Eagles Go Downtown To Down Badgers In Opener, 90-73

Johnson, Vt. - In the season-opening contest for both teams, visiting Daniel Webster College drained 13 3-point field goals including a 6-of-12 effort from junior Chris Hanson (Salem, N.H.) to key a 90-73 win over host Johnson State College in the newly renovated Carter Gymnasium. The Eagles shot 52% from the floor on the day.

The two teams would mimic each other in the opening minutes with a two-point field goal, a three-pointer, and another two for a 7-7 tie with just over three minutes played. But DWC would go on a 12-2 run that including 3-point field goals from Hanson, Chris Voukides (Salem, N.H.), and Adam Landry (Vernon, Conn.) to give the visitors a 19-9 lead and the working margin the Eagles would hold for most of the afternoon.

The Eagle lead would grow to 16 with 2:13 to play in the first following a Steve Savage (Salem, N.H.) bucket but JSC grabbed momentum before the half closing on a 7-2 run but still trailed 42-31 at the break.

Ian Passino (Peru, N.Y.) canned a 3-pointer after an offensive rebound and kick-out to cut the lead to eight but that was as close as JSC would get. Hanson would knock down back-to-back triples and another jumper with a Leandro Martinez (Philadelphia, Penn.) free throw mixed in to get the lead quickly back to 15. Martinez would try to keep JSC close scoring 18 second half points but it was not enough as a Voukides 3-pointer with 2:12 left to play gave DWC their largest lead of the day at 84-64

Martinez would finish with a game-high 26 points while making 11-of-14 free throw attempts and added eight rebounds. Nate Dodge (Burlington, Vt.) went 6-of-9 from the floor for 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds while Passino was also in double-figures with 10.

Hanson's 25 points led DWC with Voukides and Eric Suarez (Brooklyn, N.Y.) each scoring 16 points and Landry finishing with 11.

Despite holding a 45-32 advantage in the rebounding game the Badgers struggled throughout the day shooting the ball going 4-19 (20%) from the arc and only shooting 40% from the field.

Johnson State will travel to Connecticut on Friday for a tilt with tournament host Wesleyan University on Friday at 8 pm. The Eagles will play their first home game on Wednesday at 7:30 when they host the University of Maine-Augusta at 7:30 pm.