WORCESTER – Sophomore Reid Walker (Lithia, FL) led all student-athletes with 20 points to go with seven rebounds and classmate Garrett Stephenson (Townsend, MA) scored 12 points and hauled in a game-best eight rebounds as WPI opened the fourth annual Ted Coghlin Memorial Tournament with an 86-71 triumph over SUNY Potsdam Friday night inside Harrington Auditorium.
The Engineers improve to 2-0 and will play the winner of the second game between defending Coghlin champion Eastern Connecticut State and William Paterson at 3pm tomorrow. The Bears (1-1) will meet the other team the 1pm consolation game.
WPI never trailed in the first; however, the Bears tied it at 5-5 following the front end of a pair of free throws nearly five minutes into the game. Later in the half, sophomore Jake Needleman (Morganville, NJ) scored the first four points of a WPI 9-2 run that resulted in a 36-24 advantage with 3:44 to go. Potsdam seniors Nosa Onabor (Brooklyn, NY) and Serigne Kane (Brooklyn, NY) then scored in the final 1:09 to cut the deficit to seven (41-34) just before the break.
After Walker made it a double-digit game the rest of the way at 11:39, Wisniewski converted an and-one and canned two more free throws to complete a 7-0 run for the 64-49 margin midway through the second. Freshman Drew Plante (Swansea, MA) pushed the lead to a game-high 19 (86-67) with 56 seconds to go. Three different Bears canned at least one freebie for the 86-71 final.
Needleman finished with 14 points and sophomore Colin McNamara (Arlington, MA) added 11, as well as, six assists. Wisnewski and sophomore Dakota Wheeler (Easthampton, MA) combined for 16 points while Wisniewski and freshman John Wessel (New Oxford, PA) each pulled down four boards.
Onabor and senior Dante Langley (Schuylerville, NY) paced the Bears with 14 points apiece. Kane chipped in with 13 and Junior Jayquan Thomas (Hollis, NY) contributed with a dozen. Junior Danny Delsol-Lowry (Queens, NY) collected seven rebounds and three steals. Langley also registered three swipes and junior Aaron Armstrong (Lisbon, NY) was second on the team with four boards.
WPI outrebounded Potsdam 35-27 and held a 14-5 margin in the assist column. The Engineers also led in the paint (38-28), in second chances (16-11) and bench points (24-16). The Bears, meanwhile, committed three fewer turnovers (22-19) and scored three more (19-16) as a result.
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Smith and McLeod Boost William Paterson Past Eastern Connecticut State in Second Coghlin Semifinal
WORCESTER – William Paterson juniors Sean Smith (Moraga, CA) and Myles McLeod (Teaneck, NJ) each scored 20 points in an 86-79 men's basketball victory over Eastern Connecticut State Friday night in the second semifinal of the fourth annual Ted Coghlin Memorial Tournament in WPI's Harrington Auditorium.
The Pioneers improve to 2-1 and the Warriors begin the season 0-1. William Paterson takes on host WPI at 3pm in the championship game while Eastern Connecticut, last year's Coghlin tournament champion, takes on SUNY Potsdam at 1pm in the consolation game.
Smith netted 14 of his points in the first half as sophomore Domenic Mignone (Rutherford, NJ) scored 11 in the opening frame and finished with 19 points for the Pioneers. Mignone also stuffed the stat sheet with five assists, four steals and two blocks as he and senior Saint Simeon Beaubrun (Irvington, NJ) each led the squad with six rebounds.
Junior Carlos Gonzalez (Springfield, MA) paced all student-athletes with 24 points, along with five assists and five steals, followed by junior Jake Collagan (Wethersfield, CT) and sophomore Cory Muckle (Westbrook, CT) with 17 points apiece. Senior Leonel Hyatt (Greenwich, CT) collected a game-best seven rebounds to go with three helpers.
The Pioneers led most categories including points in the paint (40-14) and from the bench (20-9).