BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Senior Patrick O'Gorman scored a game-high 22 points and led four Cannoneers scoring in double figures as the Pratt Institute men's basketball team wrapped up their regular season with an 81-65 home victory over Five Towns College on Alumni Day and Senior Day Saturday afternoon at the Activities Resource Center.
O'Gorman crossed 1,400 points and 300 assists for his career knocking down five three-pointers with eight assists, five steals and three rebounds. First-year Cameron Windt also drained 5-of-7 from three-point land to finish with 21 points and four rebounds. Senior Thomas Van Trier pulled down eight rebounds and dished out six dimes with four points.
Ace Bibbs scored a season-high 14 points in a near double-double with nine rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block. Jaden Young rounded out four in double figures with 11 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
A close opening 20 minutes of play saw seven ties and seven lead changes and neither side ahead by more than six. Five Towns took the lead briefly at the 4:07 mark with a triple before Pratt ran off eight straight capped by back-to-back trifectas from O'Gorman for a 39-33 lead and they carried a four-point lead, 39-35, headed into the locker rooms.
The gold-and-black stretched their lead to double-digits, 53-43, less than five minutes into the second stanza before Quinn McCormick picked up two quick fouls that sent him to the bench for good and allowed the momentum to shift briefly to the Sound as they cut the Cannoneer lead to one, 55-54, nearing the midway point of the half.
But Pratt responded with a 16-0 run powered by eight from O'Gorman and capped off by a highlight reel rejection by Bibbs on the defensive end finishing on the other end with a fast break dunk that put the Cannoneers ahead, 71-54, and in firm command until the final buzzer.
Five Towns was led by 21 points from Eian Willians and 17 points from Tyler Bond.
The victory improves the Cannoneer mark to 7-3 on their home floor and snaps an eight-game skid. Pratt wraps up the regular season at 8-16 and they await their seeding for the 2024 Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Championship hosted by the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Quarterfinal action begins on Thursday, February 22nd.
