MILTON, Mass. — The Endicott men's basketball team rounded out its 2023-24 regular season road slate with an exciting 81-78 victory at Curry College in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action from Katz Gymnasium on Wednesday night.

The backcourt duo of Jeff Hill (Lynn, Mass.) and Jalen Echevarria (Lynn, Mass.) notched 17 points (5-11 FG, 3-6 3PT, 4-4 FT) and 14 points, respectively. 

Elijah Kinney (Nashville, Tenn.) also posted 16 points (7-11 FG) and eight rebounds in 19 minutes of action. 

Mark Barrett (Brookline, Mass.) filled up the stat sheet as he dished out a career-high 11 assists, snagged six rebounds, swiped four steals, and blocked two shots in the contest.

Trailing by nine with 6:37 to play in the first half, Matt Boen (Mansfield, Mass.) and Echevarria accounted for a 6-0 Endicott run over the ensuing 59 seconds to cut the deficit to just three. From there, a Kinney dunk, two Cam Homsey (Lawrence, Mass.) free throws, and some three-point precision from Hill put the Gulls in front at the break, 42-41.

To open the second, the Gulls ripped off an 11-0 run courtesy of an Echevarria three-ball, a Kinney layup, a Parker McLaren (Newburyport, Mass.) free throw, a Homsey layup, and a Hill trifecta to push the lead to a game-high 12. 

However, the Colonels stormed back and regained the lead at 58-57 with 9:36 to play. The two teams traded baskets down the stretch in the tight contest, changing leads frequently. 

Eventually, a Kinney layup at the 1:44 mark gave Endicott a lead which they wouldn't relinquish. Some clutch free throw shooting from Kinney, Echevarria, and Hill locked in the Endicott road win, 81-78, as the final buzzer sounded.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• The Gulls hold a 35-13 advantage in the all-time series with the Colonels.
• The Blue and Green tied a season-high with 16 triples in the matchup.
• Drew Brown (Pelham, N.H.) provided some clutch scoring with 10 points (3-6 3PT) off the bench, seven of which came in the second half.
• Endicott held the 41-38 edge in rebounds and 24-17 advantage in assists.
• The game consisted of four ties and five lead changes down the stretch.

WHAT'S NEXT

Endicott (16-8, 10-5 CCC) hosts Gordon on Saturday at 3:00 PM for the Senior Day regular season finale. Curry (11-13, 5-10 CCC) visits Suffolk on Saturday for a 3:00 PM tipoff. 

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(Photo Credit - David Le '10)