WATERVILLE, Maine – The Endicott men's basketball team suffered their first loss of the 2014-15 season following an 80-69 defeat in the Colby Classic final to the host Mules. A team-high 24 points from senior all-tournament guard John Henault (Lunenburg, Mass.) paced Endicott's offensive attack against Colby with another 14 points coming from sophomore guard Kamahl Walker (Worcester, Mass.).
After a hot-shooting first half that saw Endicott shoot 50% from the floor including 58% (7-of-12) from three-point range, the Gulls hit a cold spell in the second period to see their two-point halftime deficit slowly climb even further in Colby's favor. Colby would lead by as many as 13 points (61-48, 11:10 2nd) in the second half although Endicott would battle back to make it just a three-point game at 64-61 with 5:21 remaining in the game.
In the final minutes of the game, Colby leaned on key baskets by leading scorer junior Luke Westman (Newton, Mass.) and fellow junior Ryan Jann (Westford, Mass.) as well as 11-of-13 made free throws down the stretch to maintain a lead Endicott could not overcome. Westman finished with a game-high 25 points on 10-of-13 from the floor and 5-of-5 at the free throw line. Jann added 12 points while junior forward Chris Hudnut (Chevy Chase, Md.) recorded a double-double with 17 points and 18 rebounds to go along with five assists.
Thirteen first half points by Henault as well as nine by Walker and eight from senior forward Andre Makris (Southbury, Conn.) helped Endicott gain their largest lead of the game, 31-25, at the 5:31 mark of the opening period. Henault hit three three-pointers, Makris made two, and both Walker and sophomore point guard Max Motroni (West Warwick, R.I.) each connected from beyond the arc in the impressive, first-half shooting display.
Colby went nose-to-nose with Endicott in the first half with 14 points from Westman and seven apiece from Hudnut, Jann, and senior guard Connor O'Neil (Freeport, Maine). In the second half, Westman again led his team with 11 points and Hudnut added 10 points and 12 boards. The Mules also benefited from 21 free throw attempts in the second half, converting 18 of them.
The rebounding was slightly in Colby's favor (40-39) but 11 offensive rebounds by Endicott generated 14 second-chance points compared to just four offensive rebounds and eight second-chance points by the Mules. Hudnut's 18 caroms were far-and-away a game-high as Endicott's leading rebounder was sophomore forward Daquan Sampson (Germantown, Md.) who grabbed eight boards, three coming on the offensive glass. Off the bench, Gulls sophomore guard Stephen Basden (Lynn, Mass.) had seven rebounds, two assists, and two points. Senior forward Tell White (New Castle, N.H.) also contributed with six rebounds, three assists, and two points.
Endicott is now off for the next 11 days before their home opener on Wednesday, December 3rd against rival Gordon. This game will be the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) opener for both teams. Tip-off will be at 7:30 p.m. at Endicott's MacDonald Gymnasium. Endicott and Gordon will also be conducting a toy drive in which all students, faculty, staff, and supports of the two schools are asked to bring an unwrapped toy which will be donated to holiday charities. Donators will be entered into a raffle for a prize pack valued at $100.
