NEW ROCHELLE, NY - Despite three Cannoneers scoring in double digits and a flurry of second half 3-pointers, Pratt Institute men's basketball team fell at New Rochelle Monday night, 107-80.
Ari Grant led Pratt with a double-double of 30 points and 14 rebounds. Bubby Vernon connected on 5-of-12 3-pointers to finish with 21 points, while Vishal Vanka chipped in 13.
Pratt (5-10, 2-5) shot a modest 36.9 percent (24-65) but were highly effective from long range, connecting on 11 attempts from 3, including an 8-for-16 performance in the second half. New Rochelle (12-12, 6-2), however, continued a torrid pace for the entire 40 minutes, shooting 52.6 percent (41-78), including 48.1 percent (13-27) from behind-the-arc. Hunter Schenkel scored 32 points to pace the Blue Angels to go with a 17-point effort from Matthew Dean.
After a Grant jumper put Pratt in front 8-5, New Rochelle took off on a 16-0 run to open a 21-8 advantage. Adam Blufarb's jumper ended the drought, but it only temporarily slowed New Rochelle as the home side continued to grow their lead. Poor shooting and ball handling, including 12 first half turnovers, proved costly as New Rochelle opened a 55-24 advantage at intermission.
After the break, Pratt found their shooting rhythm as they attempted to chip away at the deficit. Bubby Vernon caught fire and connected on four second-half threes, while Ari Grant scored 24 of his game-high 30 in the second stanza. The team proved most effective from the charity stripe, shooting 81.8 percent (18-22) in the second half. While their renewed efforts made the second frame highly competitive, the early mistakes and miscues proved too much and Pratt was unable to mount a comeback as New Rochelle prevailed 107-80.
The Cannoneers return home this Wednesday, February 15, for Senior Night against The King's College. Tipoff is slated for 6:30 pm at the Pratt ARC.
