BOSTON, Mass. – Three players scored in double figures, including senior Nico Donato (Glastonbury, Conn.) who had a game-high 16 points as the Wentworth Institute of Technology men's basketball team ran its win streak to three games with a 72-61 win over Gordon in Commonwealth Coast Conference action Saturday afternoon at Tansey Gymnasium.
With the win the Leopards improve to 3-4 overall and 2-0 in CCC play while the Fighting Scots slip to 2-4 (1-1).
Gordon took its first lead of the game when senior Taylor Bajema (Whitinsville, Mass.) buried a 3-pointer. The lead was short-lived, however, as junior Cam Sennick (Wilton, Maine) countered with a jumper to tie the score at 5-all.
Sophomore Sam Johnson (Chatham, Mass.) hit one of two free throws to give the Fighting Scots a 6-5 lead with 15:51 remaining, however that would be the last lead of the afternoon for the visitors as the hosts used a 7-0 run and took a 13-6 lead on a layup from senior John-Michael Fragnoli (Scotia, N.Y.) with 13:14 to play.
While Gordon scored eight of the next 11 points and made it a two-point game on a senior Jason Dempsey (Wallingford, Conn.) layup with 8:34 left, Donato converted a layup with 7:27 left to make it a four-point game (18-14). After Dempsey hit two free throws to cut the lead in half, senior Ray Bessette (Dedham, Maine) hit one of two free throws before freshman Jaren Yang (San Francisco, Calif.) tied the game at 19-all with 5:42 to play.
On Wentworth's next possession, freshman Cesar Fulcar (Watertown, Mass.) buried a 3-pointer, which would give the Leopards the lead for good. Gordon would cut the lead to one three times late in the first half, however a Fragnoli basket with 40 ticks left and a buzzer-beating three from junior Tim Juitt (Wellesley, Mass.) gave the hosts a 31-25 edge at the half.
The Leopards led by four with 14:57 left after a Fulcar basket, and, 1:41 later freshman Jake Hart (Allendale, N.J.) cut the lead to two for the final time as Wentworth would counter with a 10-2 run, capped off by a Sennick basket which gave the hosts their first double-digit lead of the day at 46-36.
Gordon would only get as close as six with 5:03 left on a Bajema three and, after a scoring drought by both teams of nearly three minutes, Bessette drained a trifecta with 2:01 left to essentially seal the win. Wentworth would hit 15-of-18 free throws down the stretch to add insurance.
Donato was 6-for-6 from the charity stripe to go along with four rebounds and four assists. Fulcar scored 13 points, dished out three assists, and had three steals, while Bessette had 13 points and five rebounds. Fragnoli finished with seven points, eight rebounds, and a pair of steals.
Bajema finished with a team-high 15 points, while Dempsey (11 points, 11 rebounds, three assists) and Yang (10 points, four assists) also scored in double figures.
Both teams are in action on Tuesday as Wentworth is at Curry and Gordon hosts Nichols.
