9 lead with 12:51 left in the first half. The run was sparked by outstanding passing by Saint-Jean, who finished with a game-high six assists. Yale would respond and take a 22-21 lead at the 6:21 mark on a free throw by Matt Minoff.
After the score was tied again at 24-24, Yale would use an 8-1 run to open a seven-point lead before Jonathan Sanders hit his first career-three to cut the lead to 32-28 with 1:20 remaining until the intermission. A jumper by Paul Vitelli, with 36 second on the clock, gave Yale a 34-28 lead at halftime.
Daniel Kickert scored 12 of his 19 points in the first and Chase Poole grabbed half of his rebounds in the first half, five coming on the offensive end of the floor.
After Yale opened a 38-32 lead, Saint Mary' used an 10-2 run to regained the lead, 40-38, when Kickert hit his second three with 12:54 remaining in the game. Yale would score just four points in the first 12 minutes of the second half and SMC used a 15-2 run to take a 45-38 lead, matching its biggest lead of the first half, with 9:13 remaining on the clock.
Saint Mary's would continue to pour it on, and take a 49-40 lead when Saint-Jean stripped the ball from Alex Gamboa, converted the layin and the eventual three-point play. Saint Mary's opened its lead to 57-45 on a three by Caporn with 3:00 minutes remaining. The 12-point lead by the Gaels was the largest of the game for either team. A three by Yale's Vitelli, with 1:33 remaining, and another by Edwin Draughan, with 33 seconds remaining, cut the Gael lead to 61-56. SMC made five free throws in the final 45 second to win by 10.
Yale had three players finish with double figures in scoring. Leading the way for the Bulldogs was Edwin Draughan who had 15 points and six rebounds, both team highs. T.J. McHugh added 13 points and Paul Vitelli chipped in with 11 points.
Saint Mary's will return to action on January 6 when they travel to the University of Utah. Tip-off for the game in the Huntsman Center is scheduled for 7:00 PM MST.
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