Altenor’s Late Jumper Lifts Men’s Basketball Past NYU, 73-71

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — University of Saint Joseph (USJ) senior guard Lence Altenor (Everett, Mass.) had seen enough. After six losses by a combined 20 points this season, Altenor was not about to let another heartbreaking defeat slip away.

With the score tied at 71, Altenor split a double team and banked in a short jumper with 1.8 seconds remaining to lift the Blue Jays to a thrilling 73-71 non-conference victory over receiving-votes New York University on Saturday afternoon inside James A. Calhoun Gymnasium. With the win, USJ improved to 6-6 on the season, while the Violets dropped to 9-2.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Both teams traded buckets early on and USJ took the lead, 12-11, when sophomore guard Jakari Tertulien (Brooklyn, N.Y.) secured a defensive rebound and went coast-to-coast for a fastbreak layup. With 6:30 remaining in the first half, senior guard/forward Deivone Tanksley Jr. (Hartford, Conn.) threw down a thunderous dunk in transition to give the Blue Jays a 30-26 advantage.

NYU, which advanced to the national championship game last season, responded with a 7-0 run to regain the lead, 33-30, with 4:50 left on the first-half clock and closed the opening stanza strong to hold a 41-36 edge entering the break.

The Violets continued their momentum early in the second half, as graduate student Alex Daniels knocked down a three-pointer to extend the NYU lead to 58-46 with 11:16 remaining. USJ answered with a run of its own, sparked by sophomore forward Adelphe Cisse (Pointe-Noire, Congo), who delivered a perfectly placed bounce pass from the free-throw line to senior forward Friedrich Feldrappe (Berlin, Germany) for a layup.

Tertulien followed with baskets on back-to-back possessions to cut the deficit to 58-52, and Altenor drained his second three-pointer of the game to pull USJ within three, 61-58, with 7:34 to play.

Trailing by five moments later, sophomore guard Roel Figueroa (Cidra, Puerto Rico) ignited the crowd with a tip-in and then buried a three-pointer to knot the score at 65 with 4:09 remaining. The Blue Jays grabbed their first lead of the second half when Cisse connected on a tough turnaround fadeaway to make it 67-65 with 3:32 left.

With under a minute remaining, Altenor scooped up a loose ball after multiple deflections and hit a jumper to give USJ a 71-68 edge. NYU answered, as graduate student Darren Rubin knocked down a clutch second-chance three-pointer to tie the game at 71 with 14 seconds left.

Altenor and the Blue Jays had the final say, however, as the senior guard capped his 16-point performance with the game-winning jumper to put USJ back in the win column.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• The game marked the first-ever meeting between the Blue Jays and Violets.

• The contest featured five ties and 13 lead changes.

• All five USJ starters scored in double figures: Altenor (game-high 16 points), Feldrappe (15), Tertulien (season-high 14), Figueroa (14), and Tanksley Jr. (10).

• USJ shot 49.1 percent (28-of-57) from the floor, while NYU shot 42.6 percent (26-of-61).

• The Blue Jays were a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line.

• USJ dominated the paint, outscoring NYU 36-22.

• The Blue Jays held a 33-28 edge on the glass.

UP NEXT

The Blue Jays welcome Hamilton College to James A. Calhoun Gymnasium on Tuesday, Jan. 6, for its final non-conference game of the regular season. The matchup marks the first-ever meeting between the Blue Jays and the Continentals of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC). Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.

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