Men's Basketball | 11/23/2013 5:33:00 PM
ROCHESTER, NY -- The RIT men's basketball team (4-0) held off Baptist Bible College (3-2) 97-92 in the championship game of the 29th Annual Harold J. Brodie Tournament on the floor of Clark Gym on Saturday afternoon. Senior #
Jameel Balenton (Syracuse, NY/Christian Brothers)# scored 13 points, grabbed two rebounds and had two steals, earning Tournament MVP honors. It is the second straight year RIT has won the Brodie Tournament.
The 4-0 start by RIT is the best start by the Tigers since the 1996-97 season.
#
JP Reagan (Cortland, NY/Cortland)# scored 12 points, earning All-Tournament team honors for the Tigers who open the season 4-0. #
Kamron Davis (Syracuse, NY/Nottingham)# led RIT with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while #
Desmond Scott (Murphy, TX/Plano East)# scored 11 points and dished out six assists.
Abe Valentine led all scorers with 25 points for Baptist Bible College (BBC), earning All-Tournament team honors. Dan Decker (All-Tournament Team) and Luke Peterson each had 16 for the Defenders, while Jordan Greve added 20 points.
RIT shot 53.7 percent from the floor on 36-of-67 shooting. The Tigers were 8-of-15 from behind the arc and made 17-of-23 free throws. Rebounds were even at 31.
The Tigers trailed 48-43 at halftime as BBC closed out the half on a 14-7 run. The Defenders shot 60 percent from the floor in the openeing half, led by Valentine who scored 13 first half points.
Balenton scored 10 points to pace the TIgers who shot 47.2 percent from the floor in the first half. #
Casey Bobelis (Bradenton, FL/Braden River)# added six points, while Scott, Davis and #
Gabe Nicasio (Essex Junction, VT/Essex)# each had five for the Tigers.
RIT came out firing in the second half, opening the half on a 12-2 run, taking a 55-50 lead on a three pointer by Balenton. The TIgers shot 61.3 percent from the floor in the second half, leading by as many as 15 points.
Baptist Bible College answered back, cutting RIT's lead to three points on a three-pointer from Peterson with 1:22 to play.
Davis answered back for RIT on the Tigers next possession, laying in a pass from Reagan with :49 to play. On the Defender's next possession, Peterson scored on a driving layup, cutting the Tigers lead back to three points. Scott was fouled inside the final :12, calmly drainign both free throws to up the Tigers lead to five points and a 97-92 win.
RIT returns to action Saturday, November 30 when the Tigers take on D'Youville College at 3 p.m. in Buffalo, NY.
