SPRINGFIELD – Junior guard Max Motroni (West Warwick, R.I.) led the Gulls with 17 points and junior forward Stephen Basden (Lynn, Mass.)grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds as the Endicott men’s basketball team took home a 71-57 win at Western New England Saturday afternoon inside the Alumni Healthful Living Center in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action.
With the win, the Gulls improved to 8-5 overall and 5-1 in conference play, while Western New England fell to 4-8 on the season and 2-4 in the CCC.
In a game that would feature three ties and 10 lead changes, Endicott held a slim 34-32 advantage at halftime behind a team-leading nine points apiece from Motroni and freshman guard Vinny Clifford (Danvers, Mass.), while Golden Bears’ freshman guard Mike Pettway (Bridgeport, Conn.) led the floor with 15 points at the break.
Trailing 34-32 after a back-and-forth first half, Western New England opened the second half with a three-pointer from junior guard Mike Gelineau (Waltham, Mass.), and led by four (40-36) following a layup by Pettway at the 17:16 mark. The Golden Bears eventually extended their advantage to six (47-41) as Pettway knocked down a jumper with just under 13 minutes remaining in the contest, but the Gulls responded with a 6-0 run to tie the score.
Western New England held its final lead of the game (51-50) on another mid-range jumper by Pettway with 8:45 on the clock, as Endicott utilized a 16-4 run over the next four minutes to open up an 11-point cushion (66-55). Motroni nailed a pair of triples and added two free throws to key the run, while junior guard Kamahl Walker (Worcester, Mass.) and junior guard Drew Sawyer (Norwalk, Conn.) also connected from long range.
Endicott eventually extended its lead to 16 (71-55) with a minute and a half remaining, as the Golden Bears were held to just four points over the final 5:38 of regulation.
Motroni powered the Gulls with 17 points (6-13 FG, 3-7 3PT, 2-2 FT) alongside two assists and three rebounds in 30 minutes of action.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The Gulls placed two student-athletes in double figures (Motroni and Walker.)
- Walker entered today’s action averaging a CCC-leading 24.6 points per game and extended his double-digit scoring streak to 25 games, though he was held scoreless in the first half. Walker contributed 11 points, five rebounds and three assists over the final 20 minutes of regulation.
- Basden pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds.
- The Gulls’ converted a season-high 12 of 28 attempts from three point range.
- The Gulls took just seven free throws (made five) for their fewest attempts of the season.
- Endicott committed nine turnovers in the game, its third lowest number this season, while forcing 14 Golden Bear turnovers.
- Endicott has won three games in a row for the first time this season.
FOR THE FOES
- Pettway led all scorers with a game-high and career-high 29 points on 10-of-15 from the field, 1-of-2 from three point land and 8-of-8 at the free throw line to go with five rebounds, three assists and one steal.
- The Golden Bears placed two other student-athletes in double figures as senior center Zack Askew (Middleton, Conn.) and senior forward Don Stephens (West Palm Beach, Fla.) each chipped in 11 points apiece.
- WNE has lost three of its last four games.
- WNE’s largest lead was a six point advantage (47-41) with 13:35 remaining in the second half.
NOTES
- Endicott is now 10-5 all-time against the Golden Bears, as the most recent meeting before today was a 76-52 win at home on Feb. 24, 2015 in the CCC Quarterfinals.
- The Gulls have won eight straight against WNEU and are 5-3 on the road all-time dating back to 2007 in head-to-head matchups.
WHAT’S NEXT
Both teams are back in action on Thursday, January 14 at 7:30 p.m. as the Gulls (8-5, 5-1 CCC) take on Wentworth on the road, while Western New England (4-8, 2-4 CCC) plays host to Salve Regina
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SPRINGFIELD – Senior guard Kelsey Cuddy (Madison, Conn.) became the 11th student-athlete in Endicott women’s basketball program history to eclipse the 1,000 career point milestone with a eight point performance in the team’s 59-52 victory over host Western New England Saturday afternoon inside the Alumni Healthful Living Center.
With the win, the Gulls are now 7-5 overall and 5-1 in the CCC, while Western New England dropped to 7-6 on the season and 4-2 in conference play.
The teams were deadlocked at 15-all at the end of the first quarter and Endicott took a 32-31 edge into halftime.
Endicott was able to create some space with a 17-point third quarter effort to head into the final 10 minutes of action up 49-43. Junior forward Sarah Hood (Burlington, Mass.) chipped in eight of her 10 points on the day in the third quarter.
Endicott built its largest lead of the game (11), up 54-43 with 07:40 in the fourth quarter on sophomore forward Hannah Shaw‘s (Bar Harbor, Maine) layup with 07:40 left in the fourth quarter.
Cuddy’s 1,000th career point came on a layup with 1:46 remaining in the game, as she finished with eight points, nine rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Shaw led the way with a game-high 14 points, eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block for Endicott, while Hood added 10 points, five rebounds, and three steals.
BEYOND THE BOX
- The game featured six ties and four lead changes.
- Cuddy’s streak of 11 games with double-digit points was snapped today.
- Cuddy scored all eight of her points in the second half.
- Hood’s eight points in the third quarter led all scorers for the most points scored in a single quarter in this game.
- Every student-athlete in the Gulls’ lineup contributed points today and every starter chipped in at least six points.
- Sophomore guard Gabriella Coppola (Watertown, Mass.) tied her season-high with seven rebounds as the Gulls won the battle of the boards, 42-34
FOR THE FOES
- Senior guard/forward Chelsea Vujs (Berlin, Conn.) notched a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.
- Junior forward Emily Anderson (Rocky Hill, Conn.) paced the Golden Bears with 12 points on 5-of-11 from the field, including a perfect 2-for-2 from long distance.
- Western New England’s largest lead of the game was a five-point advantage with 08:17 remaining in the first half.
NOTES
- Endicott is 11-7 all-time and 6-4 on the road at Western New England dating back prior to the 2008 season.
- The Golden Bears won the most recent meeting before today, 52-47, in Beverly, Mass. on Feb. 21, 2015.
- Western New England has won the past two of the past three head-to-head matchups.
WHAT’S NEXT
The Gulls (7-5, 5-1 CCC) are back in action with a home contest versus visiting Bates College on Tuesday, January 12 at 7:00 p.m., while Western New England (7-6, 4-2 CCC) plays host to Salve Regina on Thursday, January 14 at 5:30 p.m.
Information supplied by Endicott College Sports Information Office
