Men's Basketball Defeats Pratt

The Mighty Oaks dominated the Cannoneers of Pratt Institute, winning 76-49 Jan. 31.

ESF jumped out to an early 15-5 lead. Junior Jared Bard sparked ESF in scoring with seven quick points. ESF dominance on the glass and strong defense help build a 16-point lead, 26-10, with eight minutes remaining in the half. At the half, ESF led 39-20.

ESF opened the second half of action with a 13-5 run and built its lead to 52-25. After a couple quick turnovers by ESF, the Cannoneers were able to get within 14 points, forcing Head Coach Scott Blair to call a timeout. After the timeout, the Mighty Oaks responded with a three-pointer by freshman Andy Koch. The Mighty Oaks never looked back after that as they rolled to a 76-49 victory.

Bard led all ESF scorers with 15 points. Senior Ryan Caldwell had an all-around strong game with 12 points, nine rebounds, six assists and six steals. Freshman Justin VanDuLuitgaarden, in his second career collegiate start, scored seven points and had five steals. His baskets included an emphatic breakaway slam dunk in the second half. With the win, the Mighty Oaks improve to 4-12 overall, 2-1 in HVIAC conference play.

The Mighty Oaks travel to New York City Feb. 6-7 where they will face two tough HVIAC opponents - Vaughn College and Berekley College.