WENHAM, Mass. – Wednesday night's CCC men's basketball opener between Endicott and Gordon was decided in the final minute of the game as the Scots used a go-ahead layup by senior guard Park Thomas (Scottsdale, Ariz.) to break a 66-66 tie with 40 seconds remaining and survived a last-second three-point attempt by Gulls junior forward Andre Makris (Southbury, Conn.) to hold on for the 68-66 win.
Endicott (4-2, 0-1 CCC) overcame an early double digit deficit in the first half, thanks in large part to a game-high 21 points and four steals from senior guard Greg Jacques (Brockton, Mass.), to pull within four by halftime and eventually take a 42-40 lead following a 6-0 run at the start of the second half. The Scots quickly regained the lead but neither team held a significant advantage over the final period as the two teams were knotted at 62, 64, and 66 before Gordon's late-game heroics.
The Gulls will play their second CCC game of the season at home on Saturday, December 7th against Eastern Nazarene. Tip-off is at 1:00 pm against the Lions who beat Endicott twice during the 2012-13 regular season. Endicott is 14-7 all-time against Eastern Nazarene.
Gordon (2-4, 1-0 CCC) built a 26-12 lead by the midway point of the first half as the Scots were 9-of-16 from the floor overall and 5-of-9 from three-point range. Senior guard Luke Hamilton (Mount Airy, N.C.) was a major factor in that first half success with a number of three-point makes as Hamilton finished tied with Thomas with a team-high 15 points. Hamilton hit 4-of-5 attempts from beyond the arc with Thomas, as well as senior Alex Carnes (Phoenix, Ariz.), sinking two three-pointers apiece.
Defense was the catalyst in getting Endicott back in the game in front of an energetic crowd in the Bennett Center at Gordon. The Gulls totaled 10 steals as a team, four by Jacques, while Endicott's big men swatted away six shots including three by Makris and two by freshman forward Daquan Sampson (Germantown, Md.). Both Makris and Sampson showed up offensively as well with 12 points apiece as Sampson reached double figures for the first time this season by making 6-of-12 field goal attempts. Makris hit 4-of-10 shots including 2-of-5 from three.
Endicott also managed to keep their own turnovers down, committing only eight miscues in the game, but a .284 field goal percentage held the Gulls back from taking advantage of their strong play on the defensive end. The Gulls also held a slim 51-47 advantage on the boards.
Despite getting four personal fouls, Gordon got a solid effort from junior forward Hans Miersma (Whitinsville, Mass.) who scored eight points, grabbed seven rebounds, and blocked five shots. Scots junior forward Jason Dempsey (Wallingford, Conn.) contributed with seven points and six caroms off the bench.
Endicott got important minutes off the bench from sophomore forward Deven Richardson (Newark, N.J.) and freshman guard Max Motroni (West Warwick, R.I.) as Richardson netted six and grabbed six rebounds while Motroni facilitated the offense with four assists, tied with Stephen Basden (Lynn, Mass.) for a team-high.
