Men’s Basketball Holds Off Wentworth On Senior Day, 69-56

BEVERLY, Mass. – The Endicott men's basketball team defeated Wentworth, 69-56, in conference action on Saturday afternoon at MacDonald Gymnasium on Senior Day. 

Prior to the game, senior guard Joel Villa (Bronx, N.Y.) was honored for his contributions towards the basketball program and the Endicott community. Villa then went on to make his Senior Day game a memorable one as the senior guard compiled 10 points, five assists, four steals – both game-highs – and four rebounds.   

Endicott also saw Nick Thibeault (Gorham, Maine) contribute 16 points, six rebounds, a block and a steal, while Keith Brown (Pelham, N.H.) had 16 points (7-for-14 FG, 2-for-5 3PT), six rebounds, an assist and a steal. Meanwhile, Rob O'Brien (Rindge, N.H.) had 11 points and five boards and Joe Shehadi (Dorset, Vt.) contributed nine points, three rebounds, four assists, and three steals. 

The Gulls led by as many as 18 points with 17:23 to play (40-22), but Wentworth slowly chipped away at its deficit to bring the game within six points (54-48) at the 6:10 mark of the second half and make things interesting. O'Brien answered for Endicott, however, as the junior guard canned a jumper at 4:08 and followed with a trey at 3:40 to push the Gulls ahead by a 59-48 score. 

Wentworth responded with a 6-2 run over the next 1:18 action, but Villa buried a layup at 2:19 (63-54) and Thibeault connected on a layup of his own at 1:36 (65-56) to fend off the Leopards for good. 

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Endicott is 26-10 in the all-time series versus Wentworth.
• The Gulls also have won four straight against the Leopards.
• Endicott didn't attempt its first free throw until 27-seconds remained in the second half (W 13-18 FT | E 4-4 FT).
• The Gulls are 6-3 at home this season. 

FOR THE FOES

• Jason Ganley (Northbridge, Mass.) posted a game-high 20 points on 6-of-18 shooting from the floor (3-for-7 3PT, 5-6 FT).
• Stephen Azmus (Hyde Park, Mass.) notched a double-double on 15 points and 11 rebounds (four offensive).
• Sam Knollmeyer (Hampton, N.H.) had eight points, three assists, and one rebound. 

WHAT'S NEXT

Endicott (16-7, 11-5 CCC) hosts Salve Regina University on Tuesday, February 13 at 5:30 PM. Wentworth (13-10, 8-8 CCC) welcomes Western New England University to its campus next Tuesday at 7:30 PM. 

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

(Photo Credit - David Le '10)