Connell Nets Career-High in Third-Place Game of USJ Holiday Classic

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – All-tournament team selection junior Jack Connell (Walpole, Mass.) scored a career-high 37 points, including hitting a jumper to give the Wentworth Institute of Technology men's basketball team a 75-73 lead with 3.8 seconds left in regulation. However, the University of Saint Joseph tied the game at the end of regulation and prevailed, 88-85, in overtime, in the third-place game at USJ Holiday Classic.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The game opened with the teams going back and forth as there were five lead changes within the first 3:52. On that lead change, Connell gave Wentworth a 10-9 lead, which was followed by a junior Nathaniel Smith (Beacon Falls, Conn.) basket to give the Leopards a 12-9 lead. Senior Tyree Mitchell (East Hartford, Conn.) hit a three and a jumper and classmate Jalen Samuels (Franklin, Mass.) hit three of four free throws and a layup to give USJ a 19-12 lead with 12:29 left in the half.
• Sophomore Russell Dolabany (Westwood, Mass.) made a layup and Connell followed with five straight points to even the score at 19-all with 10:55 left before five straight Blue Jay points gave the hosts a 24-19 lead two minutes later. USJ led by as many as seven (34-27) after junior Kevin Cummings (Portsmouth, N.H.) hit a three. Smith, Connell, and senior Sam Goy (Derry, N.H.) posted six straight points for Wentworth before Mitchell hit a three with 42 seconds left, giving USJ a 40-36 lead at the break.
• The Blue Jays opened the second half with a 12-5 run, extending their lead to 11 (52-41) after a jumper by Mitchell with 14:32 left. Goy countered with a three on the next possession to cut the lead to eight and freshman Jayden Williams (Dorchester, Mass.) hit two free throws with 13:41 left, slicing the lead to six (52-46).
• After Mitchell hit a three with 12:56 left to put the hosts up nine (57-48), junior Niko Rosich (Chicago, Ill.) scored eight straight points – coming on a pair of threes and a jumper – and trimmed the lead to one (57-56) with 10:00 left. Connell tied the game on a jumper at the eight-minute mark and gave the Black & Gold a 65-62 lead after hitting a three with 6:22 left. After Mitchell made a jumper with 5:09 left to give the Blue Jays a 66-65 lead, Connell answered with four straight free throws, giving Wentworth a 69-66 lead a minute later.
• One of two free throws from Goy with 3:33 left gave the Leopards a 70-68 lead, however, a Mitchell layup with 2:21 left knotted the score at 70-all. With 58 seconds left, sophomore Lence Altenor (Everett, Mass.) put the Blue Jays ahead, 73-70, but not for long as sophomore Nathan Brinkman (Trumbull, Conn.) drained a deep three to tie the game. With 22 seconds left, Connell grabbed the rebound off a USJ miss and put Wentworth ahead, 75-73, with 3.8 seconds to go. Out of a time out, the hosts tried a home run play where Mitchell was fouled attempting to put the game-tying basket in and tied the game with 0.2 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime.
• Playing in its second overtime game in less than 24 hours, the Black & Gold took an early lead in the extra frame when Brinkman caused a turnover, was fouled, and hit one of two from the line. Samuels answered with two free throws to give USJ a 77-76 lead and 44 seconds later increased the lead to three with a dunk. Connell pulled the Leopards within one with a jumper but four straight points from Altenor made it an 83-78 game with 1:01 left. The Bue Jays led, 86-82, after sophomore Friedrich Feldrappe (Berlin, Germany) made one of two free throws but Brinkman brought Wentworth back to within one with a three with eight seconds left. After Mitchell pushed the lead to three with a pair of free throws, The Leopards' attempt to tie the game was thwarted because of a turnover.
• Connell went 13-for-22 from the floor, including going 5-for-9 from behind the arc while also grabbing seven rebounds, dishing out three assists, and recording a pair of steals. Goy added 16 on 6-of-9 shooting (including 3-for-3 from three-point land) to go along with seven rebounds. Rosich came off the bench to notch a career-high 13 points. Wentworth shot 57.4 percent from the floor for the game.
• Mitchell (25) and Samuels (20) led USJ in scoring.

NOTEWORTHY:

• Wentworth's back-to-back overtime games were the first in program history since February 26 and March 2, 2011.

ALL-TIME SERIES:

• Today was the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

NEXT UP:

• Wentworth resumes Commonwealth Coast Conference play on Tuesday, January 2, at Western New England.

For the latest on Wentworth Athletics, follow the Leopards via social media on "X," Facebook and Instagram.