WALTHAM, Mass. - The Colby-Sawyer and Bates men's basketball teams will face off tomorrow at 3 p.m. in the championship game of the Brandeis University Tip-Off Tournament after winning first-round contests tonight. The Chargers held off the host Brandeis University Judges in the first game, 75-70, while the Bobcats downed Mount Ida College, 85-70, in the nightcap.

In the opener, Colby-Sawyer (1-0) put three starters in double figures and owned a 22-15 advantage on the offensive glass to outlast Brandeis (0-1). The Judges opened the game by scoring nine of the first 11 points in the first three minutes. CSC answered with an 18-2 run over a seven minute span that gave them a 20-11 lead. Brandeis answered with a similar run to tie the game at 31-31 with 2:02 left in the first half, but Charger junior Collin Bray (Brookline, Mass.) hit a bucket with 56 seconds left to give the visitors a 36-34 lead at the break. Colby-Sawyer went up by as many as 12 at 62-50 in the second half, but the Judges were back within two points at 72-70 with 31 seconds left. Twice in the final half-minute, CSC missed the front end of a one-and-one, but twice senior forward Chris Condon (Reading, Mass.) pulled down the offensive rebound to give the ball back to his squad.

Colby-Sawyer junior center Andrew St. Clair (Pittsfield, Maine) led the Chargers with 19 points and added nine boards, two blocks and two steals. Sophomore guard Pat Kenny (Wethersfield, Conn.) added 18 points, including four 3-pointers, while Condon had 14 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, including five on the offensive glass.

Brandeis was paced by senior Bryan Lambert's (Auburn, Maine) double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds. Classmate and co-captain Omri Ayalon (Potsdam, N.Y.) was the only other Judge in double figures with 12 points, all of which came in the first half. Rookie forward Steve DeLuca (Merrimack, N.H.) matched Lambert with 11 boards in his collegiate debut.

In the nightcap, Bates (1-0) hit 52.2 percent from 3-point range and 49.2 percent overall while holding Mount Ida (0-1) to 28.1 percent from distance and 39.7 percent overall. The Bobcats led by as many as 20 points in the first half before the Mustangs scored the last 10 points of the stanza to cut the lead to 45-35 at the break. Mount Ida held the Bobcats to just two field goals over the first seven minutes of the second to get within three points at 51-48 seven minutes in, but the could not get any closer, ultimately falling by 15, 85-70.

Bates was paced by seniors Brian Gerrity (Augusta, Maine) and Jon Furbush (Portland, Maine) who both scored 16 points on the strength of four 3-pointers each. Furbush also led the Bobcats with nine rebounds. Sophomore Rob Stockwell (Temple, N.H.) added 14 points, while senior center Elliot Linsley (Murrieta, Calif.) had 13 points and seven boards. Sophomore Zak Ray (Bangor, Maine) had 12 assists and did not turn the ball over in 30 minutes of play.

For Mount Ida, sophomore guard Andreas Vasiliu (Newton, Mass.) scored a game-high 18 points, hitting four trifectas of his own. He also had a team-best five assists. Rookie guard Mike Dunham (Salem, N.H.) added 16 points with three trifectas, while sophomore forward Curtis Gadles (Pembroke, Mass.) turned in the third double-double of the tournament with 15 points and 10 boards.
- 30 -