SCRANTON, Pa. - A 14-3 run during a key juncture of the second half led the University of Scranton men's basketball team over Bard College, 75-52, in the title game of the Hilton Scranton Invitational on Saturday.
Bard newcomer
David Runcie, a sophomore, was named to the All-Tournament Team.
Bard (1-2) was down 11-2 early in the game, trimmed to lead to four at one point, and trailed by a dozen at halftime, 37-25. The Royals (2-0) shot 61 percent from the field in the first half and scored 24 in the paint, led by 13 points from 6-foot-9 center John Vitkus (Mahopac, NY).
But the Raptors came out firing to start the second half.
Harry Johnson hit three-pointers on consecutive possessions to make the deficit 38-31, and after Scranton responded, freshman
Emmanuel Oyakhilome hit consecutive threes to cut the halftime gap in half, 45-39, with 13:09 left in the game.
Scranton pushed back with a 14-3 run over the next seven minutes, and the Royals ran away with a victory, pushing the lead beyond 20 late. The Royals finished at 55 percent from the field and 19-of-23 from the foul line.
Vitkus, who was second in the nation in field goal percentage last season, led the winners with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Kevin Doolan (Basking Ridge, NJ) added 14 points and eight assists.
Bard got 11 points apiece from
Harry Johnson and
Jelani Bell-Isaac.
Armando Dunn added four points and 10 rebounds.
Up next for Bard is a non-league game at Wesleyan on Tuesday at 5. Follow that game via Live Stats or Live Video right here.