Collins collects team-high 23 points but Seahawks fall to Blue Jays

SEAHAWK MEN'S BASKETBALL RESULTS
Saint Joseph 92, Salve Regina 68
Rodgers Recreation Center - Newport, Rhode Island
Saturday, December 29, 2018

Summary
NEWPORT, R.I. — The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's basketball team clicked on all cylinders in the second half, turning a back-and-forth matchup into a 24-point victory, as it knocked off Salve Regina University (SRU), 92-68, inside the Rodgers Recreation Center Saturday afternoon.

USJ's depth shined offensively, outscoring the Seahawks' (4-7, 0-2 CCC) bench 31 to 7.

Freshman guard Chris Childs (Bronx, N.Y.) scored a game-high 24 points (6-7 3FG), but the star of the day for the Blue Jays was freshman point guard Delshawn Jackson Jr. (Hartford, Conn.), who scored a career-high 22 points (16 in the second half), dished out seven assists and had three steals. Sophomore forward Cameron Collins (Oakdale, Conn.) carried the Seahawks with 23 points and four rebounds.

Salve Regina came out ready to play, scoring seven points in just over a minute. Collins, and sophomore guard Kevin Kelly (Valhalla, N.Y.) led the charge. First-year USJ head coach Jim Calhoun had seen enough and called timeout, down 7-0 early.

Calhoun quickly turned to his bench for a spark plug. He found it in freshman guard Brad Landry (Wallingford, Conn.), who drilled two threes to get the Blue Jays going. Still, the Seahawks made seven of their first eight shots to take a 19-9 lead with 14:08 left in the first, behind stellar play from Collins and Kelly.

Childs, who went to the bench early, made a statement as he checked back in, single-handedly going on an 8-0 run (including two threes) to bring the Blue Jays within two. USJ could not stay out of foul trouble though, picking up their seventh foul of the half with more than 11 minutes to go. SRU would shoot free throws the rest of the way, while freshman starting center Nadir Dixon-Thompson (Dorchester, Mass.) would have to spend the rest of the half on the bench with two fouls.

Despite the offensive onslaught from the Seahawks, USJ was able to stay in the game by making the right adjustments defensively, forcing 12 early turnovers, which they converted into 19 points. They would use that momentum to go on a huge run. After trailing 29-23, it was a balanced attack inside and out, including Childs, Jackson Jr., and freshman guard Cameron Sells (Ansonia, Conn.), who carried a 20-4 Blue Jay run into the locker room, 43-33.

After starting 7-for-8 from the field in the first six minutes, the Seahawks shot just 3-for-10 the rest of the half, including a nine-minute stretch without a field goal. Childs scored 13 of his 24 in the first half (3-3 3FG), while Jackson Jr. scored six points and dished out five assists. Collins did most of his damage early in the half (11 points in 11 minutes), scoring 12 total in the first 20.

Series and Streaks
First-ever meeting for the two schools in men's basketball as Saint Joseph went co-ed to begin the 2018-19 season.

Three Stars of the Game

1. Saint Joseph freshman Chris Childs (Bronx, N.Y.) scored a game-high 24 points (6-7 3FG) and jump started the Blue Jays' first-half run when they took control of the game.
2. Salve Regina sophomore Cameron Collins (Oakdale, Conn.) made a game-high nine field goals (9-14 FG) and led the Seahawks with 23 points.
3. Saint Joseph freshman Delshawn Jackson Jr. (Hartford, Conn.) scored a career-high 22 points (16 in the second half), dished out seven assists and had three steals.

Key Stat of the Game
Bench depth tilted in Blue Jays favor, outscoring the Seahawks 31-7 with reserves.

Turning Point
Salve Regina led by 10 (19-9) in the first six minutes. Chris Childs scored the next eight points (including two 3-pointers) to trigger a 31-13 run for Saint Joseph over 11 minutes.

Quick Hits

• Delshawn Jackson made nine of 10 free throws.
• Mikey Spencer (Abington, Mass.) and Kevin Kelly (Valhalla, N.Y.) also finished in double-figure scoring for the Seahawks with 19 and 16 points, respectively.
• Salve Regina senior captain Kevin Mannix (Barrington, R.I.) led all players with seven rebounds.
• Noreaga Davis (Bridgeport, Conn.) had a team-high five boards for the Blue Jays.
• Brad Landry (Wallingford, Conn.) scored 12 points off the bench for Saint Joseph.
• Four different Seahawks hit 3-pointers including three from Spencer, two from Kelly, and one each from Mike Palmieri (Bristol, Conn.) and Andrew Bronstein (Needham, Mass.).
• Kelly had three personal fouls in the first half and fouled out with 3:45 remaining in the game.

Next Up
Salve Regina travels to Curry College on Thursday, January 3, in a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) doubleheader (7:30 p.m.). The Blue Jays (8-4) complete their four-game road trip at Western Connecticut State on Tuesday, January 2.