CHICOPEE, Mass. – Despite a valiant comeback in the final minutes, the Dean College men's basketball team was defeated by Elms College in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play. With the loss, the Bulldogs drop to 15-8 (5-5 GNAC), while the Blazers improve to 10-13 (4-6 GNAC).

How it Happened:
-The Bulldogs began the contest with an early 4-0 lead. Senior Christian Yeates (Atlanta, Ga.) Scored the first four points of the game, both of which on strong layups. Elms' RJ Mayfield shortly followed suit with four points of his own.
-Yeates continued his early rampage, scoring seven of Dean's opening ten points. Donnary Fontenot (Atlanta, Ga.) found the box score with a three-point shot. Dean eventually carried a 12-7 lead over Elms in the first half.
-Despite a strong offensive effort by the Bulldogs, Elms continued to keep the score close throughout the first half. Mayfield and Arik Dagan led the scoring for the Blazers and cut the Dean lead to just three points.
-With nine minutes to play in the half, the Bulldogs began to pull away. Naser Motley (Everett, Wash.) and Izayah Porter (Jonesboro, Ga.) attacked the inside of the paint, scoring consecutive layups. This strategy proved successful for the remainder of the half. Yeates and Randy Vasquez (Methuen, Mass.) also scored from inside the basket.
-Dean eventually found themselves leading 37-32 at the end of the half.
-However, Elms came out blazing to start the second half. They opened with a 9-2 run, eventually taking the lead 41-39.
-Dean quickly found the footing and extended their lead back to nine points. Vasquez and Porter continued to succeed inside, scoring on back-to-back layups. Their efforts eventually began a 12-0 Dean run with 14 minutes to-go.
-However, Elms began to claw their way back into the game. Jacob Cancel knocked down a quick three-pointer, followed by scores from Mayfield and Jack Lo. Before they knew it, Elms only trailed Dean by just two points (55-53).
-Elms tied the game with 8:49 to-play on another layup form RJ Mayfield. This prompted a swift response from the Bulldogs. Yeates drove inside and drew the foul, eventually knocking down the free-throw attempt.
-The final six minutes ultimately decided the game's outcome. Lo led the Blazers back into the lead with five consecutive points. Mayfield also scored on another three-point conversion. Elms continued their run to lead 68-62 with 2:45 to play.
-With their backs against the wall, the Bulldogs dug deep and mounted their comeback. They went on an 8-2 run in the final minutes, including vital scores from Motley & Vasquez. This setup one last play for the Bulldogs to secure the win.
-With three seconds remaining, Motley drew a foul on Cancel. This put him on the free throw line with two shots. However, down 72-69, Dean needed to convert on a basket after the second free throw.
-Motley made the first shot, making it 72-70. However, on the second shot, he missed & forced a rebound. This allowed Adam Sarlan to swoop in and secure the Elms victory. The Blazers took the game with a final score of 72-70.
 
Standouts:
-Yeates (21 Points, 5 Rebounds, 3 Assists, Steal)
-Motley (13 Points, 8 Rebounds, 2 Assists, Steal)
-Vasquez (10 Points, 6 Rebounds)
 
Next Up:
-Tuesday, February 17th, 7:30PM at Albertus Magnus College (GNAC Contest).

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