ORANGEBURG, N.Y. – The Holy Family University men's basketball team outscored Dominican 39-37 in the second half of a 69-83 loss at the Chargers on Saturday evening. 
 
Individual Highlights

• Eric Esposito (Langhorne, Pa./Conwell Egan) led all players with 22 points, including 9-of-11 free throws, and a career-best six steals, while also pacing HFU with eight rebounds
• Vernon Johnson (Teaneck, N.J./Teaneck) (4-of-7 field goals) and Elijah Jakeman (Philadelphia, Pa./Abraham Lincoln) (3-of-3 3-pointers) both scored nine, with Johnson adding a game and career-high seven assists and three steals
• David Robinson Jr. (Philadelphia, Pa./Chestnut Hill Academy) was also in double-figures with 15 points 
• Nate Conyer's (Pemberton, N.J./BCIT Medford Tech) season-best seven boards and Rick'Keem Mixson's (Linden, N.J./St. Mary of the Assumption (Raritan Valley CC)) five assists were both second on the Tigers

 
Inside the Box Score

• Holy Family made six more free throws, 15-9, but Dominican shot 51.6 percent compared to the Tigers' 36.9 percent 

 
How it Happened 
First Half

• The score was tied at 12 midway through the period before the Chargers scored nine in a row for the first three-possession advantage, 12-19, with 8:40 remaining
• Josh Thomas (Queens, N.Y./Hodgson Vo-Tech (Cecil College)) made a layup, but Dominican then scored four straight to complete a 2-13 surge for the first double-digit cushion, 14-25, 6:47 ahead of the break
• Jakeman responded with a 3-pointer, but this time seven in a row by the Chargers completed a 5-20 run
• An Esposito three-point play pulled HFU within 30-42, only for Dominican to tally the final four points of the half 

Second Half

• The Tigers got as close as nine four times in the second half, including when Esposito made three free throws (39-48) at the 15:50 mark, on a Mixson foul shot (40-49) at the 14:33 mark and on a Johnson jumper (42-51) with 14:33 remaining
• The Chargers then built a game-high 20-point lead, 48-68, before 11 unanswered ended with an Esposito layup cutting the deficit to 59-68 with just 4:44 to go
• Each time Dominican had an answer though, the final of which established a double-digit advantage for good 

 
Up Next
Holy Family hosts city-rival Chestnut Hill on Tuesday at 8 p.m.