DELHI, NY - Junior Dominic Douglas (Bainbridge, GA/Bainbridge High School) and freshman Lonnie Taylor (Medina, NY/Medina High School) each recorded their second double-double of the season as the Villa Maria men's basketball team picked up a tough-fought conference road win over SUNY Delhi, 86-81 on Friday night.

Douglas scored a game-high 24 points and corralled 12 rebounds, while Taylor scored 16 and added 11 rebounds as both players are averaging a double-double through the first three games.  Junior guard DeJaun Owens (Buffalo, NY/Tapestry Charter School) also scored 16 while junior Jay Scarbrough (Niagara Falls, NY/Cayuga Community College) added an important 11 points and six assists.

Villa led by 11, 52-41 at halftime after shooting 48.6 percent from the floor during the opening 20 minutes.  After stretching the lead to as many as 19 in the second half, Delhi made a run to get within five with 12:41 left.  Junior Tommy Beaubrum (Bronx, NY/Erie Community College) came off the bench to grab an important rebound and hit one of two free throws to halt the run.  Owens followed that with three free throws of his own to push the lead back to nine.  After an Owens three ball made it 71-61 with 7:12 left, once again got within striking distance until two Douglas buckets pushed the lead back to 11.  Villa eventually led again by 13 and finished off the game for good.

BOX SCORE
Villa Maria Vikings (3-0, 1-0 NIAC)                      52 - 34 -- 86
SUNY Delhi (0-3, 0-1 NIAC)                                41 - 40 -- 81

INSIDE THE BOX
* Villa finished with 19 assists on 30 made baskets
* Villa is off to it's first 3-0 start in the program's short three-year history
* Sophomore guard Kevin Ford (Buffalo, NY/Amherst High School) played 18 productive minutes and added four rebounds, two rebounds and two assists
* Sophomore guard Daniel Thompson (Brooklyn, NY/St. Thomas University) added four points, two rebounds and one assist
* Villa out-rebounded Delhi 54-39 and 19-12 on the offensive glass
* Scarbrough and Stokes combined for 11 assists
* This is Villa's first win at Delhi in the program's first three seasons
* Villa committed 25 turnovers to Delhi's 20
* Senior Justin Stokes (Buffalo, NY/Middle Early College) added eight points, five assists, two rebounds and two steals
* Villa was 23-40 at the free throw line
* Villa held Delhi to just 41.8 percent shooting

WHAT THEY SAID
HC Don Silveri: "Delhi is always a tough place to play so this is a good road win for us.  We found a way to win and that's all you can ask for on the road.  We still have a lot to clean up.  It's back to work tomorrow against another tough conference opponent."

UP NEXT
Villa will play Fisher College (MA.) on Saturday in a neutral site NIAC conference game at Delhi.  Fisher is 1-1 on the season and apart of the NAIA.

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