The Misericordia University men's basketball team defeated the SUNY Delhi Broncos, 85-69, in its home opener, Tuesday night on Doc Mould Court.
 
Jack Gallagher led the Cougars with 21 points and 13 rebounds scored the most points for the Cougars with 21.
 
Matt Prociak added 15 points and eight rebounds while Arvel Chandler and Nate Townsend scored 12 points each.
 
Eli Stoute scored nine points and Darryl Wright had six assists.
 
Misericordia started the night on an eight-point scoring run.
 
Townsend opened the scoring with a jumper and a layup by Prociak and another bucket by Townsend and a pair of free throws made by Chandler created the early advantage.  
 
After the Broncos pulled within one-possession with 10:01 left in the first half, Josh Pelzer's three-pointer started a 13-2 run for Cougars to make it 32-18 with 4:59 to play.
 
The points went back and forth for the rest of the half and Gallagher converted a three-point play in the closing seconds to give MU a 46-32 lead at halftime.
 
SUNY Delhi put up the first four points of the second half, but five points from Gallagher ignited a nine-point run for MU.
 
A free throw by Townsend and a three-pointer by Chandler gave the Cougars a 55-36 lead less than four minutes into the second half.
 
The rest of the half saw minimal change to that score, as both teams went back and forward.
 
The Cougars maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way.
 
MU will play an exhibition game at D-I Binghamton, Wednesday.