NEWPORT, R.I. – Four players scored in double figures, including senior Ray Bessette (Dedham, Maine) who had a team-high 14 points and a solid defensive effort helped to hold Salve Regina to 25 percent shooting from the floor as the Wentworth Institute of Technology men's basketball team picked up its second straight win with a 63-44 win over the Seahawks in the Commonwealth Coast Conference opener for both squads.
With the win the Leopards improve to 2-4 (1-0 CCC) while the Seahawks drop their second straight to stand at 3-4 (0-1).
After freshman Adam Quinlan (East Walpole, Mass.) hit two free throws to put the hosts on the board with a pair of free throws 2:23 into the game, Wentworth went on a 9-0 run, capped off by a freshman Cesar Fulcar (Watertown, Mass.) 3-pointer, and led 9-2. Chris O'Keefe gave the Seahawks their first field goal of the night with 13:30 left, which started a 6-0 spurt for Salve Regina and closed the gap to 9-8 with 10:20 left.
Junior Tim Juitt (Wellesley, Mass.) hit one of two free throws before a pair of senior Eric MacKinnon (South Easton, Mass.) free throws knotted the game at 12-all.
On the next possession, Juitt buried a jumper which would begin a 7-0 spurt, capped off by a Bessette layup with 9:22 remaining. O'Keefe hit two free throws before Bessette hit a 3-pointer to increase the lead to 20-12 with 8:42 remaining.
A 3-pointer from Juitt and basket from freshman Sam Knollmeyer (Hampton, N.H.) gave Wentworth a 27-15 lead before four straight free throws from freshman Bryce Boggs (Hyde Park, Mass.) brought the lead to single digits with 4:08 left in the half.
Fulcar scored four straight points, giving the Leopards a 31-20 lead with 2:16 left before graduate student Scott St. Lawrence (Litchfield, N.H.) hit two free throws with 1:40 left to close out the first half scoring. Over the first 20:00, Wentworth shot 40 percent from the floor, while holding the hosts to 22.7 percent.
Senior Nico Donato (Glastonbury, Conn.) opened the second half by scoring five straight points to make it a 14-point (36-22) contest. However, Boggs quickly responded with a 3-pointer of his own to cut the deficit to 11. Senior John-Michael Fragnoli (Scotia, N.Y.) and Donato accounted for Wentworth's next five points which began a 12-4 run and would give the Black & Gold a 48-29 lead after a junior Ian Therrault (Auburn, Maine) basket with 12:43 remaining.
The Seahawks scored four straight points, however Bessette answered with five consecutive points of his own to give Wentworth a 20-point (53-33) lead with 10:42 left. Salve Regina would get no closer than 16 over the remainder of the contest.
In addition to his 14 points on 6-for-10 shooting, Bessette grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists. Donato had 11 points, while Fulcar and Juitt added 10 apiece. Fulcar also had six rebounds. As a team, the Leopards shot 46.6 percent from the floor and held a slight edge on the glass, 42-38.
Boggs was the lone Seahawk to score in double digits, scoring 16 points while grabbing seven rebounds. Quinlan scored seven points and grabbed eight rebounds.
Wentworth looks to extend its win streak to three when the Leopards host Gordon on Saturday. Salve Regina is at Nichols that same day.
May 13, 2015
Wentworth Athletics Mourns the Loss of Frank Nestor
March 3, 2015
ECAC Tabs Fulcar as Rookie of the Week
March 2, 2015
Fulcar Named CCC Rookie of the Week
February 28, 2015
Men's Basketball's Run Ends in CCC Title Game
February 26, 2015
Men's Basketball Headed to CCC Title Game
February 24, 2015
Men's Basketball Advances in CCC Tournament
February 24, 2015
Fragnoli Honored by the Commonwealth Coast Conference
February 21, 2015
Men's Basketball to Host Gordon in CCC Quarterfinals
February 21, 2015
Men's Basketball Falls in Regular-Season Finale
February 17, 2015
Men's Basketball Falls to Endicott
February 14, 2015
Men's Basketball Pulls Away in Second Half
February 13, 2015
Wentworth Basketball Teams to Team up With American Cancer Society
February 11, 2015
Men's Basketball Defeats Western New England
February 7, 2015
Eastern Nazarene Halts Men's Basketball's Win Streak
February 3, 2015
Men's Basketball Runs Win Streak to Four
January 31, 2015
Men's Basketball Captures Third Straight Win
January 29, 2015
Men's Basketball Fends Off Gordon
January 24, 2015
Men's Basketball Snaps Losing Streak
January 20, 2015
Gulls Soar Past Men's Basketball
January 17, 2015
Nichols Fends Off Men's Basketball
January 15, 2015
Men's Basketball Falls to Western New England
January 13, 2015
Men's Basketball Comeback Bid Falls Short
January 10, 2015
Men's Basketball Suffers First League Loss
January 6, 2015
Men's Basketball Holds on to Remain Unbeaten in CCC Play
January 3, 2015
Men's Basketball Opens 2015 With Win at Lesley
December 29, 2014
Second Half Run Pushes Boston University Past Men's Basketball
December 14, 2014
Fragnoli Named CCC Player of the Week
December 9, 2014
Men's Basketball Runs Win Streak to Four
December 8, 2014
Bessette, Fulcar Earn CCC Weekly Honors
December 6, 2014
Men's Basketball Downs Gordon for Third Straight Win
December 3, 2014
Men's Basketball Cruises to Win in Conference Opener
November 25, 2014
Late Free Throws Give Men's Basketball First Win
November 22, 2014
Men's Basketball Falls to Tufts
November 20, 2014
Clark Pulls Away From Men's Basketball in Second Half
November 16, 2014
Men's Basketball Edged by Emmanuel
November 15, 2014
Emerson's Fast Start Spoils Men's Basketball's Opener
November 14, 2014
Men's Basketball Picked to Finish Seventh in Pre-Season Poll
October 18, 2014
Four Inducted into Athletic Hall of Fame
October 10, 2014
Men's Basketball Team Assists With Coaches vs Cancer 5K Classic