Franklin, MA- After a rugged first half, the Dean College Men's Basketball team found their grove and rode into a 89-65 victory over Bryant & Stratton College (Rochester) on Saturday evening. With the win, the Bulldogs improve to 5-3 overall, while the Bobcats drop to 1-5 on the year.

Noteworthy Marks:
-Senior guard Xavier Boyd (Loganville, GA) would score his 1,000th career point in the team's victory, becoming the first player since AJ Weston (2023-24) to reach the mark. 

How it Happened:
-It took time for the Bulldogs to get going offensively. The Bobcats would outscore Dean 9-2 through the first four minutes, and eventually, would extend their lead to nine points. 
-However, Dean would slowly claw their way back into the first half. Senior Xavier Rubio (San Diego, CA) would get the scoring started, converting on back-to-back three pointers. Christian Yeates (Atlanta, GA) would follow suit, scoring from both in the paint and beyond the arch. 
-Freshman Max Shosa (Manchester, NH) would be the one to turn the tide, scoring on a layup to give Dean the 28-27 lead. From this point on, Dean would not surrender the lead for the remainder of the ballgame. They also led 40-36 going into the locker room. 
-Boyd would open the scoring in the second half, extending Dean's lead. However, the Bobcats would make a small comeback attempt, tying the game at 42 thanks to a three-pointer from Kai Henderson. 
-This attempt would quickly be stymied by the Bulldogs. Boyd and Shosa would score again, extending the Bulldog lead to four points. Boyd would also draw a foul, converting on a three-throw afterward.
-The success continued for Boyd once again. Shortly after they regained the lead, Boyd made a strong move to the paint, scoring on a layup and securing his 1,000th career point. 
-Dean would continue their offensive prowess through the remainder of the second half. Rubio would continue to score from deep, and contributors from the Dean bench also added to the tally. This was highlighted by a deep three-pointer from Cooper Smith (Boulder, CO) and a quick layup from Moses Ilodigwe (Wilmington, DE). In the end, Dean would win the ballgame by the final score of 89-65.

Standouts:
-Yeates DOUBLE-DOUBLE (18 Points, 5 Assists, 12 Rebounds, 2 Steals)
-Rubio (17 Points, 5-9 (55%) on 3-Pointers, Assist, Rebound, 2 Steals)
-Shosa (14 Points, Assist, 4 Rebounds)
-Boyd (14 Points, 7 Rebounds, Scored 1,000th Career point)

Next Up:
-Sunday, December 7th, 2:00PM Vs. Bryant & Stratton College - Buffalo (Pieri Gymnasium)

For Media Inquiries:
Brett Chaves
Sports Information Director, Dean College Athletics
(508) 541-1826
BChaves@dean.edu