BABSON PARK, Mass. – Salve Regina University junior Isiah Pringle (Queens, N.Y.) scored 10 of his game-high 23 points in overtime to lift the Seahawks to an 83-78 victory over the Wentworth Institute of Technology in the consolation game of the 2012 Babson Invitational Men's Basketball Tournament at Staake Gymnasium on Sunday afternoon.
With the win, Salve Regina improves to 2-1 on the season, while Wentworth falls to 0-2. Sunday's game was a non-league affair between the two teams, who are both members of the Commonwealth Coast Conference.
Pringle shot 7-for-14 from the field, including a 3-for-7 mark from long range, and 6-for-6 from the free throw line for his 23 points, as he was named to the All-Tournament Team. Senior Williams Smiley (Saunderstown, R.I.) added 18 points and eight rebounds for Salve Regina, while sophomore Eric MacKinnon (South East, Mass.) hit all three of his three-point attempts to finish with nine points.
Wentworth was paced by senior Colin Johnson (El Dorado Hills, Calif.), who shot 7-for-11 from the floor and 4-for-5 from the line for 20 points, and senior Dailon Wilson (Houston, Texas), who added 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting to earn all-tournament honors. Sophomore John-Michael Fragnoli (Scotia, N.Y.) chipped in with 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds for the Leopards, who shot 54.4 percent from the field (30-for-55) but committed 26 turnovers.
Pringle knocked down a pair of early three-pointers to stake Salve Regina to an early 12-5 lead less than four minutes into the game, but Wentworth answered with a 16-4 run over the next four minutes – including a pair of triples from Wilson – to move in front 21-16. The two teams would then battle back and forth over the remainder of the period, with the Seahawks taking a slim 37-36 edge into the break thanks to a late lay-up by junior Joshua Hohlfelder (Noank, Conn.).
The Seahawks threatened to pull away midway through the second half, as juniors Patrick Dinneen (Medfield, Mass.) and Jeff Bielefeld (Littleton, Mass.) each netted four points during a 10-0 run that pushed Salve Regina's lead to 63-50 with five minutes remaining in regulation. However, Wentworth closed the half with a 13-0 run to send the game into overtime, thanks to a three-pointer from senior Corey Therriault (Auburn, Maine) and four points apiece from Fragnoli and sophomore Nico Donato (Glastonbury, Conn.).
Following a lay-up by Smiley that gave Salve Regina a quick 65-63 edge, Wentworth grabbed its only lead of the extra session when Wilson knocked down a three-pointer to give the Leopards a 66-65 advantage with 4:12 to go. However, Pringle responded with a pull-up jumper and sophomore Brendan Canova (Edina, Minn.) followed with a trifecta to put the Seahawks back in front to stay, 70-66.
After Salve went up by six, 75-69, on a three-pointer by MacKinnon with 1:51 left to play, Wentworth got back to within one possession on three separate occasions over the remainder of the game. The last game after a Johnson lay-up made it 81-78 with 10 seconds left, but Hohlfelder sank two free throws at the other end in the closing moments to clinch the Seahawks' 83-78 victory.
The Leopards are back in action on Tuesday night, with a non-league game at Connecticut College.
(Recap Courtesy of Babson College Sports Information)
