BROOKLYN, N.Y. - Bridgewater College men's basketball found a way to slip past Medgar Evers at the Medgar Evers Dr. Carol V. De Costa Tournament with a final score of 66-58 Sunday afternoon on the road. With the win, the Eagles will advance to the tournament championship. 

The Bridgewater College Eagles (BCE) move to 5-4 overall, and the Medgar Evers Cougars (MEC) drop to 0-11 on the season. 

How It Happened 

In the first game back since Dec. 13, the Eagles came out shaky in the early going against the Cougars in the winter break tournament in Brooklyn. However, through aggressive takes to the rim, BCE found a rhythm to slowly break away from MEC.  

In the first 10 minutes of action, BCE claimed a controlled lead as Maleek Richardson, Chris Suber, and Jahmir Brown helped accelerate solid momentum. After 14 minutes in the first 20, the Eagles worked to a 10-point lead to hold pace of play. With less than four minutes to go, the Eagles sank their shots more efficiently and found better looks in set plays. BCE boosted to a 29-15 advantage.  

The Eagles found defensive stops in full court pressure, but as the offense was slowing down slightly, the Cougars finished tough takes to the basket in transition. BCE closed out the first half with a 29-22 edge.  

MEC came out ready to give the Eagles a battle. The Cougars in the first four minutes pieced together a firm scoring run and found their first lead at 34-33. However, the Eagles climbed out of the early scoring slump and drove hard to the rim, lifting the lead back to 39-34 off a smooth Carter Palmer layup.  

Halfway through the final 20 minutes, the Cougars roared back again to cut the BCE lead to one, but Jahmir Brown swished a three to maintain an offensive flow. The Eagles managed to stay ahead, as the Cougars continued to be within reach. At the four-minute mark, BCE held a 54-52 advantage. MEC drew fouls and initiated a physical game for the final minutes of regulation.  

With under a minute to go, the Eagles jumped ahead once more to claim a larger lead with a seven-point clip. BCE grabbed the win as they closed out with successful shots at the charity stripe for a 66-58 final score. 

Game Notes 

• Maleek Richardson posted a season-high 17 points in the win. 

• Bridgewater was able to rely on its bench depth with 30 bench points to Medgar Evers' 11. 

• Although the 19 points off turnovers for Medgar Evers helped close the deficit, the Eagles shot more efficiently with 30 points in the paint and a 41.7% clip from the floor to the Cougars' 22 points in the paint and a 34.5% field goal percentage. 

Up Next 

The Eagles are back in action tomorrow, Dec. 29 for the final day at the Medgar Evers tournament. The Eagles will face the winner of the Wheaton (Mass.) vs. Middlebury contest. Championship tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.