Jan 23, 2013
BOSTON -- Wentworth Institute of Technology received 15 points from Colin Johnson off the bench in the second period to help overcome a nine-point halftime deficit, but got the last three from starter Derek Mayo in the waning seconds to escape with a 48-45 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) men's basketball victory over the University of New England on Wednesday (Jan. 23) at Tansey Gymnasium.
Three of Johnson's team-high 15 points made the Leopards' advantage peak at seven (42-35) with 7:44 left, only to see UNE first-year Devin Thompson (Winthrop, Mass.) finish-off a three-point play and then add two free throws to reduce the margin back to two with 4:23 to go.
Johnson and Thompson split the next four points, and, after one from the charity stripe by Johnson, Big Blue rookie Jesse Dykstra (Douglas, Mass.) put in a lay-up with 39 ticks remaining to trim the gap to one (45-44).
A basket by Mayo with 0:21 on the clock then restored the difference to three. The Nor'easters' last two possessions resulted in 1-of-3 made free throws and a turnover.
Johnson converted 6-of-10 field goal tries in the final frame, and totaled six rebounds and three steals for the game. Mayo chipped in with 11 points for Wentworth (10-7, 6-4 CCC), and John-Michael Fragnoli pulled down a game-best seven boards.
Thompson paced UNE (3-14, 2-8 CCC) with 15 points, while first-year Mitch Loeman (Freeport, Maine) had 12 points and six rebounds in a reserve role. Loeman was 4-for-4 from both the field and the free throw line in the first half to register all of his points in the contest.
After surrendering the initial point of the night to Mayo, the Nor'easters responded with eight of the ensuing nine points to move in front (8-2), though both sides struggled shooting the ball early on. Wentworth started 0-for-12 from the field, while Big Blue began 0-for-5 with five turnovers before connecting for baskets on three straight trips down the court.
The UNE lead was four (14-10) with just under seven minutes left in the half, until a quick six pushed the cushion up to its highest (20-10). Though the Leopard got it back to within four on three occasions as the stanza progressed, a trey by Big Blue junior Charles Fenner III (Bronx, N.Y.) inside the final minute and two from Loeman prior to the halftime buzzer established a 29-20 advantage for the visitors at intermission.
The Nor'easters shot 50 percent (11-for-22) and made all six of their free throws in the opening period.
UNE returns home to face Salve Regina University on Saturday (3 p.m.).