Buzzer Beater Sinks Men’s Basketball at Western New England

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Wentworth Institute of Technology men's basketball team fell to Western New England in dramatic fashion on Saturday afternoon. The Golden Bears won 63-61 thanks to a three with less than one second to play in the game. Russel Dolabany scored a career-high 26 points, shooting 8-15 from the field. Colin Mannke added a team-high nine rebounds to go with eight points while Chase Mello dished out four assists.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Dolabany scored the first five points for the Leopards, finishing at the rim and draining a three in the first two minutes of the half. The senior hit a pair of threes to give Wentworth an 11-10 lead as the teams went back and forth to open the contest. Both sides went scoreless for two minutes before Jayden Williams and Donovan Holway got on the scoresheet to put the Leopards in front 15-10. Western New England tied the game at 18 at the midway mark of the half behind Justin Garretson's finish at the rim.
• Mannke and Dylan Olson each knocked down threes in less than a minute, capitalizing on a WNE turnover, to give Wentworth a four-point lead with six and a half to play in the first half. The Leopards went cold from the floor as the Golden Bears took a 27-26 lead. Mello's three and Holway's layup gave Wentworth the 31-30 lead heading into the halftime break.
• Aiden Flaherty opened the scoring in the second half, finishing with a layup on the Leopards' first possession. Dolabany continued to shoot well, knocking down another three in the early stages of the half to restore the Wentworth lead. After the hosts evened the score, Dolabany drained another three to put the Leopards in front once again, 41-38, with 15 minutes remaining. Western New England took the lead at the midway mark of the second half behind scores from Travis Mangual and Luka Vlajkovic.
• Dolabany scored the next five points for the Leopards, making it a 52-50 game with 8:10 to play. The intensity picked up late in the game as Mannke hit one of two from the line to tie the game at 56 with under three minutes to go. Mannke hit two free throws with 1:35 remaining, tying the game once again. Western New England took a 60-58 lead before Dolabany hit one of two from the line to make it a one-point game with 75 seconds left. Neither side scored until Dolabany calmly hit a pair of free throws with 12 seconds left, giving Wentworth a 61-60 lead. On their final possession, Western New England took a 63-61 lead as Matt Houde drained a contested three with under one second to play. The Leopards used a timeout, but could not find a way to extend the game, ultimately falling to the Golden Bears.

THE SERIES

• Today was the 34th all-time meeting between the teams.

NEXT UP

• The Leopards visit UNE on Tuesday. 

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