BROOKLINE, MA - The Wheelock College men's basketball team whittled a 17-point deficit to two late in regulation on Tuesday before dropping a 68-62 decision against nearby New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) counterpart Newbury College in Hellenic College's Pappas Athletic Center. The Wildcats, who have now taken eight of their losses by nine points or fewer this winter, slipped to 9-12 overall and 5-6 in the league. The Nighthawks, who are 7-4 since a 1-9 start, moved to 8-13 and 7-5.

Junior Kyle Pierce (Burlington, MA/Burlington) netted 20 points and three assists for the visitors, shooting 6-of-8 on free-throw tries, while sophomore Bashir Hudson (Jamaica Plain, MA/Weston) tallied a career-high 17 points on 8-of-9 two-point shooting to go along with seven rebounds off the bench. Junior Eric Rice (Woburn, MA/Woburn) went over the 700-point mark for his career with 14, classmate Max Kaim (Fort Lauderdale, FL/Cypress Bay) had four steals, and junior Victor Kashouh (Providence, RI/Classical) added four offensive boards and a trio of helpers. Senior Daniel Main (Hopedale, MA/Hopedale) appeared in his 100th career contest, the first player in the program's four-year history to do so.

Sophomore Timothy Young (Brockton, MA/Brockton) had 21 points on 5-of-9 three-point shooting for Newbury, and senior John Rowley Jr. (Hartford, CT/Rockville) added 14 points and five assists. Sophomore Peterson Bernard (Boston, MA/Madison Park Technical Vocational) pulled down a game-high eight rebounds.

Wheelock never led in the game but trailed just 8-6 at 15:49 of the first half thanks to a Pierce lay-up before Newbury slowly put together a 23-8 run, grabbing a 31-14 advantage on Young's three at 7:34. The visitors employed a 12-5 jaunt of their own, with buckets by Kashouh and Hudson in the final 1:18 of the opening stanza pulling their team within 36-26. The Nighthawks took a 39-26 lead into intermission.

Down 49-32 with 14:39 remaining in the contest, Wheelock scored 12 straight points, as Hudson scored five in that time prior to Rice drilling a three to make it 49-44 at 10:19. Rowley Jr.'s bucket at 6:13 provided a 59-48 advantage for Newbury, but Pierce trimmed the hole to two points three times down the stretch. His freebie at 2:19 was met by a Bernard lay-up, but Pierce's lay-up at 1:36 made it 62-60. Rowley Jr.'s put-back following his own miss at 1:07 was countered by another Pierce hoop at 45 ticks, but Newbury scored the final four points.

Wheelock returns to action for Senior Day on Saturday, when the Wildcats hosts NECC counterpart Daniel Webster College at 3:30 p.m.