Wentworth nips Endicott in overtime for second time this season

BEVERLY, Mass. –Wentworth senior guard Colin Johnson's (El Dorado Hills, Calif.) three-pointer tied Tuesday's night match up with Endicott at 69-69 with two seconds left to force overtime and the Leopards went on to beat the Gulls for second this season in extra time 83-76 in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) men's basketball action.

After Johnson's game-tying three, the Gulls moved the ball past half court and called timeout with 1.8 seconds on the clock.  Endicott's last second bid to win the game in regulation came up short as sophomore forward Andre Makris' (Southbury, Conn.) baseline jumper rimmed out. 

In the overtime period, Wentworth took advantage of four Endicott turnovers and eight points by senior guard Corey Therriault (Auburn, Maine) to improve their conference standing to 8-4 in league games and 12-7 overall.  Therriault finished the game with 15 points in 30 minutes off the bench.  Along with Johnson's 18 points in a non-starting role, Wentworth's bench managed to outscore Endicott's 35-5 in the game.

The Leopards were also carried by junior guard Derek Mayo (Casco, Maine) who had a 22 points on 11-of-22 shooting with seven boards and five assists. 

Endicott (8-11, 3-9 CCC), who trailed six points early in the second half, stayed in the game behind a gritty performance by senior guard Lance Greene (Dorchester, Mass.) who scored 21 of his game-high 25 points in the second stanza.  Greene would finish the game 9-of-14 from the floor, 3-of-5 from three-point range, and 4-of-8 at the line with six assists, four rebounds, and a steal. 

Gulls forward Lachlan Magee's (Melbourne, Australia) 16 points moved him closer to 1,000 for his career as the junior now sits at 919 points with six regular season games remaining on the schedule.  Fourteen points from sophomore John Henault (Lunenburg, Mass.) and a near double-double by sophomore Tell White (New Castle, N.H.) with 10 points and nine rebounds were also factors in this game. 

Defensively, Makris played well with four blocks while adding three rebounds and two assists to six total points. 

Both teams struggled offensively in the first half as Wentworth went into the break with a slim 24-22 advantage.  In the second half, however, the pace of the game quickened and both the Gulls and Leopards shot over 60% from the field.  In the overtime period, Wentworth went 3-of-5 from the floor and created separation with 7-of-10 makes at the charity stripe. 

Wentworth scored 25 points off 20 Endicott turnovers.  The Leopards outscored the Gulls 48-34 in the paint and 18-10 in second chance opportunities thanks to nine offensive rebounds.  Endicott was effective on the fast-break, scoring 14 points to just two by Wentworth. 

Nine of the last 11 meetings between these two teams have been decided by a total of just 41 points.  Wentworth is 5-4 in those tight contests, including four of which have gone to overtime. 

The Gulls will be back in action on Thursday, January 31^st at 7:30 pm as they travel to Nichols in Dudley, Massachusetts.  Wentworth hosts Western New England on Thursday at 7:30 pm in Boston, Massachusetts.