BEVERLY, Mass. – Sophomore Keith Brown (Pelham, N.H.) had a team-high 16 points to help the Endicott College men's basketball team hold off Wentworth Institute of Technology, 69-56, in Commonwealth Coast Conference action Saturday afternoon.
With the win the Gulls improve to 16-7 overall and 11-5 in CCC play while the Leopards fall to 13-10 (9-7).
Wentworth took a 4-2 lead after sophomore Stephen Azums (Hyde Park, Mass.) made a layup 2:45 into the contest. However, Endicott used a 14-0 run to take a 16-4 lead after a junior Rob O'Brien (Rindge, N.H.) dunk. An 11-2 run, capped off by a free throw from Azums, pulled the Leopards within three (18-15) with 7:39 left in the half.
After sophomore Ellis Christmas (Elmsford, N.Y.) hit one of two free throws to cut the lead to 25-19 with 2:27 left in the half, the Gulls closed out the half on a 7-1 run and took a 32-20 lead. Endicott held Wentworth without a field goal over the final 5:24 of the opening stanza.
The Gulls extended their lead to open the second half, using an 8-2 run to take a 40-22 lead on a layup from junior Nick Thibeault (Gorham, Maine). Wentworth began to chip away at the lead and trailed by 10 after senior Ben Kizel (Short Hills, N.J.) hit a three. Brown countered with a layup, however, Kizel answered with another trifecta, which began an 8-2 run, capped off by a three-point play from senior Jason Ganley (Northbridge, Mass.), and pulled the Leopards within six (54-48) with 6:10 left.
Five straight points from O'Brien gave the hosts a 59-48 lead with 3:40 remaining. Wentworth pulled within seven with 1:56 remaining after Ganley hit two free throws, however, that would be as close as the Leopards would come as a Thibeault and four late free throws extended the lead.
In addition to Brown, three other Gulls scored in double figures as Thibeault scored 13, O'Brien 11, and senior Joel Villa (Bronx, N.Y.) added 10.
Ganley netted a game-high 20 points for the Leopards while Azums had a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Wentworth hosts Western New England on Tuesday in its final home game of the regular season.
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