Endicott Uses Second Half Run to Rally Past Men's Basketball

BOSTON, Mass. – Four players scored in double figures, including senior Keith Brown (Pelham, N.H.) who had a team-high 16 points as the Endicott College men's basketball team defeated Wentworth Institute of Technology, 80-75, in Commonwealth Coast Conference action Saturday afternoon.

With the win the Gulls improve to 17-7 overall and remain atop the CCC standings with an 11-4 record. The Leopards see their record slip to 14-9 (7-7).

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

LEADING SCORERS:  Tyler Lennon, 17; Kyle Henseler, 17; Trey Carrier, 15; Kevin Fernandez, 11
LEADING REBOUNDER:  Stephen Azums, 9; Trey Carrier, 9
ASSIST LEADER:  Stephen Azums, 4

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Endicott took control early in the game, racing out to a 12-7 lead 3:38 into the contest on a three-point play from sophomore Billy Arsenault (Lynnfield, Mass.). After a layup from junior Trey Carrier (Wilton, N.H.) and a pair of free throws from Tyler Lennon (Atkinson, N.H.), Wentworth trimmed the lead to one. The Gulls used an 8-0 run, capped off by a three-pointer from senior Matthew Catizone (Woburn, Mass.), to take a 20-11 lead with 13:19 left in the half. Wentworth countered with an 8-0 run of its own, trimming the lead to one (20-19) on a sophomore Kevin Fernandez (Lawrence, Mass.) three with 12:00 left before Endicott led by as many as six after a freshman Ty Vitko (Dover, N.H.) transition layup.
• Wentworth outscored the Gulls by a 19-5 margin over the next 8:50 and took a 38-30 lead with 2:08 left after Lennon hit one of two free throws. Carrier had nine points during the stretch, while senior Stephen Azums' (Hyde Park, Mass.) layup with 4:22 left gave the hosts their first lead of the game. Endicott scored the final six points of the half to cut the lead to a pair (38-36).
• Endicott took a 41-39 lead two minutes into the second half on a three from junior Jordan Pettway (Bridgeport, Conn.), however, a junior Kyle Henseler (Coventry, R.I.) layup erased the lead and Henseler gave his team the lead when he hit a free throw to complete the three-point play. Those three points began a 7-0 run which ended with an Azums layup with 16:00 left. Endicott brought the lead down to one on a pair of occasions, including on a layup from freshman Jalen Echevarria (Lynn, Mass.) with 12:25 remaining, however, Wentworth pushed its lead to as many as six (60-54) on a layup from Lennon with 8:28 left.
• Using a 16-4 run, the Gulls took a 70-64 lead after Arsenault hit a three with 3:54 remaining. Wentworth was able to bring the lead to four on three occasions, including on a Henseler layup with 59 seconds left, however Vitko answered with a layup with the shot clock winding down on the next possession. After a missed free throw, the Leopards got the ball back and had a second-chance opportunity but a turnover gave the Gulls the ball back and a pair of free throws from junior Matt McDevitt (Cumberland, Maine) sealed the win.
• Brown went 5-for-9 from the floor, including going 4-for-8 from behind the arc. Vitko added 15 points on 7-for-9 shooting, McDevitt added 13 points and eight rebounds, while Arsenault had 12 points and eight assists.
• Henseler and Lennon had 17 points apiece to lead Wentworth, while Carrier and Fernandez chipped in with 15 and 11 points, respectively. Carrier also grabbed nine rebounds. Wentworth had a 38-27 rebounding advantage.

NOTEWORTHY:

• Wentworth finishes the regular season with a 9-2 record at Tansey Gymnasium.

SERIES NOTES:

• Today marked the 41st all-time meeting between the two programs with Endicott, winners of the last nine series meetings, holding a 31-10 series advantage.

NEXT UP:

• Wentworth plays its final pair of regular season contests on the road, beginning with a game at Western New England on Wednesday, February 19.

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