Grand Rapids, Mich. – The Aquinas men's basketball team finished out the Drury Classic with a close contest against St. Xavier, earning a hard-fought 97–91 victory on their home court. The Saints showcased strong offensive balance and relentless energy on both ends of the floor, using sharp ball movement and big time free throws to secure the win over the Cougars.
The Aquinas men's basketball team came out firing in the first half against St. Xavier, opening with a jumper from David Day followed by a three-pointer from Cameron Moore to take a 5–3 lead. The Cougars briefly tied the game at 8–8, but Nick Henry added a free throw and Caden Pokorzynski completed an and-one play to push AQ ahead 11–8. Malachi Denbraber sparked momentum with a steal and quick layup, while Jack Futa knocked down a three to reclaim the lead at 16–15. Two free throws from Denbraber extended the advantage to 18–15 before he swiped another steal and converted a layup to make it 20–15. Futa connected on a layup from Trey Chmielewski, and Pokorzynski added a three-point play. Another steal and putback from Denbraber pushed the lead to 25–21, and Moore buried another three to make it 27–21. The Saints continued trading baskets with St. Xavier but Devon Boyd added a layup, followed with a steal and a three-pointer from Jordan Bledsoe to give AQ its largest lead of the half at 40–31. Boyd capped off a strong first half with two free throws, sending the Saints into the locker room up 49–39.
The Saints had a slow start to the second half as Saint Xavier opened with a five-point run, but a free throw ended the stretch to make it 50–44. Pokorzynski quickly responded with a three-pointer, which was matched by SXU, keeping the score close at 53–49. Moore followed with a fast layup to push the lead to 55–49. Both teams tightened up defensively before Denbraber broke the stalemate with a deep three off a pass from Futa, giving AQ a 60–54 advantage. Denbraber then completed an and-one play to stretch the margin to 64–55, and Bledsoe found Futa on a sharp cut to the rim for two more, extending the lead to 68–57.
The Saints continued to push the tempo, with Futa knocking down another three and Pokorzynski finishing a strong drive to make it 73–63. AQ capitalized at the line as Pokorzynski and Moore each sank a pair of free throws to grow the lead to 82–72. Down the stretch, Pokorzynski pulled down two key rebounds and Day added another pair of free throws to keep control at 84–77. Pokorzynski then brought the crowd to its feet with a big dunk to make it 95–91 as time wound down. In the closing seconds, both teams entered the bonus, and clutch free throws from DenBraber and Boyd sealed the 97–91 win for the Saints.
Coaches Comments:
"Our guys showed a lot of grit tonight. They've really embraced a more physical style of play and have bought into that mentality of finishing strong down the stretch," said Head Coach Ryan Bertoia. "After our opening game, we challenged them to respond—to handle adversity better, to respect the game, and to compete with the same intensity no matter who the opponent is. Tonight, they answered that challenge."
Game Leaders
