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BOX SCORE


Philadelphia, Pa. - The Holy Family University men's basketball team won its fourth straight game after defeating visiting Chestnut Hill College by the score of 67-49 in a key Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) contest Tuesday night at the Campus Center Gym.
 
Holy Family improves to 16-9 overall and 12-4 in the CACC, while Chestnut Hill is now 12-12 overall and 8-7 in conference play.  The win helped secure a home game for the Tigers in the upcoming CACC Quarterfinals scheduled for March 2.  Holy Family still holds a one-half game lead over cross-town rival Philadelphia University (11-4) in the CACC South Division.  With a win on Saturday at Goldey-Beacom College, Holy Family will at the very least earn a share of the Regular Season Title and the top-seed from the South Division.
 
Senior Angel Ayala (Allentown, Pa./William Allen) led Holy Family with his second straight double-double and third of the season. Ayala scored a game-high 20 points for the third straight game tying his career-high.  He also led the team with a game-high 13 rebounds, which also ties a career-high set last season.  Junior Alberto Munoz (Morrisville, N.C./Cardinal Gibbons) recorded his first double-double of the season after scoring ten points and grabbing 11 rebounds. 
 
Junior Ervin Ezell (Deptford, N.J./Deptford High) also scored in double-figures as he tallied 16 points to go along with a game-high seven assists.  Freshman Tuhran Griffin added nine points (6-6 FT), while fellow classmate Isaiah Gans (Philadelphia, Pa./Redemption Christian Academy) chipped in eight points and 11 rebounds.  Gans also blocked four shots on the defensive end.
 
For Chestnut Hill, senior Mark DiRugeris, Jr. and sophomore Alssene Saintilus each scored eight points to lead the Griffins' offense.  Junior Jakeem Bogans added six points and dished out a team-high four assists. 
 
After leading 29-21 at halftime, Holy Family began building its double-digit lead in the second stanza.  The Tigers used an 11-2 run to do so after Chestnut Hill cut the Tigers' lead to 44-35 at the 11:49 mark of the half. 
 
Over the next four-plus minutes Holy Family increased its lead to as many as 18-points after Ayala capped the run with a layup with 8:07 left on the clock to make the score 55-37. 
 
Holy Family maintained its double-digit lead the rest of the way, however Chestnut Hill made a run to cut the Tigers' lead to 11 points after sophomore Luke Dickson drained a three-pointer to make the score 60-49 with 2:04 to play. 
 
That would be as close as Chestnut Hill would get as Holy Family converted 7-of-8 from the free throw line in the final two minutes, including 6-of-6 by Griffin.
 
Holy Family shot 41.4-percent from the field in the second half to help fuel its offense, while the defense limited Chestnut Hill to only 20.0-percent shooting in the second half. 
 
Holy Family is back in action on Saturday, Feb. 23 as the Tigers travel to face Goldey-Beacom College in the regular season finale.  Game time is slated for 3 p.m.