QUINCY, Mass. – In one of the most thrilling games of the season, the third-seeded New England College men's basketball team won 79-72 at second-seeded Eastern Nazarene College on Wednesday evening at the Lahue Athletic Center in Quincy, Massachusetts in the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) semifinals, advancing to the championship finals.
THE BASICS
Score: #3 New England College 79, #2 Eastern Nazarene 72
Records: Pilgrims 8-17 | Lions 11-15
TURNING POINTS
- Trailing most of the first half, the 'Grims closed out the period with a 15-5 run capped off with a layup from sophomore guard Alex Williams (Miramar, Fla.) as they went into halftime leading 44-42.
- Despite a hotly contested second half, New England College would never trail after the break. With 40.3 seconds left and the Pilgrims clinging to a 76-72 lead, NEC freshman guard Jasen Stovall (Tampa, Fla.), the 2022-2023 NECC Rookie of the Year, was fouled in the backcourt, sending him to the line for two. Taking the biggest free throws of his life, Stovall calmly buried both shots, giving New England College the lead and ultimately the victory.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- NEC senior forward Nick Gomeau (Enfield, Conn.) led the 'Grims with 14 points and seven rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the floor.
- Eastern Nazarene junior guard JaWaun Moore (Dayton, Ohio) led all scorers with 20 points and nine rebounds for the Lions.
- NEC senior guard Kyle Inglis (Burlington, Mass.), an NECC All-Conference selection this year for the first time, overcame a slow start to finish with 14 points, five boards, three assists and two steals..
- ENC senior guard Nick Manso (Brick, N.J.) contributed 18 points for the Lions.
- Williams finished with 12 points and five rebounds.
- NEC dominated inside, with a 38-16 advantage in points in the paint.
UP NEXT
- Up next for NEC, the team advances to face top-seeded Mitchell College in the NECC Championship finals on Saturday.
