WORCESTER, Mass. – Senior guard and captain Lance Greene (Dorchester, Mass.) joined eight other greats from Endicott men's basketball history as he scored his 1,000th career collegiate point late in the first half in a non-conference game at Clark (Mass.) on Saturday afternoon. Greene scored a season-high 22 points against the Cougars but the Gulls lost 80-74 to drop to 4-2 overall on the season.
Greene finished an efficient 8-of-9 from the floor and 6-of-8 at the free throw line to go along with four rebounds, three steals, and two assists. The senior's jumper with 3:16 remaining in the first half put him over 1,000 points for his career.
Endicott saw four of their players score in double figures but Clark forward DJ Bailey (Palmer, Mass.) exploded for 29 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks to lead the Cougars. Teammate Brian Vayda (Sturbridge, Mass.) added 19 points, nine boards, and five steals as Clark improved to 5-3 on the season.
Greene's standout effort was complemented by 14 points from junior Lachlan Magee (Melbourne, Australia), 11 points from sophomore Andre Makris (Southbury, Conn.), and 10 points from sophomore John Henault (Lunenburg, Mass.). Junior Bennett Knowlton (Shrewsbury, Mass.) and freshman Shawn Grover (Sebago, Maine) came off the bench to add six and five points, respectively.
The Gulls built a nine-point lead in the first half, but Clark battled back to tie the game at 37-37 by the end of the period. Clark continued their momentum into the second half and went up by as many as eight points at 56-48 with 11:35 remaining in the game before Endicott rattled off nine straight points to regain the lead after a Magee three-pointer.
With the game tied at 71-71 with just under three minutes to go in regulation, Bailey made back-to-back baskets to give Clark their final lead of the game. Endicott finished the game 1-of-7 over the final 2:42.
The Gulls shot 43.8% from the floor overall and 29.4% (5-of-17) from beyond the arc. Endicott continued their efficiency at the free throw line, going 13-of-15 (86.7%) in the game.
Greene now has 1,012 points for his career and is 15 points behind Graham Whitelaw '10 for eighth on the all-time Endicott leader board. For his career, Greene averages 14.4 points per game. This season, he currently is scoring at career-high rate of 16.2 points per game.
Endicott returns home on Tuesday, December 11th for a non-conference showdown with GNAC foe Emmanuel (Mass.). Tip-off is at 7:30 pm at MacDonald Gymnasium.