BOSTON, Mass. – As a team, Endicott drained 14-of-23 (61%) three-point attempts thanks in part to a game-high 29 points from sophomore guard Kamahl Walker (Worcester, Mass.) as the Gulls won their final regular season road game of the season 79-70 over Wentworth. The win marked Endicott's 10th-straight victory and pulled the Blue and Green to within one of the 20-win plateau at 19-5 (15-2 CCC).
Walker set new career-highs by knocking down 10 shots including six three-pointers en route to his game-high total of 29 points. Walker added five rebounds, three assists, and two steals to his Tuesday night stat line.
Off the bench, sophomore guard Drew Sawyer was the only other Gull to score in double figures with 13 points as he made 4-of-7 from the field including 3-of-5 attempts from behind the three-point line. Endicott also got a pair of three-pointers from senior guard John Henault (Lunenburg, Mass.) and sophomore guard Max Motroni (West Warwick, R.I.) who each added eight points. Motroni nearly tied his career-high for assists, dishing out six dimes in the game.
On the boards, senior forward Tell White (New Castle, N.H.) grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds, four on the offensive glass, while distributing four assists and registering a steal. Endicott sophomore guard Stephen Basden (Lynn, Mass.) hauled in six caroms off the bench while fellow second-year player Daquan Sampson (Germantown, Md.) added five rebounds. Both players factored in offensively with Sampson scoring seven points including an important layup with just over a minute to go while Basden added six points in the opening half to help Endicott to a 38-35 lead at the break.
Over the opening 3:25 of the second half, Endicott stretched their slim three-point lead up to 13 points courtesy of a 12-2 run to make it 50-37 Gulls. By the 14:19 mark of the second half, Endicott built their largest lead of the game (15 points) after back-to-back three-pointers by Walker and Sawyer made it a 56-41 game.
Wentworth battled back into contention, cutting the Endicott lead down to just five points at 62-57 with 8:55 left on the clock. Leopards senior forward John-Michael Fragnoli (Schenectady, N.Y.) played a major role in his team's offensive success with a team-high 22 points on 10-of-16 shooting. Fragnoli, who also totaled four rebounds, three assists, a block, and a steal, scored 14 of his 22 points in the second half to get Wentworth back in the game.
The Leopards also benefited from 13 points by senior guard Ray Bessette (Dedham, Maine) and 11 points off the bench by freshman guard Cesar Fulcar (Watertown, Mass.).
Down the stretch, three of Endicott's final four baskets were made from beyond the arc as Walker knocked down two of those shots with Motroni making the other. Free throws by Henault, Walker, and White helped to seal the win for the Gulls who completed a regular season sweep over Wentworth.
Endicott shot 52% overall as a team, 61% (14-of-23) from three-point range, and 64% (9-of-14) at the free throw line. Endicott outrebounded Wentworth 40-25 which includes a nine-to-five edge on the offensive glass. Wentworth shot 48% from the floor, 33% (4-of-12) from three, and 67% (8-of-12) at the charity stripe.
Endicott now looks ahead to Saturday, February 21st when they host Western New England for their regular season finale for a 1:00 p.m. tip-off. Saturday will also be Senior Day for senior captains John Henault, Matt Kneece (Shrewsbury, Mass.), Andre Makris (Southbury, Conn.), and Tell White.
