WASHINGTON – It was a joyous and celebratory Saturday in the Field House for the Gallaudet University men's basketball program as it closed out the 2022-23 season on a high note.
Gallaudet (2-23, 1-15 United East) won its first United East Conference game with a 73-61 victory over SUNY Morrisville (11-14, 7-9 United East) before a crowd of 360, who witnessed Bison program history during the contest.
Senior guard
Preston Kelly (Indianapolis, Ind.) became the 28th player in Gallaudet men's basketball history to score 1,000 career points. Kelly needed back-to-back stellar games to reach the milestone as he entered the weekend in need of 59 points. The senior posted 31 points on Friday night against Wells and finished Saturday with 29.
Kelly's 1,000th point came at the 4:55 mark in the second half as he drove to the left side of the basket and scored on a jumper in the lane that banked off the backboard and into the net. The basket sent the assembled crowd into a cheerful frenzy to celebrate the moment. Kelly reached the milestone with his final field goal of his four-year career. He finishes his career with 1,001 career points, 491 rebounds, 420 assists, 136 steals and 109 3-pointers in 90 games played (2017-20, 22-23).
"My 1,000th career point means a lot to me but I want everyone to know that all of this would not be possible without my coaches and teammates," said Kelly during a postgame interview as he signed his responses and wore a team-issued "Ohana" t-shirt. "Ohana means family in Hawaiian. So, all of this would never happen without my family [team]. They mean so much to me."
The last time a 1,000-career milestone came in a player's final game and final basket was
February 21, 2010, when Johnny Jackson scored 35 points. Kelly and Jackson are now forever linked together in Gallaudet history as the pair both finished their careers with 1,001 career points.
Gallaudet put together its best game of the season as the Bison came into the contest focused and ready to go. The Bison jumped out to a quick 11-3 lead five minutes into the game. GU's lead increased to double figures minutes later. The Bison led by as much as 17 points and took a 40-26 lead into halftime.
The Bison shot over 48 percent from the field, including going 5-for-9 from 3-point range.
GU didn't let up in the second half as the Bison lead continued to grow and the focus turned to Kelly and his 1,000th career point. Gallaudet's largest lead of the game was 26 points, 73-47, with four minutes left to play.
This was Gallaudet's first win over SUNY Morrisville since February 1, 2016. The Bison had dropped the previous nine games against the Mustangs.
Junior guard
Rory Lewis (Frederick, Md.) finished the game with 12 points followed by sophomore guard
Jake Schwall (Fishers, Ind.) with 11 points as he made three 3-pointers. Junior forward/center
Lance Wood (Fishers, Ind.) tallied a game-high 10 rebounds.
SUNY Morrisville had three players in double figures as the Mustangs were led by Tron Smith's 12-point game.
BISON TRACKS
- Gallaudet scored 30 points in the paint
- The Bison finished with 43 team rebounds
- It's the seventh time this season GU had 40+ rebounds in a game
- This was the last game between these two schools in basketball as members of the United East. SUNY Morrisville is moving to the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) next season.
- GU went 6-13 against SUNY Morrisville since the 2010-11 season
- Gallaudet was 3-5 in the Field House against SUNY Morrisville
SENIOR DAY
This marked Senior Day for a quartet of Bison; Kelly, Schwall, Wood and student support staff member
Jayden Hemans (Toronto, Canada).
Wood was a three-year letter winner (2017-18, 21-23) where he recorded 317 points, 284 rebounds, 37 assists, 37 steals and nine blocks in 64 games. Schwall played two seasons (2021-23) for the Bison and accumulated 177 points, 116 rebounds, 46 assists and 16 steals in 47 games. Hemans has helped out the men's basketball program these last two seasons.
UP NEXT
This completes the 2022-23 season for the Gallaudet men's basketball program.
