MILTON, Mass. – Senior Jason Ganley (Northbridge, Mass.) netted a game-high 20 points, including scoring seven straight down the stretch, as the Wentworth Institute of Technology men's basketball team opened Commonwealth Coast Conference play with a 58-49 win over Curry Wednesday night.
Ganley's run came in response to Curry tying the game at 49-all with 5:07 remaining in the game as he countered with the go-ahead basket 20 seconds later and followed that up with a three pointer and a second-chance basket.
With the win the Leopards improve to 3-2 while the Colonels fall to 1-5.
Wentworth jumped out to an 8-2 lead, thanks in part to sophomore Stephen Azums (Hyde Park, Mass.), who had six points and three rebounds in the game's first 2:26. Using a 7-0 run, Curry took a 9-8 lead on a freshman Justin Kelly (Medford, Mass.) three pointer with 15:06 remaining, however, the Black & Gold countered with a 10-2 run, capped off by the second of sophomore Ellis Christmas' (Elmsford, Conn.) baskets coming with just under 11 minutes left.
The Colonels chipped away at the lead and came within four (23-19) with 3:34 remaining. A layup from senior Sam Knollmeyer (Hampton, N.H.) and one of two free throws from sophomore Matt Vartanian (Salem, N.H.) pushed the lead to seven with 1:49 left, however the hosts got back-to-back threes from sophomores Kieran Carroll (Greenwich, Conn.) and Spencer Feng (Keene, N.H.) to make it a one-point game at the half.
A three-point play from freshman Akhari Goodridge (Cambridge, Mass.) to open gave Curry a 28-26 lead before four straight points from Ganley and a three pointer from senior Ben Kizel (Short Hills, N.J.) gave Wentworth the lead back. The Leopards extended their lead to seven (43-36) after three straight points from Vartanian and held a 49-42 lead after a Ganley layup with 7:22 to play.
Curry scored the next seven points, tying the game at 49-all on a Goodridge jumper before Ganley's run helped Wentworth break the tie and pull away for the win.
In addition to his 20 points, Ganley grabbed eight rebounds while Azums had 12 points (on 6-of-9 shooting) and eight rebounds. Knollmeyer chipped in with eight points, two assists, and three steals, while Vartanian had six points and five rebounds. Senior Cesar Fulcar (Watertown, Mass.) finished with five points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Wentworth had a 44-33 rebounding edge and scored 21 points off 16 Curry turnovers.
Carroll led the Colonels with 15 points and nine rebounds while Feng had 11 points.
Wentworth hosts Eastern Nazarene on Saturday.
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