CHESTERTOWN, Md. – A pair of explosive performances from Zach Quattro and Ryan McTamney powered the Ursinus College men's basketball team out of an early hole and through to an 87-72 Centennial Conference win at Washington College.
Quattro scored 20 of his career-high 27 points in the first half for Ursinus (14-7, 10-4), and McTamney added 21 points on just nine shots as the Bears withstood an early 8-0 blitz from the Shoremen and snapped a two-game skid.
Ursinus remained a game back of Johns Hopkins for third place in the league standings and gained a two-game leg up on Dickinson for the fourth spot.
Washington College ripped off the game's first eight points before Quattro steadied the ship, scoring the first nine points for the Bears before a bucket by McTamney and a 3-pointer by junior Eric Williams Jr. put Ursinus on top 14-12 inside six minutes.
The two sides were even at 19 before a triple by Quattro put Ursinus ahead to stay with 8:36 to go in the opening half. The senior then buried back-to-back treys to open up a 33-23 bulge at the 3:12 mark, and the visitors carried a 41-34 margin into the break.
Quattro opened the second stanza with a bucket to stretch the lead back to nine, but the Shoremen three times closed to within three, the last time at 53-50 with 12:25 remaining. But freshman Bruce Edwards scored inside and junior Matt Williams converted a three-point play to keep Washington College at bay.
The Shoremen continued to chip away, but Ursinus always had an answer at the ready. Senior Remi Janciot's 3-pointer made it 63-56 at the 9:33 mark, and McTamney and Quattro splashed deep balls on back-to-back trips to stretch a five-point advantage to 11 with 8:05 left. The home side could get no closer than nine from there.
Quattro finished 10 for 16 from the floor and added five assists and three steals to his sparkling stat line. McTamney was 7 for 9 from the floor and made all five of his free throws.
Rafferty, meanwhile, was ruthlessly efficient in a near triple-double, making both of his field goals and all four free throws and turning it over just once against eight dimes.
Janicot tallied ten points off the bench for the Bears, who shot 55.8 percent (29 for 52) and were 10 for 20 from 3-point range and 19 of 23 from the line (82.6 percent). Ursinus had 24 assists on 29 made baskets and owned a 38-26 advantage in the paint.
The Shoremen committed just six turnovers, but the Bears held them to 40.8-percent shooting and a 6-for-20 effort from 3. Tas Dixon had 23 points and nine assists to lead Washington College.
The men's basketball team plays host to No. 7 Swarthmore on Wednesday, February 7.