Second Half Surge Powers Men's Basketball Past Gordon

BOSTON, Mass. – Junior Kyle Henseler (Coventry, R.I.) scored a team-high 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting while sophomore Kevin Fernandez (Lawrence, Mass.) added 20 points, which included five three pointers, as the Wentworth Institute of Technology men's basketball team overcame a three-point halftime deficit and outlasted Gordon, 85-77, in Commonwealth Coast Conference action on Saturday afternoon.

Winners of two in a row, the Leopards improve to 14-8 overall and 7-6 in CCC play while the Fighting Scots dropped their second straight to stand at 10-11 (5-7).

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

LEADING SCORERS:  Kyle Henseler, 22; Kevin Fernandez, 20; Stephen Azums, 19
LEADING REBOUNDER:  Stephen Azums, 11
ASSIST LEADERS:  Stephen Azums, 4; Kevin Fernandez, 4; Tyler Lennon, 4

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Gordon raced out to a 5-0 lead, thanks to a layup from junior Parker Omslaer (Jackson, N.J.) and a three pointer from senior Eric Demers (Acushnet, Mass.). The lead was short-lived, however, as a pair of layups from senior Stephen Azums (Hyde Park, Mass.) and a three pointer from Fernandez put the hosts on top, 7-5, with 16:32 left in the opening half. Demers snapped a 10-all tie with a mid-range jumper with 13:48 left before Azums began an 8-2 run with a layup and a three from Henseler capped the run to give the Leopards a 20-14 edge with 10:49 left.
• The Fighting Scots used a 13-5 run to take a 27-25 lead after one of two free throws from junior Adam Konicki (Voorheesville, N.Y.) with 4:44 left. Henseler followed with a layup to tie the game for the sixth time in the half, however, Gordon used a 7-0 spurt and took a 34-27 lead on a Demers layup. The Leopards pulled within three twice; once on a transition layup from Henseler and the other on a jumper from Azums before freshman Garrett Sattazahn (Morris, Conn.) hit a three to double the lead. Fernandez drained a three of his own with 10 seconds left to bring the Leopards back within three for the third time in the final 101 seconds of the half. Wentworth shot 51.9 percent from the floor in the first half.
• One of two free throws from Azums and a three pointer from junior Trey Carrier (Wilton, N.H.) put Wentworth on top, 1:12 into the second half. Carrier's three was the first of four lead changes in the first 4:15 of the second half with Gordon junior Josh Crutchfield (Ladera Ranch, Calif.) hitting a three to give the Fighting Scots a 53-51 lead. A layup from freshman Jack Schaake (Hampton, N.H.) and two free throws from Henseler put the Leopards on top, 55-53, with 14:00 left. A Konicki layup tied the contest for the 10th time before Schaake gave Wentworth a 57-55 lead with a layup on the next possession.
• Schaake's layup began a 10-2 run which was capped off by a layup by Fernandez and gave Wentworth a 65-57 lead with 9:43 left. The Leopards upped their lead to as many as nine when a Carrier layup gave the hosts a 74-65 advantage with 6:16 left. Gordon used a 9-2 run which was capped off by a long three from Demers to come within a pair with 2:14 remaining, however, Azums drained a jumper on the next possession to double the lead. Omslaer would hit one of two free throws to make it a three-point game with 90 seconds left but a second-chance basket by Azums began a 6-0 spurt which gave Wentworth some breathing room, taking a nine-point lead on a pair of sophomore Noah Bice (Woodacre, Calif.) free throws with 35 seconds left.
• In addition to Henseler and Fernandez, Azums also scored in double figures, recording his 14th double-double of the season with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Henseler, Fernandez, and Azums also each had four assists.
• Wentworth shot 54.5 percent from the floor for the game, which included 57.1 percent in the second half. The Leopards were also 17-for-21 from the charity stripe and had a 38-29 rebounding advantage. Nine of the 38 rebounds were on the offensive end where the Black & Gold scored 19 second-chance points.
• Demers led all scorers with 32 points, while Omslaer added 21 on 8-for-11 shooting.

NOTEWORTHY:

• Wentworth improves to 9-1 in games played at Tansey Gymnasium this season.
• Prior to the game, Azums, who is in sixth place all-time on Wentworth's scoring list and tops in program history in both rebounds and field goal percentage, was honored as a part of senior day ceremonies.
• Henseler's 22 points matched a season high and was two points shy of matching his career high.
• Fernandez has scored 20 or more points in four games this season

SERIES NOTES:

• Today marked the 62nd all-time meeting between the two programs with Gordon holding a 39-23 series advantage. Wentworth snapped a six-game series losing streak to the Fighting Scots with the win.

NEXT UP:

• Wentworth hosts Endicott in its regular-season, home finale on Saturday, February 15.

For the latest on Wentworth Athletics, follow the Leopards via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Fans can also download the Wentworth Leopards "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.