BEVERLY, Mass. – Graduate student Lachlan Magee (Melbourne, Australia) netted 16 points to help pace the Endicott College men's basketball team to an 85-67 win over Wentworth Institute of Technology in Commonwealth Coast Conference play at MacDonald Gymnasium.
With the win the Gulls improve to 16-8 overall and 10-7 in CCC play while the Leopards slip to 11-13 (8-9).
The two teams battled through to halftime with Endicott clinging to a 36-35 halftime advantage. Tied 47-47 five minutes into the second half, the Gulls made a push to take command of the game with a 7-0 run to make it 54-47 with 12:33 to go. Wentworth pulled back within three at 60-57 after a three-point make by senior Derek Mayo (Casco, Maine) with 9:14 remaining in the second half. Endicott stormed back to take a 10-point lead after a Chris Lipscomb (West Springfield, Mass.) fast-break layup off an assist from senior junior John Henault (Lunenburg, Mass.) made it 70-60 with 7:14 left. The Gulls continued to click offensively and took their biggest lead of the game at 81-65 after junior Matt Kneece (Shrewsbury, Mass.) buried a two-handed dunk to force a Leopards timeout. With 3:47 left, Endicott took time off the clock and claimed the 85-67 win.
Wentworth had three starters in double figures in Mayo and junior guard Ray Bessette (Dedham, Maine) matched Magee with a game-high 16 points. Leopard sophomore forward Cam Sennick (Wilton, Maine) added 15 points in the loss.
Joining Magee with double-digit points was Henault who dropped 11 points on 3-of-5 shooting which included two three-pointers and a perfect 3-of-3 at the free throw line. The Gulls showcased a balanced offense that shot 53.1% from the floor and totaled 20 assists on 34 made baskets. Freshman guard Kamahl Walker (Worcester, Mass.) off the bench scored nine points while both senior Greg Jacques (Brockton, Mass.) and freshman forward Daquan Sampson (Germantown, Md.) netted eight as starters.
Endicott freshman guard Max Motroni (West Warwick, R.I.) helped facilitate the offense with a team-high four assists while adding six points of his own. Ten other players recorded an assist for Endicott including all five starters.
The Gulls held a 42-33 rebounding advantage thanks in large part to a game-high 11 boards from junior forward Tell White (New Castle, N.H.) who also factored in offensively with four points and three assists. Six rebounds came from Sampson and five apiece from Walker and junior big man Matt Kneece (Shrewsbury, Mass.).
Wentworth's leading rebounder was Mayo who hauled in seven caroms while also dishing three assists and forcing three steals. Off the bench, junior forward John-Michael Fragnoli (Scotia, N.Y.) got five of his six rebounds on the offensive glass.
Both teams close out the regular season on Saturday as Endicott is at Western New England and Wentworth hosts Nichols.
(Portions of this recap courtesy of Endicott Sports Information)
