Colonels Best Blazers 64-59 in Tight Back-and-Forth Battle
CHICOPEE, Mass. – The Curry College men's basketball team earned a gritty road win on Tuesday night, taking down Elms College 64–59 at Picknelly Arena.
In a tightly contested first half, neither team led by more than 3 points as Curry would eventually take a narrow 29-28 edge into the halftime break. The Colonels hit 47.3 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from deep, with all five starters contributing meaningful offensive production. The Blazers kept pace however with the help of DJ Watkins who would finish as the games leading scorer with 21 points.
For the Colonels, Jeremiah Predin was a catalyst throughout the night, adding five rebounds, two assists, and two steals to his team high 18 points. He was joined in the scoring column by fellow guards Manny Hidalgo and Tommy Mallinson, who provided stability and timely buckets. Hidalgo finished with 17 points, including three three-pointers, while Mallinson posted 15 points, three assists, and two steals.
In the second half, the back-and-forth affair continued as finally Curry found some breathing room with a 58-53 lead. In the final minutes, Manny Hidaldo hit a jumper to put the Colonels ahead 63-57 which was enough to see the Colonels outlas the Blazers 64-59.
Other key contributors for the Colonels included Favour Okeke, who notched eight points and two steals, while Shawn Charles filled the stat sheet with four points, four rebounds, and three assists. Off the bench, forward Jake Bernardo anchored the interior, grabbing nine rebounds—seven of them defensive—to help Curry control the boards.
Elms was led by Watkins, who hit four threes in his 21 point night. While the Blazers shot 40.7 percent, Curry's defensive pressure forced 15 turnovers and limited Elms to 4-of-17 from beyond the arc. The Colonels capitalized on those stops, maintaining their composure in the closing minutes to seal the win.
With the victory, Curry improves to 3-4 on the season and gains momentum heading into the start of Conference of New England (CNE) play next week vs Nichols.
