Jan. 29, 2009
BRISTOL, R.I. - Roger Williams University was able to hold on in the closing seconds as the Hawks edged Endicott College, 55-50, in a critical The Commonwealth Coast Conference match-up on Thursday evening in Bristol, R.I. The Hawks jump a game above .500 with the win (9-8 overall, 5-1 TCCC) while the Gulls fall to 7-11 and 2-4 in conference play.
A stout defensive effort was given by both teams, seen by nine ties and ten lead changes. After a first half that saw the Hawks hold on to a slim 27-26 lead, open looks came even harder to come by in the second half, with neither team cracking the 30 percent mark from the field.
With Endicott holding on to a 46-43 lead with less than five minutes remaining, Billy Barrett (Fairfield, Conn.) knotted the game with a three-pointer, his only field goal of the game. On the Hawks' next possession, Pat Flanagan (Somerville, Mass.) found Travis O'Dell open in the corner for a trey, which he knocked down to give RWU a 49-46 lead with 3:01 to play.
Roger Williams pushed its lead to five with 1:01 left in regulation as Barrett hit a pair for free throws. Yet Endicott continued to fight back, with Bobby Montrond (Brockton, Mass.) driving into the lane and hitting a layup for the and-one. After completing the three-point play and the subsequent Hawk timeout, the Gulls trailed 51-49 with just 54 seconds to play.
With the Gulls pressing the inbound, the defensive pressure allowed Montrond to come up with a steal to give Endicott a chance to tie or take the lead. Montrond would eventually be fouled on the possession, needing to hit both shots of the double bonus for the tie. Montrond sank the first but missed the second, with Flanagan grabbing the rebound before being fouled. Flanagan hit both his free throws to put RWU up 52-49 with 18 seconds left.
On the final Endicott possession, Montrond had the chance to bury a game-tying three from the left side with five seconds left but came up short, allowing the Hawks to escape with the win.
Flanagan led RWU with 14 points and seven rebounds. O'Dell added nine points and six boards, while Joe Kane (Glenmont, N.Y.) finished with eight points in nine minutes.
Graham Whitelaw (Kennebunk, Maine) finished with 13 points for Endicott, while Montrond had eight. Chris Galbraith (Lowell, Mass.) chipped in with nine points off the bench.
Roger Williams (9-8. 5-1 TCCC) heads to Colby-Sawyer College Saturday for a 3:00 p.m. game, while Endicott (7-11, 2-4 TCCC) travels to Gordon College on Saturday for a 3:00 p.m. start.
