Strong Second Half Propels Men's Basketball to 100-89 Win Over Ithaca

By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University men's basketball team opened the home portion of its schedule in style.

With freshman Josh Campbell (Plymouth, Mass.) scoring 36 points, the Bears rallied from a double-digit first-half deficit to defeat Ithaca College, 100-89, in the opening round of the Cave Classic Friday night.

Bridgewater State (2-1) will play for the tournament championship Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Tinsley Center against either Worcester Polytechnic Institute or Johnson & Wales University.

Campbell made 14 of 18 shots with three 3-pointers to go with seven rebounds, four steals and two assists in his 32 minutes.

Graduate student Emerson Halbleib (Carmel, Ind.) added 18 points and 17 rebounds while freshman Zach Taylor (Quincy, Mass.) and sophomore Dante Kikuba (Framingham, Mass.) also scored in double figures with 13 and 10 points, respectively. Kiuba handed out 10 assists and had three steals.

The Bombers (2-1) used a 16-2 run over a span of 3:54 in the first half to open a 21-10 advantage with 11:36 remaining before the break.

The Bears got within 41-35 at halftime, then scored 65 points in the final 20 minutes to overtake the visitors from New York.

"Resilient," said BSU coach Matt McLaughlin. "We try to preach that it's tough to beat a team that never gives up, so let's be that team. Let's be resilient. Let's never give up. Let's keep fighting."

The Bears did that, making 66 percent of their shots (25 for 38) in the second half and hitting 7 of 12 from 3-point range.

Campbell, an Archbishop Williams High graduate, had 23 second-half points on 8 for 9 shooting with three 3-pointers.

"He's tough," said McLaughlin. "He's been rock solid. He's been consistent and he plays that way in practice and it transfers over to the game. He knows one way, one motor. He cares so much and he plays so hard.

"Especially as a freshman, for him to come in and play those big minutes and be able to knock shots down at crucial clutch times in the game, that's a credit to him. That's not coaching, that's all the hard work he's put in and the time he's put in."

With an enthusiastic crowd on hand, BSU opened the second half on a 15-3 run over the initial 3:31 to take a 50-44 advantage.

The Bombers regained the lead at 69-68 and 72-70 before the Bears took control down the stretch.

Holding an 85-79 edge with less than four minutes to go, BSU got back-to-back 3-pointers from Campbell and Kikuba to make it 91-79 with 3:12 left. After a 3-pointer by Ithaca's Logan Wendell (Jr., Bradford, Vt.), Campbell scored six straight points on three layups for a 97-82 lead with 1:24 remaining.

The tough stretch in the first half when the Bears struggled at the defensive end was answered by a spectacular second half performance at both ends.

"We struggled in that first half," said McLaughlin, whose team has reached 100 points in two of three games this season. "Credit to Ithaca. Their offense with the screens and actions were never ending. They moved with pace in the half court and we got caught chasing. I thought they dictated the pace for most of that first half.

"I think we decided to stop chasing as much. We were able to get in front a little bit more. I think we started to limit their second-chance opportunities. We also started to make shots. When you make shots the intensity starts to pick up, you're at home, the momentum starts to sway your way. And when we needed it, the defense came alive."

Halbleib has 44 rebounds (18 offensive, 26 defensive) in the first three games, averaging 14.7.

"He's really worked on his body," said McLaughlin of the reigning MASCAC defensive player of the year. "He spends a lot of time and energy and it shows. It's keeping him out there longer and he's able to sustain it longer and pull those boards down. It's huge. We need those boards."

Ithaca, a member of the Liberty League, was led by Wendell with 27 points and seven assists. He connected on 7 of 14 shots from 3-point range.

Also in double figures for the Bombers were junior Aidan Holmes (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) with 13 points to go with eight rebounds and freshman Evan Cabral (Hackensack, N.J.) with 10 points.

Sophomore Louis Jennings (Walpole, Mass.) had nine points and four rebounds while junior Damien Perry (New Bedford, Mass.) scored eight points with three rebounds off the BSU bench.