Box Score WORCESTER, Mass. The New England College men's basketball team defeated Becker College 66-61 in New England Collegiate Conference play, Saturday afternoon.

With the win, the Pilgrims move to 12-6, while the Hawks fall to 9-9.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The game had a slow start, as the first basket did not come until over a minute in as the Hawks scored. The Pilgrims responded but Becker was able to stay in the driver's seat as they held a 13-6 lead six minutes in. New England College was able to even play some from there but could not make a dent in the lead, as the Hawks were up 20-12 about halfway through the period. The Pilgrims were able to gain some momentum late in the half as they took a 9-0 run to cut the lead to 30-29 with just under two minutes remaining. Jamal Allen drained a deep three late to tie things up at 32-32 a score that would hold heading into the break. Jamal Allen led the Pilgrims with eight points in the first half while Mateus Ribeiro had 10 for the Hawks.

New England College came out with a bang in the second half as Stephen Fama hit a three to give the Pilgrims their first lead (35-32) since the opening minutes of the game. The lead would not last long though as Becker responded quickly, in what became a very even and back-and-forth game. The Hawks held a narrow 47-45 lead with ten minutes remaining in the game. Each team continued to trade baskets as New England College found themselves up 56-55 with five minutes left to play. The Pilgrims were able to make back-to-back stops late in the game and score on the ensuing possessions for a 64-61 lead with 36 seconds remaining in the game. New England College held strong and pulled out the win 66-61.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
-Jamal Allen had a team-high 16 points going 3-5 from three.
-Calvin Cheek played a very balanced game as he had 5 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals, and 6 assists
-After the game, the all-time series is now 3-0 in favor of New England College.

WHAT'S NEXT
The Pilgrims head home as they host number 23 nationally ranked Tufts University for their fourth game this season against a nationally ranked opponent. The game is set to take place at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, January 28^th.