Endicott Outlasts Men's Basketball in Overtime Battle

BEVERLY, Mass. – Senior Jalen Echevarria (Lynn, Mass.) scored a game-high 28 points to lead four Endicott College men's basketball student-athletes in double figures as the Gulls outlasted Wentworth Institute of Technology, 81-78 in overtime, in Commonwealth Coast Conference play Saturday afternoon.

Sophomore Jack Connell (Walpole, Mass.) led the Leopards with 25 points, the sixth time this season he has scored 20 or more points.

RECORDS:
Wentworth (6-6, 2-4 CCC)
Endicott (9-4, 5-1 CCC)

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:

WENTWORTH LEADING SCORERS:  Jack Connell, 25; Tyler Stewart, 10; Sam Swift, 10
WENTWORTH LEADING REBOUNDERS:  Stewart, 12; Jack Schaake, 11; Thomas Hacker, 7
WENTWORTH ASSIST LEADERS:  Connell, 6; Stewart, 3; Nathaniel Smith, 3

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Wentworth jumped out to an early, 6-2 lead as Connell and classmate Nathaniel Smith (Beacon Falls, Conn.) each knocked down threes. Back-to-back three from senior Sam Swift (Arlington, Mass.) pushed the Leopard lead to 12-4 and a Connell layup with 14:59 left extended the lead to 10 (14-4).
• Leading 16-8, Wentworth used a 10-4 run to push its lead to 26-12 with 10 minutes left. The Black & Gold took their largest lead of the game (15) with 8:30 to play in the half on a sophomore Tyler Stewart (East Taunton, Mass.) tip-in. Endicott pulled within eight (36-28) on one of two free throws from junior Mark Barrett (Brookline, Mass.) with 2:40 left, however, Connell knocked down a three to give Wentworth a double-figure lead once again. The Gulls scored the final six points of the half, cutting the lead to five (39-34).
• The Leopards opened the second half on a 10-0 run and matched their largest lead of the game when Connell made a layup with 15:40 left. The Gulls countered with a 14-3 run, trimming the lead to four (52-48) after junior Parker McLaren (Newburyport, Mass.) hit a three with 11:31 left.
• Wentworth held a 57-53 lead with 9:22 left after senior Jack Schaake (Hampton, N.H.) made a layup but a layup from Echevarria and a jumper from Hill knotted the game at 57-all. Freshman Russell Dolabany (Westwood, Mass.) broke the tie with a three, however, Hill scored three straight points to tie the game at 60-all. Hill's points started an 8-0 run which gave the hosts a 65-62 lead with 5:31 left.
• The teams traded baskets with Connell knocking down a jumper with 1:38 left to tie the game at 68-all. With 44 seconds left, Hill's drive to the basket was blocked by Schaake and senior Thomas Hacker (Averill Park, N.Y.) grabbed the rebound. Hacker grabbed the rebound off a missed jumper, however, a turnover gave the Gulls the ball with 18 seconds left. Echevarria's bid to win the game was off the mark, sending the game into overtime.
• Endicott scored the first four points of the extra session, taking a 72-68 lead on a Barrett layup with 4:12 left. Brinkman answered with a three, however, Echevarria knocked down a three of his own, reclaiming the four-point edge. After Connell made a jumper to cut the lead in half, McLaren had a successful putback, making it 77-73 with 2:36 left.
• On Wentworth's next possession, Smith made a layup and, with 1:05 remaining, Connell tied the game at 77-all. With 43 seconds remaining, Hill was fouled and came up with both free throws. Out of a time out with 37 seconds left, Wentworth turned the ball over. However, Schaake came up with a steal with 18 seconds left, giving the Black and Gold a chance to tie the game. With just under five seconds left, Schaake was fouled and hit one of two free throws, making it a 79-78 game. A quick foul sent Echevarria to the line where he hit both, extending he lead to 81-78.
• Endicott called a time out after the two made free throws and Wentworth had one last chance to send the game into a second overtime. However, Connell's terrific look just missed as time wound down.
• In addition to his 25 points, Connell had four rebounds, six assists, and two steals. Stewart recorded his fifth double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds to go along with three assists. Schaake had 11 rebounds to help Wentworth hold a 43-39 advantage on the glass.

SERIES NOTES:

• Today marked the 45th all-time meeting between the two teams. Endicott has won the last 13 in the series and leads, 35-10. Four of the last five meetings have been decided by five or fewer points.

NEXT UP:

• Wentworth hosts the University of New England on Tuesday night.

For the latest on Wentworth Athletics, follow the Leopards via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Fans can also download the Wentworth Leopards "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.