WORCESTER, Mass. – The Clark University men's basketball team (1-0) opened up their 2024-25 campaign with a thrilling 84-82 victory over Roger Williams (0-1) on Saturday afternoon in front of a packed crowd inside the Kneller Gymnasium.

How it Happened

• Clark jumped out to an early 6-2 lead as sophomore Quentin Pridgen and senior Bruce Saintilus combined for six points within the first 1:30 of the game before the Hawks scored seven unanswered.
• Pridgen netted four of the Cougars next six points as Clark trailed by four and after trailing by eight with 13:39 to play in the first half, senior Kekoa McArdle and Isaiah Taylor scored to pull Clark back within four at 20-16.
• Down 25-20, Clark went on a 9-0 sparked by an and-one layup from Saintilus and a pair of made three-pointers from junior Reid Neumann gave the scarlet and white a 29-25 lead with 8:07 remaining in the first half.
• After the Hawks tied the game at 29-29, the Cougars ended the half on a 14-11 run led by eight points from Taylor and three-pointers from both senior Ian Calabrese and Neumann as Clark took a 43-40 lead into the half.
• Neumann connected on his fourth three of the game to open the second half before a Taylor layup helped extend Clark's lead to six at 48-42 within the first two minutes of action.
• Roger Williams rattled off six unanswered before sophomore Christopher Clarke, Saintilus, and Calabrese combined for seven points to give the Cougars a 57-55 edge with 13:02 to play.
• Calabrese buried another three-pointer to help propel a 7-0 run that was capped off by points from Saintilus and Taylor as Clark held a 64-57 advantage.
• Taylor scored the Cougars next five points and a sophomore Malik Matanmi layup with 7:17 to play gave the scarlet and white a 71-66 edge.
• After the Hawks held a 76-74 advantage, Saintilus and Taylor scored Clark's next four points to tie the game at 78-78, but Roger Williams scored four straight points to take an 82-78 lead with 3:24 remaining.
• The Cougars locked in on the defensive end for the remainder of the game as they held the Hawks scoreless while scored six unanswered as Saintilus and graduate student Jordan Richard each hit three pointers to propel Clark to an 84-82 victory.

Inside the Box Score

• The Cougars grabbed 39 rebounds, shot 48.5 percent from the floor, dished out 13 assists, and recorded six steals.
• Taylor led the team with 24 points, seven assists, and grabbed five rebounds.
• Saintilus added 20 points and five rebounds.
• Neumann also reached double-figures with 12 points on four made three-pointers.
• Pridgen led the squad with seven rebounds and scored six points.

What's Next
Clark will return to the court on Wednesday when they play their first of a three-game road stint against St. Joe's (Ct.) beginning at 6:00 p.m.