BOSTON, Mass. - The New England College men's basketball team traveled on the road Wednesday night to face Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) opponent Emmanuel College but came up short in a 101-83 loss. 

The Pilgrims jumped out to a quick 4-1 run behind back-to-back layups from sophomore Josh Robie (Bethlehem, N.H.). The Saints responded to cut the lead, but Robie knocked down two three-pointers to push the visitors ahead, 13-8. Emmanuel answered with a three and a layup from Danny Adams to tie the game at 13-13, before Robie drilled another triple to reclaim the lead for the 'Grims. The Saints then closed the half on a decisive 16-4 run, building a double-digit advantage and continuing to knock down shots. Junior Aiden MacLeod (Wilmington, Mass.) and freshman Matthew Duarte (Bridgeport, Conn.) chipped in two points apiece in the closing minutes for NEC, but the Saints carried a 57-34 lead into halftime while shooting 65.0% from beyond the arc in the opening half. 

Mahari Guerrier opened the second half with a basket to extend the Saints' lead, but sophomore Ryan Cuvier (Tewksbury, Mass.) answered with a layup for the Pilgrims. Emmanuel continued to knock down shots in the early minutes of the half, while NEC battled back, as junior Mike Strazzeri (Chichester, N.H.) chipped in five points to trim the deficit. The Saints remained hot from beyond the arc late in the half, but the 'Grims continued to fight, highlighted by a dunk from MacLeod and a layup from sophomore Jayden Welch (Lynn, Mass.). Strazzeri continued to knock down shots late in the half, chipping in 11 points to cut the lead, but Emmanuel continued to knock down threes and took advantage of points from the charity stripe to secure the 101-83 victory.  

Strazzeri led the way with 21 points, three assists, and three rebounds, while Robie added 17 points, three rebounds, and three steals. Sophomore Dimitri Sime (Lowell, Mass.) recorded a team-high six rebounds while contributing six points and two assists, and sophomore Luke Montejo (Tewksbury, Mass.) finished with five rebounds, four points, and three assists. 

The Pilgrims return to GNAC action on the road on Saturday, traveling to Franklin, Massachusetts, for a 3:00 PM matchup against Dean College. 

For continuing coverage of New England College Athletics, visit athletics.nec.edu and follow the Pilgrims on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.