February 15, 2007 Issue                                       

©2007 The Chestnut Hill Local

CHC squeaks past Philly Biblical, 63-60
by TOM UTESCHER

CHC’s mike Devine, one of the founding members of Chestnut Hill College’s Men’s basketball team. (Photo by Jimmy J. Pack Jr.)For more photos visit www.chlocalphotos.com

The host Griffins of Chestnut Hill College had their hands full last Tuesday night against a Philadelphia Biblical University team that has a losing record both in and out of the North East Athletic Conference.

The Crimson Eagles (5-8 NEAC, 7-13 overall) only trailed by two points (60-58) with just over a minute remaining in the game, then Chestnut Hill Academy alum Julian McFadden fired from the three-point line for what proved to be the gamewinning basket. The freshman guard’s decisive shot came with 62 seconds left, and PBU did not score again until Tyler Bull popped in a short jumper with two seconds to go.

The resulting 63-60 victory produced an overall record of 14-8 for CHC, which came into the game as one of three teams battling atop the NEAC, all with 10-2 conference records.

McFadden netted 17 points for the night, and the other prime movers for Chestnut Hill were guard Isaac Greer, with 19 points and six rebounds, and forward David Goode, with 14 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and three blocked shots. Eagles forward Tom Arthur bagged 16 of his game-high 22 points in the second half and pulled a total of 13 rebounds, rallying the visitors after they fell behind by ten points early in the second half.

The contest was the last regular-season home game for four seniors who were founding members of the men’s basketball program at CHC. Greer, backcourt colleague Shawn Bolling, forward Mike Devine and center Steve Tamburo belong to the first class of four-year players for the college, which fielded its first male basketball team in the 2003-2004 season.

Between them, they’ve earned numerous all-conference honors, and Greer and Bolling became the Griffins’ first 1000-point scorers on the men’s side.

After the upperclassmen were recognized for their contributions by Chestnut Hill coach Jesse Balcer and an appreciative home crowd, the visitors from PBU showed that they were not to be taken lightly despite their unimpressive record. Guard Chase Byler and center Charles Hajec scored eight points apiece in the first half for the Eagles, who were ahead 25-20 with under seven minutes to go in the first half.

CHC junior guard L.B. Rebstock, back in the line-up after a lengthy stay on the injured list, stirred up a spark with a three-point field goal from the left flank. Inching a little closer, to 25-29, the Griffins then rolled up the last ten points of the first half thanks to McFadden, Goode, and Greer. The hosts had four treys in the book at halftime, and led 35-29.

Back-to-back Bolling buckets extended the locals’ lead to a full ten points at the start of the second half. After an exchange of points brought the scoreboard up to 41-31, PBU’s Arthur carried the Eagles’ offense for the next four minutes. Working chiefly on the inside but mixing in a three-pointer along the way, he put up 13 points in a 15-9 counterattack that brought Biblical back within four of the leaders, at 48-44 with under 13 minutes remaining.

The visitors never got over the hump to take the lead, but they would keep the margin between the teams in single digits the rest of the way. With five minutes left, the gap was at four points once more (56-52), then two free throws by McFadden (who was five-for-five from the line) and a driving lay-up by Devine put the Griffins up by eight.

The Eagles quickly trimmed down their deficit with consecutive treys by Byler and Jon Woodin, and as the clock closed in on the one-minute mark, PBU was just two back at 60-58. CHC’s Bolling brought the ball upcourt and passed it over to McFadden near the top of the key, and from a few feet outside the three-point loop, the rookie knocked down a shot to give the Griffs a five-point cushion with 1:02 on the ticker.

CHC defenders smothered the ensuing inbounds play for PBU and forced a five-second call, but then the Griffins missed a field goal attempt. At the opposite end, the Eagles whiffed on a three-point try with 17 seconds left. Although Chestnut Hill came away empty from a one-on-one opportunity that could’ve made its lead more secure, Biblical managed just one more field goal in the final seconds, the eight-footer by Bull.

Bull finished with five points, eight assists, and two steals in the losing cause, while CHC inked in six points and three assists for Bolling, five points for Rebstock, and two points and four assists for Devine.