Montagnino, Kinney Claim CNE Postseason Accolades

CNE RELEASE

BEVERLY, Mass. — Endicott men's basketball forwards Marcus Montagnino (Gloucester, Mass.) and Elijah Kinney (Nashville, Tenn.) have received Conference of New England (CNE) Postseason awards, as announced by the league office on Thursday afternoon.

Montagnino was named as the CNE Player of the Year after his historic first season with the Gulls. Additionally, he was named to the All-CNE First Team.

Kinney earned All-CNE Second Team honors for the second consecutive year.

Drew Brown (Pelham, N.H.) also represented the Gulls on the CNE Community Service Team for his charitable contributions and outstanding leadership within the Endicott community.

CNE PLAYER OF THE YEAR | ALL-CNE FIRST TEAM

Marcus Montagnino | Gr. | F | Gloucester, Mass.

Montagnino becomes the sixth Gull to be named CNE Player of the Year after a monster rookie season which saw him average 22.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 2.1 steals in 33.1 minutes per game.

He also shot the ball at a lights-out rate, hitting at 59.4% from the field, 44.8% from downtown, and 80.8% from the charity stripe, all of which ranked top four in the CNE.

His scoring average placed second in the league, while his rebounding and playmaking numbers each ranked top three in the league.

Additionally, his 22.4 points per game ranked 17th nationally while his assists per game ranked T-43rd.

Perhaps the most astonishing feats Montagnino achieved this season were capturing the CNE Player of the Week award five times and the CNE Rookie of the Week award 11 times.

His all-around dominance was on full display when the Gulls faced Hartford at home on January 18 in a 104-100 home CNE win. En route to the conference victory, Montagnino became just the second Gull ever to record a triple-double with his 33 points, 13 assists (program record), and 11 rebounds against the Hawks.

He nearly became the first (and only) player in program history with two triple-doubles to his name, as he fell just three assists shy of accomplishing the feat on January 7 against UNE (25 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists), and just two assists and two rebounds short back on November 16 against Lake Forest (18 points, eight rebounds, eight assists).

The graduate always provided a reliable scoring, playmaking, and leadership presence on the floor for Coach Bettencourt during Endicott's 18-win season (most since 2019-20). 

ALL-CNE SECOND TEAM

Elijah Kinney | So. | F | Nashville, Tenn.

As the reigning CNE and All-Region II Rookie of the Year, Kinney produced an impressive follow-up sophomore season for the Gulls in 2024-25.

The big man boasted averages of 16.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.1 blocks, and 0.9 steals in 27.3 minutes per game.

He surpassed his freshman numbers in the scoring, assists, blocks, and minutes categories. He also improved his free throw shooting, as he knocked down freebies at an 81.6% clip this season as opposed to 66.7% in 2023-24.

The Brimmer and May product ranked tops in CNE rebounding, ninth in scoring, fourth in blocks, and third in free throw percentage.

Over the course of the season, the sophomore forward amassed seven double-doubles, second only to Montagnino.

His two-way play was put on full display on January 18 against Hartford, when he scored 18 points (6-13 FG, 1-1 3 PT, 5-6 FT) and hauled down 14 rebounds in a 104-100 victory over the Hawks.

YEAR IN REVIEW

Endicott posted an 18-8 overall record with a 15-3 record in league play this season.  

The Gulls earned the No. 2 seed in the CNE Tournament, but ultimately fell to No. 3 Suffolk, 96-85, on February 27. 

The Blue and Green won 15 conference games for the first time since 2016-17, and rattled off an 11-game win streak between January 15 and February 19 — the longest win streak since 2014-15. 

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(Photo Credit - Jonah Bean '28 / Kaeli Talora '25)