BIDDEFORD, Maine -- The Salve Regina University men's basketball team scored the initial 13 points of the contest and never led by less than six the rest of the way, picking up a 76-60 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) win over the University of New England at the newly-named James A. Beaudry Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.
SRU goes to 4-2 (2-0 CCC) with the win, while the Nor'easters (0-2 CCC) are winless in six outings.
Sophomore Scott St. Lawrence (Litchfield, N.H) provided a huge spark off the bench for the Seahawks, recording a game-high 19 points to go with seven rebounds. Junior William Smiley (Saunderstown, R.I.) went for 14 points and seven boards, while senior Ryan Birrell (Hope, R.I.) added 13 points and five assists.
The Salve reserves ended up combining for 43 points in the contest -- 10 of which from sophomore Isiah Pringle (Queens, N.Y.). Classmate Jeff Beilefeld (Littleton, Mass.) corralled a match-best 11 rebounds, helping the visitors to a 42-31 edge in that category.
Big Blue received 17 points from senior Jarryd Rossignol (Caribou, Maine), who drained four treys on the day. Classmate Brian Jones (Austin, Texas) chipped in with 14 points and five steals, and Marcus Winn (Austin, Texas) finished with 10 points before fouling out with over seven minutes left. Together, the three players notched nine of the team's 11 three-pointers.
After the quick start, the Seahawks and Nor'easters played the remainder of the opening 20 minutes to a draw, with Salve holding a 36-23 cushion at the break.
UNE upped the intensity in the second period, and, other than a free throw by Birrell, posted the first eight points of the stanza to cut the margin down to six (37-31).
But the guests regained control with a 27-6 stretch over the next six-plus minutes. St. Lawrence tallied all 11 of his second-half points during the run.
The Nor'easters closed with 16 of the final 22 points, but the deficit was too large to overcome. For the game, Salve shot 45.3 percent (29-for-64) from the field.
The Seahawks are back on the hardwood Tuesday for a date with in-state foe Rhode Island College. UNE is now off for the majority of the rest of the month, before returning to action on December 31 at the Naismith Classic, hosted by Springfield College.