Tigers Outlast Nyack on Senior Day, 74-64

BOX SCORE


Philadelphia, Pa. - Senior Angel Ayala (Allentown, Pa./William Allen) tied his career-high with 20 points as the Holy Family University men's basketball team defeated visiting Nyack College by the score of 74-64 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) contest at the Campus Center Gym.
 
Prior to the game, Holy Family recognized its two seniors competing in one of their final home regular season contests of the season.  The Tigers honored seniors Angel Ayala (Allentown, Pa./William Allen) and Maurice Hargrove (Philadelphia, Pa./Martin Luther King) along with their senior managers, Joe Jefferson and Jon Wolfe, in a pregame ceremony. 
 
Holy Family improves to 15-9 overall and 11-4 in conference play after winning its third straight game.  The Tigers currently hold a one-half game lead over Philadelphia University (10-4) in the CACC South Division after the Rams fell to Concordia College (81-80) in overtime today.  Nyack is now 5-18 overall and 3-13 in conference action.
 
Ayala tied his career-high with a 20-point performance after shooting 8-of-16 from the field.  It marked his second straight 20-point game and third straight scoring in double-figures.  Ayala also tallied 11 rebounds to record his second double-double of the season.  JuniorErvin Ezell (Deptford, N.J./Deptford High) also scored in double-digits as he came away with 17 points (6-13 FG) to go along with four assists.  He also blocked four shots and recorded a game-high five steals on the defensive end. 
 
Freshman Tuhran Griffin (Philadelphia, Pa./Franklin Learning Center) finished with 11 points and four assists off the bench for the Tigers, while junior Alberto Munoz (Morrisville, N.C./Cardinal Gibbons) added nine points.  Freshman Isaiah Gans (Philadelphia, Pa./Redemption Christian Academy) recorded a career-high with 13 rebounds to go along with six points.  Gans also blocked a game-high five blocks for the second straight game.
 
For Nyack, freshman Will Robinson recorded a double-double as he finished with a game-high 21 points and 13 rebounds.  Robinson shot 8-of-16 from the field and converted 5-of-6 free throw attempts.  Sophomore Khalid Samuels scored 14 points after draining a game-high three three-pointers (3-8).  Freshman Darren Chew chipped in 11 points and a team-best four assists.
 
Holy Family trailed 4-0 the first minute of the game, but quickly gained possession of the lead after Ayala scored the team's first five points.  Ayala gave the Tigers a 5-4 lead at the 17:17 mark of the half.  From that point, Holy Family never relinquished the lead despite a number of attempts by Nyack.
 
Holy Family led by as many as nine points on two separate occasions in the half with the later coming after a Munoz jump shot made the score 23-14 with 8:05 to play until halftime.  Nyack would go on to cut the Tigers' lead to three points in the final two minutes of the half after Robinson made the score 31-28 with layup. 
 
However, Holy Family scored the final six points of the half, thanks to Griffin who converted a pair of free throws and knocked down a three-pointer in the final :40 seconds of the half to give the Tigers a 36-28 halftime lead.
 
Early in the second half, Nyack came within two points of the Tigers' lead after a three-point play by Robinson made the score 39-37 (17:41).  However, Ayala scored six straight points for the Tigers over the next two-plus minutes to increase the lead to 45-37. 
 
As the half progressed, Nyack came within one possession of the lead, but each time Holy Family answered back to hold off the Warriors' comeback bid.  Chew knocked down a three with 8:06 to play in regulation to make the score 55-52. 
 
From there, Holy Family went on a 13-5 run to lead by double-digits for the first time since the opening basket of the second half.  A layup by Griffin gave the Tigers a 68-57 lead with 2:18 to play. 
 
Holy Family held on to the victory after converting 4-of-4 from the free throw line in the final 1:35 as well as a fast break dunk by Gans.  Ezell scored six of the team's final 12 points down the stretch. 
 
Holy Family is back in action on Tuesday, Feb. 19 as the Tigers host Chestnut Hill College in the team's final home regular season game of the season.  Game time is slated for 8 p.m.

 
- HFU -