PATCHOGUE, N.Y. – Patrick O'Gorman and Cameron Hatcher scored 14 points each to lead a balanced offense as the Pratt Institute men's basketball team defeated St. Joseph's University (Long Island), 66-63, on the road on Tuesday night to open the 2022-23 campaign.
Pratt (1-0) collects their first win in their season opener since the 2017-18 season and secures their first win for the men's basketball program since becoming a full NCAA Division III member and the first collegiate head coaching win for first-year head coach David Danzig.
Thomas Van Trier added 11 points to join O'Gorman and Hatcher in double figures. Hatcher also finished one rebound shy of a double-double. O'Gorman also flirted with a double-double dishing out eight assists.
Four other Cannoneers contributed at least six points to the victory with Ace Bibbs scoring eight, Sebastian Roda netting seven, and Daniel Golub and Lucas Zamboni chipping in six each.
The Cannoneers built a seven-point lead five minutes in on an O'Gorman triple and led for 11 minutes before trailing 36-33 headed into the lockers despite O'Gorman's game-leading 11 points over the first 20 minutes.
Pratt regained the lead five minutes into the second stanza amidst a 7-1 run powered by four points from Hatcher and a Golub triple and never trailed again. After a brief 44-all tie, the gold-and-black scored eight unanswered with trifectas from Bibbs and Hatcher sandwiched around a Roda jumper and Pratt led for the final 13 minutes of the contest.
A Golub free throw extended the lead to nine, 61-52, with 5:57 to play but the Golden Eagles chipped away and made it a one-possession game with 20 seconds in regulation. After Pratt split a pair at the line for a 66-63 lead, the hosts had one shot to tie the game at the buzzer that fell short.
Hatcher led the charge after the break scoring 12 of his 14 points in the second half, also pulling down seven boards. In his first collegiate game, Roda made big contributions in the final 20, scoring all seven of his first collegiate points.
Spencer Malloy led St. Joseph's with game-highs of 22 points and 12 rebounds.
The hosts held a slight edge in shooting 39 percent to 36 percent, but the Cannoneers outshot the Golden Eagles from behind the arc, 46 percent (13-for-28) to 22 percent (5-for-23).
Pratt travels to Oneonta College this weekend for the Michael A. Freilich Tournament. The Cannoneers face the host Red Dragons in the opening round on Friday, November 11 at 7 p.m.
