Salve Regina Edges Endicott, 70-68

BEVERLY, Mass. – The Endicott men's basketball team fell to Salve Regina in a close matchup, 70-68, on Tuesday night at MacDonald Gymnasium. 

Nick Thibeault (Gorham, Maine) paced the Gulls with 20 points and eight rebounds, while Keith Brown (Pelham, N.H.) contributed 20 points and four rebounds. Matt McDevitt (Cumberland, Maine) and Mathew Catizone (Woburn, Mass.) also chipped in with six points each.   

Endicott led by as many as 11 points with six minutes left in the first half, but a 17-3 run by Salve Regina put the Seahawks on top, 40-37, going into halftime. Meanwhile, the second half went bucket-for-bucket, but the Seahawks were able to hold onto a one-possession advantage late in the matchup and secure the victory.

Rodney Morton (Malden, Mass.) tied up the contest with a jumper at 4:56 to make it 64-64, while Andrew Bronstein (Needham, Mass) followed with a pair of made free throws at 4:13 and Salve Regina never relinquished that lead the rest of the way.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Despite the loss, Endicott is still 22-14 in the all-time series against Salve Regina.
• The Gulls were 13-for-14 at the line, which ties for sixth highest free throw percentage all-time.
• Vinny Clifford (Danvers, Mass.) had two blocks, two assists, and a steal for the Gulls.
• Tonight's matchup featured nine ties and 16 lead changes before the final buzzer sounded.

FOR THE FOES

• Kevin Kelly (Valhalla, N.Y.) guided the Seahawks with 13 points, four rebounds, and four assists off the bench
• Isaiah Bowman (Roxbury, Mass.) compiled 12 points and also pulled down eight rebounds.
• As a team, Salve Regina had 29 points off the bench, which included 10 points from freshman reserve Stephen Natola (Exeter, N.H.).
• The Seahawks also scored 12 via second-chance opportunities.

WHAT'S NEXT

Endicott (16-8, 11-6 CCC) heads to Roger Williams on Saturday for a 3:00 PM tip-off. Salve Regina (10-14, 7-10 CCC) takes on Gordon at home on Saturday at 3:00 PM. 

For the latest on Endicott Athletics, follow the Gulls on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

(Photo Credit - David Le '10)