NEWPORT, R.I. – In the first of three CCC games for the Endicott men's basketball team this week, the Gulls broke a 36-36 halftime with Salve Regina to dominate the second half en route to an 83-63 win over the Seahawks. Four players scored in double figures for Endicott, including senior captain John Henault (Lunenburg, Mass.) and sophomore guards Max Motroni (West Warwick, R.I.) and Kamahl Walker (Worcester, Mass.) who each scored 15 points apiece.
Endicott (7-4, 3-1 CCC) now looks ahead to back-to-back home, conference games against Roger Williams (4-7, 2-2 CCC) on Thursday, January 8th and Curry (2-9, 0-4 CCC) on Saturday, January 10th. The Gulls tip-off with Roger Williams at 7:30 p.m. in MacDonald Gymnasium.
Walker poured in 13 of his 15 points in the second half to fuel a Gulls offense that shot 55% from the field over the game's final 20 minutes after shooting just under 40% in the first half. Walker would also help generate offensive opportunities for his teammates with five assists, four of which came in the second half. It is the third straight game Walker has dished out five dimes.
Endicott's second half surge was impacted by the play of sophomore forward Daquan Sampson (Germantown, Md.) who scored seven points and grabbed six boards, three on the offensive glass, with an assist. Sampson finished with 13 points and eight rebounds.
Sampson and fellow big man Andre Makris (Southbury, Conn.), who had 10 rebounds to go along with seven boards, helped Endicott stay competitive on the boards despite facing a Salve Regina front that held a slim 41-40 advantage on the glass with 15 offensive caroms. Makris crept closer to 1,000 points for his collegiate career and now needs on only 11 points to become the program's 13th player to reach the coveted plateau.
Possibly one of Endicott's most impactful players in Tuesday night's win was Henault who turned in his most impressive game since his 24-point outburst against Eastern Nazarene on December 9th. Henault netted 15 points on an efficient 5-of-8 shooting overall including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc and 3-of-4 at the line. Henault (11.5) is one of four Endicott players who average double figures in scoring in 2014-15.
Prior to Endicott's big second half, the Blue and Green were forced to deal with Salve Regina's standout guard Barrett Hanlon (Hopkinton, Mass.) who scored 18 of his game-high 26 points in the first half. Hanlon was nearly perfect on the floor, hitting 7-of-8 of his shot attempts including a three and 3-of-4 free throws. Hanlon also grabbed three offensive rebounds and registered an assist. Thanks to the junior's efforts, Salve Regina built a first half lead as large as eight points before Endicott battled back to force a 36-36 halftime score.
The Seahawks leaned on Hanlon (eight points) and freshman guard Bryce Boggs (Hyde Park, Mass.) to lead their second half efforts. Boggs scored 12 of his 16 points in the second half on 5-of-7 shooting. Boggs would also finish with seven rebounds, three assists, and a steal.
Endicott, once again, showcased their depth in this game with reserves Drew Sawyer (Norwalk, Conn.), Tell White (New Castle, N.H.), and Stephen Basden (Lynn, Mass.) all contributing with major minutes off the bench. Sawyer scored nine points with two assists and a steal, White grabbed six rebounds, and Basden added four points and two boards in the win.
