Franklin, MA- The Dean College men's basketball team shined in a 92-73 win over Johnson & Wales University in front of a packed Pieri Gymnasium Tuesday night. The Bulldogs now advance to 14-9 (6-6) and Johnson and Wales moves to 5-17 (3-10)

Before the game, the Dean College Department of Athletics and Recreation recognized the senior class from this year's men's basketball roster. Seniors Ja'maine Davenport (Mays Landing, NJ), Greg Farrow (Milwaukee, WI), Jaisan Parker (Durham, NC), Harlan Nichols (Las Vegas, NV), Deon Blakemore Jr. (Houma, LA), Josh Minton (Baldwin, NY), and Quinten Jones (Winchester, VA) were all presented with their commenorative jerseys, signifying their excellence and commitment to the basketball program.

The scoring opened with a casual jump shot from Billy Ray Barnes III (Inglewood, CA). Farrow quickly followed-up with two free throws after drawing a Johnson & Wales foul. Dean then catapulted to a 6-0 run after another mid-range jumper from Barnes. The Wildcats quickly responded with six additional points, prompting an opportunity for Frankie Idlett (Miami, FL) to drive and score from the paint. 

After the Bulldogs opted into their first timeout of the night, Davenport responded with an emphatic block on defense. Randy Vasquez (Methuen, MA) followed the block with a quick basket for Dean, assisted by Christian Yeates (Atlanta, GA). Vasquez then tripled his scoring total after back-to-back buckets inside the basket. Vasquez propelled Dean to a 9-0 run with the help of an additional Idlett three-pointer. The final five minutes into a war of attrition, with both sides trading basketing from the field. The Bulldogs finished the half with the momentum and the lead, 46-30.

Farrow got the party started in the second half, draining a three-point shot from the top of the key. Barnes then grabbed a steal and made a no-look pass to Davenport, who flushed the layup through the net. Dean opened on a 5-0 run to put them up by 19 over the Wildcats. The run extended to 8-2 after Idlett converted on another three-point shot. Idlett continued his momentum through the next five minutes, generating multiple scoring chances and converting from mid-range. He also made a cross-court pass to Yeates to put Dean up by over 20 points. 

Dean's lead furthered even more through the final nine minutes of the game, extending the score to 78-47 and a 31 point differential. In the final five minutes, Nichols checked into the game and scored with a layup, prompting an eruption from the Bulldog faithful. Shortly after, the remainder of the senior class checked into the game, capping a 

Idlett led Dean's offensive efforts with 24 total points, seven rebounds, three assists, and one steal. Farrow followed closely behind with 18 points and five rebounds. Both Yeates and Barnes also posted double-digit point nights. As a team, Dean shot over 50 percent from the field and nearly 40 percent from three.

The Bulldogs placed themselves in prime position to secure a spot in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play-in tournament. They will have a chance to advance their odds Thursday night at 6:00PM, hosting Mitchell College in a make-up game.