59
Whitw
74
Winner SJF
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitw | 23 | 36 | 59 |
| SJF | 34 | 40 | 74 |
Game Recap: Men’s Basketball | 3/3/2023 7:00:00 PM
Cardinals Advance To Second Round With Win Over Whitworth
SWARTHMORE, PA – The St. John Fisher University men’s basketball team took on Whitworth University in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Division III Championship at Swarthmore College. The Cardinals took control of the game early on and came away with a 38-23 victory over the Pirates to advance to the second round.
Daniel Cook got off to a fast start against the Pirates, scoring the team’s first seven points of the game. Ryan Gentile joined in on the scoring with a layup and three-pointer to put the team ahead 12-5 with 14:49 to play. Whitworth fought back and got to within one, but layups by Akinlana Popoola and Cook extended the advantage to 19-13. Fisher continued to attack the paint as Connor Recore made a pair of layups, and Cook added another with 2:15 to push the lead to 32-19. As the half ended, Gentile knocked down a mid-range jumper to give the team a 34-23 lead at the break.
The Cardinals came out with the same momentum in the second half, with makes by Jack Foley, Cole Thompson and Cook extending the lead to 19 points. The Pirates were not going to quit, as they fought back to cut the deficit to single digits with 6:42 to play. Fisher stay composed and patient, continuing to attack the paint with Cook and hitting timely threes by Foley. Down the stretch, the Cardinals made 7-of-8 free throws to ice the game and move on to the second round.
Cook led the way with 20 points on 8-for-11 shooting from the field, grabbing 15 rebounds in the process. Gentile finished with 17 points, six rebounds of his own and three assists. The Cardinals held the Pirates to 7-for-34 shooting from the field and out rebounded them 42 to 25.
Up next for the men’s basketball team is a second round matchup against the winner of the other first round game between Swarthmore College and SUNY Delhi. The contest will take place at Tarble Pavilion on the campus of Swarthmore with a scheduled tip-off of 7:10 p.m.
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