BUFFALO, NY - A 21-7 second half run pushed the Villa Maria College Vikings in front and they never looked back, defeating the Houghton College Highlanders 78-68 on Wednesday evening at the Villa Athletic Center to pick up their first home win of the season and snap a three game slide.

The run, which began with 17:18 left in the game, lasted nearly 10 minutes and quickly took Houghton out of its comfort zone and into panic mode.  The Vikings (4-6) defense was stifling in the second half as they held the Highlanders - members of the NCAA III Empire 8 Conference - (2-2) to just 33.3 percent shooting over the final 20 minutes and just 4-of-16 shooting from beyond the arc.  

Villa sophomore DeJaun Owens (Buffalo, NY/Tapestry) led a group of four players who scored in double-figures.  He netted a game-high 19 points, scoring 17 of those in the second half, and seven in a row to get the run started.  Freshman Gerald Bibbs (Buffalo, NY/Oracle) started the run with a layup inside before sophomore Dominic Douglas (Bainbridge, GA/Bainbridge) put home a free throw to get within one point.  Bibbs and Douglas finished with 13 and 15 points respectively.  Owens then ripped off seven straight which began with three consecutive free throws and two fast break layups to give the Vikings their first and only-needed second half lead.

Freshman Eric Waters (Buffalo, NY/Oracle), who came off the bench in his return to the lineup from injury, scored 15 points in just 18 minutes connected on a baseline jumper minutes later to put Villa ahead by six, before junior Justin Stokes (Buffalo, NY/Middle Early College) scored two of his nine points in the fast break.  Waters and Douglas combined to score the team's next seven points to cap the run.

Stokes finished the game with six assists, three rebounds, two blocks and a steal to go along with nine points.  Sophomore Jayson Moore (Buffalo, NY/Sweet Home), who came off the bench also in his return from injury, recorded six assists as well.  Douglas and Bibbs both led the way with eight rebounds, while Douglas also added four steals.  Waters finished with six rebounds as well.  As a team, the Vikings had 10 steals for the game.

Defensively, Villa forced Houghton into 15 turnovers, turning those into 15 points.  Villa shot 48.1 percent for the game and out-scored Houghton in points in the paint (12-8), fast break points (14-2), bench points (30-5) and was 23-of-30 from the line.  The Highlanders made three trips to the line.

Villa held Houghton's leading scorer, sophomore Dylan Lambert to just 12 points.  He came into the game netting 23.7 per game.

The Vikings are back in action on Sunday, December 2nd when they host SUNY Delhi at 2 p.m.  The Vikings and Broncos split the season series last year with the Vikings winning at home and falling at Delhi.

Follow the Vikings on Twitter (@VillaVikings) for all news on the men's basketball team and all teams within the Villa Maria program.  You can also visit the official athletic website, www.VillaVikings.com