BOSTON, Mass. – Junior guard Adam Dombrowski (Dunstable, Mass.) netted a game-high 16 points, while sophomore forward Corey Therriault (Auburn, Maine) chipped in with 10 points, eight rebounds, and five assists as the Wentworth men's basketball team held on for a 58-54, non-conference win over Newbury.
A see-saw battle over the first five minutes saw the visiting Nighthawks take a 10-7 lead on a pair of free throws from sophomore forward Peterson Bernard (Boston, Mass.). The Leopards used an 8-0 run to take a 15-10 lead on a Dombrowski three pointer on the fastbreak. Wentworth upped its lead to 23-14 on a Therriault trifecta and held a 33-21 halftime lead. Neither team shot the ball better than 40 percent in the first half, with Wentworth connecting on 37.9 percent and Newbury shooting 34.8 percent. However, the hosts were 7-for-15 from behind the arc and held a 22-16 advantage on the glass.
The Nighthawks cut the lead to eight (35-27) with 17:09 left on a basket by senior guard John Rowley (Hartford, Conn.) before Wentworth went on a 10-1 run over the next four minutes to take its largest lead of the game, 45-28, with 13:16 remaining.
Trailing, 47-30, with 10:23 to play, the Nighthawks used a 13-2 run over a four and a half minute span to cut the lead to six on a basket by Rowley. Dombrowski put the Leopards on top, 51-43, with 5:19 left, but that would be the last Wentworth field goal on the night.
A Rowley steal and assist on a Bernard basket brought Newbury within six before Rowley connected on a pair of free throws with 4:00 left, cutting the lead to 51-47. The Nighthawks pulled within one on a tip-in by sophomore forward Rondell Best (Brockton, Mass.), before Leopard senior forward Sam Herrick (Duxbury, Mass.) hit two free throws to increase the lead to three. Best countered with a jumper on the next possession, making it a 53-52 game with 2:07 left before Therriault was fouled after getting an offensive rebound and sank both free throws to put the hosts up by three.
Two free throws by sophomore guard Tim Young (Brockton, Mass.) with 38 ticks left once again cut the lead to one before Therriault sank two more from the charity stripe. After a missed three pointer by Newbury, senior guard Keenan Burke-Pitts (Auburn, Mass.) sank one of two free throws to seal the win.
Freshman forward Derek Mayo (Casco, Maine) added nine points, while junior guard Eric Prue (Auburn, Maine) chipped in with eight points and three assists.
Newbury was led by Young's 15 points, while Bernard had 12 points and eight rebounds and Best added 11 points and seven rebounds.
Winners of two straight, Wentworth improves to 5-6 and opens The Commonwealth Coast Conference play on Saturday at home against Gordon. Newbury dropped its third straight to fall to 1-9. The Nighthawks are at Wheelock on Saturday.
