ASTON, Pa. – The Neumann University men's basketball team defeated Gwynedd Mercy University on Saturday afternoon in an Atlantic East Conference matchup by a final score of 85-69.
 
TJ Lewis hit a three-point shot 1:14 into the game and that set the tone for the entire afternoon as the first three Neumann buckets came from beyond the arc, giving them a 9-1 lead. By the time the game was five minutes old, the Knights led by 11. After a Gwynedd Mercy layup, Neumann went on an 11-2 push to make it 26-8 with 11:34 left in the first. The Griffins tried to battle back with four straight points but that led to a 7-0 stretch for the Knights, and a 21-point edge. With 7:04 remaining, Gwynedd Mercy scored nine in a row and part of a 14-5 run to claw back into the game. A buzzer-beating three by DJ Earl led to a 45-31 lead at the break.
 
The trend of Gwynedd fighting back and Neumann re-extending the lead continued throughout the second half. The Griffins pulled within 14 at the 16:21 mark but another six-point run extended the lead and Gwynedd Mercy could not threaten again.
 
Five Knights finished with double digit points as Earl led the way with 23. Donte Dupriest had a 20-20 game as he picked up 22 points and 21 rebounds, seven of them were offensive. Mike Smith, III, Lewis, and Bryan Etienne finished with 13,11, and 10 points respectively.
 
Neumann (14-5, 5-1 Atlantic East) will return to the court next Saturday when they visit Marywood University for a 3:00 PM Atlantic East Conference game.