BIDDEFORD, Maine – The Wentworth Institute of Technology men's basketball team came up just short against the University of New England, who rallied from a 17 point deficit to pick up a 70-65 victory.
 
RECORDS 

• Wentworth 5-8 (2-5 CCC)
• UNE 3-13 (2-7 CCC)

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Points Leader: Kevin Fernandez (20)
• Rebounds Leader: Jack Schaake (11)
• Assists Leader: Jack Schaake (3)
• Steals Leader: Kyle Henseler (2)

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• Senior guard Kevin Fernandez (Lawrence, Mass.) got the Leopards off to a strong start, scoring the first two baskets of the game. Junior guard Sam Swift (Arlington, Mass.) followed up with a three pointer as the Leopards took a 7-0 lead in the first 2:17 of the game. A pair of baskets by UNE's Avery DeBrito (New Bedford, Mass.) and Alex Kravchuk (Mansfield, Conn.), who scored a game-high 28 points on the night, got the Nor'easters on the board, but they were answered by five more points from Fernandez, who scored 16 in the opening half, to put the Leopards up 12-4 at the 3:19 mark of the first.
• UNE then went on a 16-2 run to take the lead, spanning over five minutes, and including seven straight points from Drake Gavin (Old Lyme, Conn.) to cap it off, as the home team jumped ahead 20-14 with 10:34 remaining in the opening half. The Leopards came back with some strong play of their own, as two points from freshman forward Tyler Stewart (East Taunton, Mass.) and five more points from Fernandez, who led the visitors with 20 points, put Wentworth back ahead by one with eight minutes to go.
• The teams went back and forth, as UNE then scored the next six points, including four from Kravchuk, to regain the lead 26-21. The Leopards came back to tie it at 26, as junior guard Tommy Dooling (Mansfield, Mass.) hit a shot from beyond the arc, and senior guard Kyle Henseler (Coventry, R.I.) put in a pair of free throws. With UNE holding a two point lead in the final moments of the half, junior guard Thomas Hacker (Averill Park, N.Y.) hit a three pointer to put Wentworth ahead, but a basket at the buzzer by DeBrito gave the Nor'easters a 34-33 lead going into the intermission.
• After DeBrito made another basket to open up the second, the Leopards started to take control. Henseler scored four straight points, followed by layups from Fernandez, Hacker, and junior forward Jack Schaake (Hampton, N.H.). Another basket from Henseler and two free throws from Swift capped off 14 straight points for Wentworth and put them ahead 47-36 with 14 minutes remaining.
• A jumper, followed by a three pointer from Henseler gave the Leopards a 17 point lead with 10 minutes remaining, but the Nor'easters came charging back. Seven straight points, finished off by a three pointer from Michael Quinn (Mendon, Mass.) pulled the home team to within 10 with 6:42 remaining. Henseler hit another jumper to push the lead back to 12 for Wentworth, but UNE then scored nine unanswered points in the next two minutes, six coming from Kravchuk, to make it a three point game at 58-55.
• Following a three pointer from Swift and two made free throws from Fernandez, the Leopards held an eight point lead with three minutes remaining. But over the next two minutes, the Nor'easters hit a trio of three pointers, as Kravchuk, DeBrito, and Anthony Senesombath (Newmarket, N.H.) all connected from beyond the arc to put UNE ahead by one with 1:19 left in the game. The Leopards missed their next shot opportunity, and after a pair of made free throws from Kravchuk, a missed three pointer in the final moments was the last chance of Wentworth, as UNE made the subsequent free throws and closed out their comeback victory with a 70-65 decision.

THE SERIES 

• This was the 43^rd meeting between the two programs. Wentworth holds a 28-15 lead in the series.

NEXT 

• The Leopards are back on the road Saturday afternoon, when they visit Roger Williams University at 3:00 p.m.

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