Box Score

ST. AUGUSTINE – A late 13-2 run sparked Flagler College past the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras 83-76 in a non-conference men's basketball game Monday night at Flagler Gymnasium.

Flagler improved to 4-0 on the season while Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras fell to 0-2.

Matt Clark (St. Augustine, Fla., St. Augustine HS) led four Saints in double-figures with 22 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field and 4-of-8 from 3-point range. Jarrod Branco (Hudson, Fla., Hudson HS) added 17 points and dished out six assists while Chad July (Fort White, Fla., Bridgton (Maine) Academy) recorded a double-double with 15 points and a game-high 17 rebounds. Addison Smith (West Palm Beach, Fla., College of Central Florida) chipped in with 12 points and a game-high eight assists.

Flagler shot 83.3% (25-30) from the free throw line. The Saints made 51.9% (14-27) of their shots in the first half. Flagler out-rebounded UPRRP 46-30. The Saints scored 21 points of 15 Gallito turnovers.

Hector Maldonado scored a team-high 18 points for the Gallitos. Enrique Trenche came off the bench to add 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field. Gabriel Rosaly tacked on 10 points. Angel Acevedo supplied nine points and a team-high six rebounds. Joseph Vegerano dished out a team-high seven assists.

The Gallitos forced 21 Saints turnovers and converted them into 24 points.

The game featured eight ties and 24 lead changes.

The Saints used a 7-0 run to erase a 29-26 lead by the Gallitos with 4:52 left in the first half. July made a six-foot jumper while Clark followed with a pair of free throws and Branco completed the run with an old-fashioned three-point play.

Flagler held a 41-40 lead at the half.

Flagler built a seven-point lead early in the second half, but P.R.-Rio Piedras went on a 10-3 run over the next 3:08 to tie the game at 50 with 14:44 left.

Midway through the second half the Gallitos held a 58-54 lead after a five-foot jumper by Adalberto Ramos. July hit the first of two free throws and that started a 12-2 run by the Saints over the next 3:45. The run culminated in a 10-foot jumper by Justin Stokes (Jacksonville, Fla., Florida Gulf Coast U.) with 6:07 left to give Flagler a 66-60 lead.

An Acevedo 3-pointer with 3:35 left gave P.R.-Rio Piedras the lead back, 69-68. That's when Flagler's 13-2 run started. July tried a spin move in the post, but Ramon Matos blocked his shot and July got the rebound and Matos fouled July. July sank both free throws with 3:17 left. The Gallitos went on to turn over the ball three times in the next five offensive possessions.

Flagler will take on the University of the District of Columbia on Friday (Nov. 25) in the Florida Tech Thanksgiving Tournament at Melbourne, Fla., at 5 p.m.

P.R.-Rio Piedras vs Flagler
11/21/11 7 p.m. at St. Augustine, Fla. (Flagler Gym)
At St. Augustine, Fla. (Flagler Gym)

FLAGLER 83, P.R.-RIO PIEDRAS 76

P.R.-RIO PIEDRAS (0-2)
Hector Maldonado 7-15 2-2 18; Enrique Trenche 7-9 3-3 17; Gabriel Rosaly 4-5
1-2 10; Angel Acevdo 4-13 0-0 9; Ramon Matos 2-6 4-6 8; Adalberto Ramos 2-4
1-1 6; Joseph Vegerano 2-6 1-2 5; Fernando Vargas 1-2 0-0 2; Benjamin De La
Rosa 0-4 1-2 1; Roberto Vazquez 0-1 0-0 0; Christian Firpi 0-1 0-0 0. Totals
29-66 13-18 76.

FLAGLER (4-0)
Matt Clark 6-10 6-7 22; Jarrod Branco 6-12 4-5 17; Chad July 5-16 5-6 15;
Addison Smith 2-6 7-8 12; Justin Stokes 2-3 2-2 6; Ante Gospic 2-5 1-2 5;
Jordan Warner 2-4 0-0 4; Desmond Gibson 1-2 0-0 2; Louis Ricker 0-2 0-0 0;
Elijah Hayes 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-60 25-30 83.

P.R.-Rio Piedras..............   40   36  -   76
Flagler.......................   41   42  -   83

3-point goals--P.R.-Rio Piedras 5-22 (Hector Maldonado 2-8; Angel Acevdo
1-8; Adalberto Ramos 1-2; Gabriel Rosaly 1-1; Fernando Vargas 0-1; Benjamin
De La Rosa 0-1; Joseph Vegerano 0-1), Flagler 6-19 (Matt Clark 4-8; Jarrod
Branco 1-6; Addison Smith 1-3; Louis Ricker 0-2). Fouled out--P.R.-Rio
Piedras-Ramon Matos; Joseph Vegerano, Flagler-None. Rebounds--P.R.-Rio
Piedras 30 (Angel Acevdo 6), Flagler 46 (Chad July 17). Assists--P.R.-Rio
Piedras 17 (Joseph Vegerano 7), Flagler 18 (Addison Smith 8). Total
fouls--P.R.-Rio Piedras 25, Flagler 19. Technical fouls--P.R.-Rio
Piedras-Hector Maldonado, Flagler-None. A-277