GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- For basketball fans, opening day means familiar faces, fresh expectations and another season of finding reasons to spend an afternoon at the Sturrus Sports & Fitness Center. For head coach Ryan Bertoia and the Saints, it meant finally trading practice jerseys for the real thing—and Friday's new uniforms came with a little more material than the players were accustomed to. With returning talent and new faces sharing the floor, Aquinas opened the second annual Drury Inn Classic against St. Francis. There were some opening-day wrinkles to work out, including keeping those jerseys tucked in, but the Maroon and White left with the result that fit just right.
Aquinas 77, St. Francis 69
Jordan Bledsoe wasted little time getting the season started, scoring the first four points before Caden Pokorzynski turned a steal into a layup for a 6-2 AQ advantage. St. Francis briefly moved ahead 9-8, but Xavier Zubric answered with a jumper, and Jack Futa followed with a three-pointer off a Jordan McCoy assist to put Aquinas back in control. McCoy also set up Lamont Green-Torbert for a triple as the Saints received an early lift from their bench. Green-Torbert knocked down both of his first-half attempts from beyond the arc, while Mershon Dickerson supplied seven points before the break. AQ collected 11 steals and forced 16 turnovers in the opening half, providing the extra possessions needed to take a 34-30 lead into the locker room despite shooting 37.9 percent.
Dickerson opened the second-half scoring with a three-pointer, but St. Francis worked its way back to a 37-37 tie with 17:10 remaining. David Day answered with a transition layup, then delivered a three-point play after the visitors pulled even again at 39. When St. Francis trimmed the margin to a single point, Dickerson responded with a jumper to begin an 8-0 Aquinas run. Day added two free throws, McCoy split a pair, and Bledsoe capped the stretch with a three-pointer that pushed the Saints ahead 50-41 with 11:48 to play. McCoy later contributed a fastbreak layup, and Green-Torbert finished through contact for a three-point play that stretched the advantage to 57-45.
St. Francis continued to hang around, but Aquinas kept finding an answer, including a Bledsoe tip-in and a Dickerson triple that restored a double-digit cushion with 5:33 remaining. Day supplied four more free throws around a Zubric layup before Dickerson turned another steal into a Pokorzynski dunk for AQ's largest lead, 73-60, with 2:43 left. Dickerson added two free throws down the stretch and found Pokorzynski for another dunk in the closing seconds as the Saints finished off the opening-day victory. Dickerson led Aquinas with 17 points, six rebounds, six steals and three assists, while Bledsoe scored 13 points on 4-for-6 shooting and made all four of his free throws. Day contributed 12 points and four steals, Green-Torbert provided 11 points off the bench, and Pokorzynski rounded out five Saints in double figures with 10 points and a team-leading eight rebounds. Zubric added eight points, four rebounds, two assists and two blocks, while McCoy and Futa each scored three points and Joe Russau supplied eight minutes in the rotation.
Aquinas shot 50 percent in the second half and finished 6-for-15 from three-point range, finding a better offensive rhythm as the afternoon progressed. The Saints also turned 22 St. Francis turnovers into 21 points, helping offset a 38-31 disadvantage on the glass. Day's seven-for-seven second half at the foul line helped AQ protect its lead as the Saints scored 16 of their final 43 points on free throws. Aquinas opens the season at 1-0, while St. Francis begins its campaign at 0-1.
Saints Snapshots
- An Answer When It Mattered. The first afternoon of the season brought an early test of composure when St. Francis erased AQ's halftime advantage. The Saints responded to the final tie with a Day three-point play, then created breathing room with an 8-0 run after the visitors closed within one. Aquinas had to earn control of this one twice.
- Making Their Own Opportunities. With shots slow to fall in the opening half, the Saints gave themselves another way to score. Their pressure produced 11 steals before intermission, helping AQ reach the locker room with a lead while its offense found its footing.
- Plenty of Hands in This One. Bledsoe got the afternoon going, Green-Torbert supplied offense off the bench, and Dickerson helped guide the Saints through the finish. Five players reached double figures, offering an encouraging first look at the scoring options available to Bertoia.
- Day Stayed With It. A difficult shooting afternoon did not keep Day from making winning plays. After scoring one point in the opening half, he delivered 11 after intermission, attacked the basket and made every second-half free throw. His response helped the Saints turn a tight game into a two-possession victory.
- Old School Threads, New Adjustments. The Saints debuted new uniforms Friday, bringing an oversized, baggy look to the Sturrus that would have fit right into an earlier era of college basketball. Getting used to that extra fabric was another matter, as players repeatedly tucked in their jerseys before checking into the game or while standing at the free throw line. Consider it one more opening-day adjustment—and a little bonus entertainment for anyone who noticed.
Coach's Comments
Months of preparation finally gave way to opening day and the second annual Drury Inn Classic. After the game, head coach Ryan Bertoia reflected on getting his team into competition and the foundation the Saints hope to build throughout the season.
"There's a different excitement when you finally get to put the uniform on and play somebody else, and our guys were ready for that today. We had stretches where we looked really good and stretches where we made things harder on ourselves, but I liked that we kept responding. Different guys stepped up at different times, and that's something we're going to need from this group. We have plenty to clean up, but this team has a chance to give our fans a lot to be excited about if we keep working and keep buying into each other."
Up Next
The Saints will be right back in action on Halloween afternoon at the Sturrus, hosting Indiana University South Bend at 1 p.m. in their second game of the Drury Inn Classic. St. Mary-of-the-Woods College and St. Francis will meet in the day's opening contest, with the AQ women's basketball team taking the floor at 3 p.m.
All three Saturday basketball games will stream live on the AQ Saints Athletic Network, with Dan Hasty providing play-by-play coverage. Fans are encouraged to visit AQSaints.com for up-to-date stats, stories, photos and recaps throughout the season.
It's a great day to be a Saint!
