BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The Pratt Institute men's basketball team secured its third victory in four games on Saturday afternoon, holding off a late charge from St. Joseph's University-Long Island to earn a 61-60 victory at the Activity Resource Center.
With the win, the Cannoneers improve to 3-2 on the season, moving back above the .500 mark.
Senior forward Cameron Hatcher (Cincinnati, Ohio) paced the Pratt offense with 13 points, eight rebounds, and three assists, connecting on three shots from beyond the arc. Senior guard Sebastian Roda (Greenwich, Conn.) provided a spark off the bench with 12 points and three steals, also draining three triples. First-year guard Elijah Fermaint (Orlando, Fla.) filled the stat sheet with 11 points, nine rebounds, and a game-high five assists.
Pratt's defense was the story of the afternoon, rejecting a season-high 12 shots – the most in a single-game on record dating back to the 2012-13 season. Junior forward Trey Phillips (Phoenix, Ariz.) anchored the paint with four blocks and eight rebounds, while sophomores Thomas Graetz (Sydney, Australia) and Kurt Thomas (Dallas, Texas) added two blocks apiece. Thomas also chipped in 10 points in reserve.
The Cannoneers took a 28-21 lead into halftime but saw the Golden Eagles (0-4) storm back in the second stanza. St. Joseph's utilized a 12-3 run midway through the period to take a 43-42 advantage on a Chris Lally 3-pointer with 8:17 remaining.
The teams traded baskets until Hatcher buried a transition 3-pointer to put Pratt up 49-46. After the visitors tied it at 51-51, Thomas responded with a clutch triple from the wing, and Hatcher sank two free throws to extend the lead to 58-51 with 1:04 to play.
St. Joseph's refused to go quietly, cutting the deficit to two in the final minute. Fermaint calmly knocked down two free throws with five seconds left to push the lead to 61-57, rendering a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Kenny Rodriguez inconsequential to the final result.
Rodriguez led the Golden Eagles with 15 points, while AJ Esposito posted a double-double with 13 points and a game-high 17 rebounds. Jaiden Gaston added 13 points for the visitors.
Pratt shot 29.5 percent (18-of-61) from the field but connected on nine 3-pointers compared to seven for St. Joseph's. The Golden Eagles held a 53-44 rebounding advantage, fueled by 23 offensive boards, but Pratt's rim protection proved decisive.
The Cannoneers return to action on Tuesday, Nov. 25, hosting the Brooklyn campus of St. Joseph's University for a 7 p.m. tip-off in a battle of Clinton Hill foes..
