Bears build big first-half advantage en route to 61-48 win over McDaniel

COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. - Remy Cousart recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds to lead Ursinus to a 61-48 victory over McDaniel in Centennial Conference (CC) men's basketball action on Saturday.

Jon Ward added a team-high 15 points for the Bears (14-9, 10-6 CC), who - coupled with a Gettysburg win at Muhlenberg - forged a three-way for second-place in the conference standings with two games to play.

Marcus Dyson (Scotch Plains, N.J./Union Catholic) paced the Green Terror (8-15, 4-12 CC) with a game-high 18 points while Tyler Rudd (Glen Burnie, Md./Glen Burnie) added a career-best 12 points to go with four rebounds and two assists.

After two ties and five lead changes over the game's first 7:03, Cousart knocked down a triple to spark a quick 6-0 burst that turned a 12-11 deficit into a 17-12 lead just 31 seconds later.

Layups from Woody Butler (Smithsburg, Md./Middletown) and Max Keenan (Washington, D.C./Georgetown Day School) sliced the deficit to one with 10:50 on the clock but the Bears, behind points from four different players, responded, tallying 22 of the stanza's final 26 points to take a 39-20 lead into the break.

Six straight Green Terror points closed the deficit to 45-32 with 11:59 to play but Keith Page drilled a 3-pointer at the 10:35 mark to snap a 6-minute, 27-second scoring drought and push the lead back to 16.

A Matt Hilton layup stretched the lead to 18 before two Steve Wilson (Lebanon, N.J./North Hunterdon) free throws and a Rudd reverse layup trimmed the deficit to 14 but McDaniel could get no closer until Dyson hit a jumper to just beat the buzzer.

An 8-2 burst swelled the lead to 20 for the only time at the 3:38 mark en route to the 13-point win.

Butler tallied eight points and seven rebounds.

The Green Terror returns to action at home against Swarthmore on Wednesday. Game time is 7 p.m.

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