BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian College men's basketball team posted a 79-63 victory over visiting Goucher College in Landmark Conference action in Johnston Hall Saturday afternoon as the Greyhounds celebrated Alumni Day with the annual Alumni contest during the morning.
The Hounds, who evened their Landmark Conference record at 3-3 with the win, had four players in double figures led by junior guard Matt O'Connor, who tossed in a game-high 20 points to go with three assists, two rebounds and a pair of steals. Senior forward John Hargraves, who was honored before the game with the Gregg McNelis '77 Alumni Award for defensive play, scored a career-high 19 points to go with seven boards while senior forward Addis Ralph recorded the first double-double of his career with 10 points and a career-best 12 rebounds to go with two blocked shots. Senior guard C.J. Barnes added 10 points, seven boards and four assists.
Freshman guard Greg Eck contributed nine points and a career-high eight rebounds while junior guard Deandre Tillett had seven points and two boards. Senior guard Mike Martino dished out five assists to go with five rebounds and four points while freshman guard Nate Dougherty grabbed a pair of rebounds.
The Blue and Grey fell behind 4-0 before a tip-in by Hargraves, and the squad was down 8-2 before O'Connor capped a 6-0 run with a lay-up at the 13:06 mark to knot the score at 8-8. The Gophers moved back in front by five points twice, the second time at 17-12 before Moravian took its first lead of the evening at 19-18 on a three-pointer by O'Connor with 7:38 before the intermission. The lead changed six times over the next three and a half minutes before Martino gave the Greyhounds the lead for good at 29-27 on a three-pointer with just over three minutes until halftime. Ralph pushed the edge to six points, 35-29, with a tip-in basket and the Hounds headed to the locker room leading 35-31.
O'Connor opened the second half with a three-pointer before the Gophers made a jumper to cut it to 38-33. Over the next nine minutes, Moravian went on a 22-4 run to back a 60-37 lead when Tillett hit a three-pointer with 9:36 remaining. The Hounds would keep their advantage over 12 points the remainder of the contest.
The Greyhounds are scheduled to return to action on Wednesday, January 29 when the squad travels to Susquehanna University for a Landmark Conference game beginning at 7:00 p.m. in Selinsgrove.
