GLENSIDE - Jalen Watkins and Nas Johnson finished with a game-high 18 points as the Arcadia University men's basketball team toppled Gwynedd Mercy University by an 80-74 final to take the 2023 Battle of 309 inside Alumni Gymnasium on Wednesday evening.

FOR THE RECORD
Arcadia improved to 3-0 with the win while Gwynedd Mercy fell to 2-2 with the defeat.

HOW IT HAPPENED
-Arcadia began the game on a 5-0 run before Gwynedd Mercy tied the score with a 5-0 run of its own.

-The Knights then went on a 6-0 run on two three-pointers from Johnson, taking an 11-5 lead with 16:29 on the clock.

-Arcadia held a 19-18 run with 10:47 left before a 5-0 run led to a 24-18 lead with under nine minutes remaining.

-The Griffins held a 34-28 run but the Knights finished the first half on a 6-0 run to enter the break tied at 34.

-Arcadia began the second half on a 14-4 run, taking a 10 point lead with 16:27 left in the game.

-Everytime Gwynedd Mercy got the lead below five, the Knights responded with runs of their own to secure the victory.

KNIGHT LEADERS
Points: Watkins (18) / Johnson (18) / Justin Money (15) / Dom Vazquez (12)
Rebounds: Watkins (22) / Vazquez (5) / Johnson (3) / Joshua Okocha (3)
Assists: Johnson (5) / Vazquez (3) / Money (3)
Steals: Okocha (3)
Blocks: Watkins (3) / Money (1) / Attivo (1)

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
-Each team had 32 points in the paint.

-Each team had 41 rebounds.

-The Knights turned 12 offensive rebounds into 22 second-chance points.

NOTES
-Watkins notched his 33rd career double-double.

-This was Watkins' third game with 20-plus rebounds, the last being the Knights NCAA tournament game at Case Western Reserve last season.

-Johnson matched his career-high for three-pointers made with four, equaling the number he hit in last season MAC Freedom Championship at DeSales.

-This is Arcadia's first 3-0 start since 2020-21.

-2023 is the first time both the men's and women's basketball teams won in the Battle of 309.

UP NEXT
The Knights return to the court on Saturday when they host Haverford for a 1:00 p.m. non-conference game inside ALumni Gymnasium.