Ben Drake scored a team-leading 23 points, and pulled down 11 rebounds, while Cory Hightower added 19 points and a team-high 14 rebounds to both post double-doubles and lead the Presbyterian College men's basketball team to the 95-64 win over Johnson & Wales in exhibition action Wednesday evening at Templeton Center.  Leading the Wildcats was Robert Hobson with 21 points.
 
Scoring the game
A back and forth battle early, the Blue Hose used a 15-3 run to turn a one-point deficit to an 11-point lead, 27-16, 9:04 left before the break.  JWU cut the lead to just two off a couple of three-pointers and trailed 30-32, 4:50 remaining, but PC outscored the visitors, 9-5, down the stretch to head into the locker room holding a 41-35 lead.
 
PC came out hot in the second half, exploding for a 21-5 run to pull ahead by 22, 62-40, 13:49 left.  Johnson & Wales responded with a run of its own, hitting three three-pointers during a 13-1 run to cut the margin to just 10, 9:19 remaining.  Back to back three-pointers by the Blue Hose, followed by another five unanswered, put the home team on top by 25, 82-57, 4:46 on the clock.  Freshman Zeb Graham scored the game's final five points to put the Blue Hose victory margin to just over 30 points at 95-64.
 
Players of the Game
Ben Drake led all scorers with 23 points, with Cory Hightower close behind with 19.  Both ended the night with double-doubles, with Drake's 11 boards, and Hightower's 14.  Chris Martin added 13 points, followed by Michael Isler with is 12.  Robert Hobson led JWU with 21 points and six rebounds.
 
Stats of the Game
After shooting 40.5% in the first half, PC shot 63.3% in the second to finish the night with 50.7%.  JWU ended the night with 32.8% from the field.  PC controlled the boards, 60-35, but it was JWU with six more three-pointers, 10-4.  The Blue Hose connected on 23-of-34 free throws, compared to 10-of-24 for the visitors.  Turnovers were fairly even with JWU posting one more, 17-16.
 
Up Next
The Blue Hose open the regular season Thursday, Nov. 7, at Clemson.  Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.