Wentworth Breaks Away in Second Half

(Courtesy of UNE Sports Information)

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Senior forward Matt Abbott (Falmouth, Mass.) posted a double-double with 19 points and 15 rebounds, and Wentworth Institute of Technology outscored the University of New England 8-1 over the final 3:09 to take a 73-65 The Commonwealth Coast Conference men's basketball win Wednesday evening at the Campus Center.

Abbott was 6-for-10 from the floor and 7 of 8 from the free throw on his way to a team-best 19 points. He scored 13 of his 19 after halftime.

Senior guard Jack Barrett (Reading, Mass.) contributed 11 points for the Leopards (10-9, 6-2 TCCC) and sophomore guard Brendan Monteiro (Brockton, Mass.) came off the bench to tally 10. Senior forward Shane West (Milford, N.H.) grabbed nine rebounds to help Wentworth to a 43-31 advantage on the glass.

For UNE (9-10, 5-3), Kadare Brown (Baton Rouge, La.) led all scorers with 21 points in matching his career high. The junior point guard made six shots from beyond the arc and was credited with five steals.

Sophomore guard Marcus Winn (Austin, Texas) had 10 points for the Nor'easters and classmate Quentin Thompson (Austin, Texas) played a strong floor game with nine rebounds, six assists and five steals.

After a three-pointer by Brown gave the Nor'easters a 62-60 lead with five minutes to play, West sank a pair of free throws on Wentworth's next possession to tie the game (62-62). UNE came up empty on its next trip up the floor, then the Leopards grabbed the lead for good when Abbott converted the back end of a two-shot foul at the 4:32 mark.

UNE was able to get as close as one (65-64) with 3:09 left, but Abbott scored six points the rest of the way -- four at the line -- to help the Leopards pull away.

The first half featured five ties and three lead changes as the two squads played to a 35-35 tie. UNE led by eight on three occasions before Wentworth closed the frame with a 13-5 run. 

For the game, the Leopards were able to overcome 23 turnovers by making 19 of 22 (86.4 percent) from the free throw line. Conversely, the Nor'easters made just 9 of 21 (42.9 percent) at the stripe.

Both teams hit the court again Saturday in TCCC play. Wentworth travels to Anna Maria College for a 3 p.m. tilt, while UNE heads to Bristol, R.I. for a 3 p.m. game with Roger Williams University.