PHOENIXVILLE, Pa. – Junior Thomas Van Trier recorded his first collegiate double-double to lead five players in double figures as the Pratt Institute men's basketball team (2-7) snapped a seven-game skid with a 77-57 road victory over the University of Valley Forge on Wednesday evening.
Van Trier posted career-highs in both scoring (18) and rebounds (13) and shot an effient 7-for-8 from the field, including 2-of-2 from behind the arc. Classmate Patrick O'Gorman followed with 16 points and facilitated the offense with a game-high seven assists along with six boards and two steals. Sophomore Cameron Hatcher had 12 points, with five rebounds, and pairs of assists and thefts.
Senior Aaron Nisbett chipped in 11 and four off the bench and junior Ace Bibbs rounded out the five in double figures with 10 points, three steals and two caroms.
EJ Smith II led Valley Forge (1-5) with 22 points and eight rebounds. Jay White added a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double.
The first half was back-and-forth with six ties and seven lead changes with the hosts building their largest separation of four, 19-15, with seven minutes left in the period. Later tied at 24-all, Pratt outscored the hosts 12-2 over the final five minutes to lead 36-26 at halftime and never trailed again.
The black-and-gold saw their lead shrink to three, 40-37, four minutes into the second stanza before a pair of Van Trier trifectas followed by six points from Nisbett pushed the lead back to double-digits where it remained for good.
The Cannoneers improved to 52 percent shooting in the second half led by Van Trier's 10 points in the period on 4-of-4 shooting and finished with a 45 to 37 percent shooting edge for the contest. Pratt won the battle of the boards, 41-34, and over half of their scoring (48) came from inside the paint.
Pratt returns to the ARC for the next two contests and welcomes Sarah Lawrence College on Friday, December 2 for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.
