Courtesy of NazAthletics.com
HOUGHTON, NY – Graduate student Jonathan Park set the career record for blocked shots and nearly set the single game record as he led the Nazareth Men’s Basketball team to a come-for-behind 72-66 victory Saturday over Houghton in an Empire 8 contest.
Nazareth (11-1 overall, 5-0 E8), ranked #20 in the latest d3hoops.com national poll, battled early but trailed by three points at halftime. In the second half, the Golden Flyers used a pair of runs to push ahead and pull away from Houghton (2-9, 1-4 E8) for the road win.
Park had four blocks in the first half and tied the career mark of 185 early in the second half with his fifth of the game. He finished with nine blocks as was one shy of the single-game blocks record of 10 set in 1989. Maurice Mills (2012-16) had the school record of 185 career blocks. Park now has 189 career blocked shots.
Fellow graduate student Zach Stenglein had his best game of the season with a team-leading 18 points on the strength of an 8-for-8 performance from the free throw line as he helped to seal the victory with four free throws in the closing minutes of the game.
The Highlanders took the three-point lead from halftime and scored the first five points of the second half to take a 43-35 lead.
Park capped an 11-2 run with a free throw and pair of lay ups to get Nazareth back into the game.
With less than 10 minutes to play and Nazareth leading by a point at 54-53, senior Logan Blankenberg scored six consecutive points, Park added three more and Stenglein hit a 3-pointer as Nazareth took control with a 12-3 run to lead 66-56 with 4:32 left.
Stenglein led Nazareth with 18 points, Park added 14 points, 13 rebounds and nine blocks while Blankenberg chipped in 14 and freshman Jaylen Savage added 12 points. Nazareth shot 46.4% (13-for-28) from the field in the second half and added 3-of-6 3-pointers in the final 20 minutes.
Nazareth returns home to face Utica Tuesday night in a battle of the top two teams in the Empire 8 conference.
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