CARLISLE, Pa. – The Ursinus College men's basketball team looked well on its way to its first win in Carlisle in five years, leading by 15 late in the first half of tonight's Centennial Conference clash with Dickinson. But a rally to close the first half and a barrage from Brandon Angradi to start the second helped the Red Devils climb out of the big hole and pull away for a 69-63 triumph, snapping the Bears' four-game winning streak.
Sophomore forward Remi Janicot led four players in double figures with 14 points and 11 rebounds for Ursinus (6-7, 2-4), his first double-double of the season and the third of his career. Senior guard Malik Draper, sophomore forward Joseph LoStracco, and freshman guard Eric Williams scored ten points apiece for the Bears, who were undone by 17 turnovers and a big outburst from Angradi.
Williams bookended a 15-3 first-half run with 3-pointers, the second giving Ursinus a 25-12 advantage at the 5:31 mark of the frame. The bulge grew as large as 29-14 on a pair of free throws from Janicot, who went 10 of 11 at the stripe for his second straight game with at least ten foul shots made, but Dickinson (4-9, 3-3) rattled off the last six points to gain some momentum heading into the locker rooms.
The defending conference champions wasted little time overturning the Bears' upper hand. Angradi scored 12 points, including a trio of 3-pointers, during a 15-2 run to start the second half, his third triple staking the Red Devils to a 32-29 lead. They never trailed again.
A trey from Elijah Wright and a jumper by Jule Brown extended the lead to seven and, after a 3-pointer by freshman guard Matt Margolis and free throws from Janicot got the Bears back within two, Angradi rose up for another momentum-killing triple. His sixth 3 of the night stretched the margin to 54-45 with 6:44 left, and the lead remained there until the 1:35 mark.
Ursinus made it somewhat interesting, getting to within 66-62 on a driving layup by sophomore guard Brian Rafferty with 31 ticks showing, but that was as close as its comeback attempt got as Dickinson avenged last season's loss in Collegeville. The Red Devils were ranked fourth when Ursinus upset them in Collegeville last February, marking the highest-ranked opponent the Bears have defeated since 2005. This time, it was not to be, thanks to Dickinson's veteran duo.
Angradi and fellow senior backcourt mate Ted Hinnekamp, both second-team all-conference selections a year ago, combined for 33 points and 17 rebounds to spark Dickinson. Angradi was 6 of 11 from the field – 5 for 9 from deep – while Hinnekamp racked up 13 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, three blocks, and three steals in an all-around effort. Brown finished with ten points and Justus Melton added nine to go with seven boards.
The Red Devils committed only ten turnovers and took advantage of the Bears' miscues to seize a 20-6 advantage in points off turnovers.
Williams, the conference leader in 3-pointers made, hit two more and scored in double figures for the fifth straight game, while Janicot became the first Bear to make ten or more free throws in consecutive games since Jon Ward did so in 2011.
Ursinus next entertains Gettysburg in a CC tilt on Thursday, January 14.