Birrell backs up career effort with 24 points in CCC win

NEWPORT, R.I. - ECAC and CCC player of the week Ryan Birrell (Scituate, R.I.) enjoyed an encore performance with a game-high 24 points, seven assists as Salve Regina University men's basketball defeated Endicott College, 76-64, at the Rodgers Recreation Center.

Birrell earned the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) honors after a 30-point effort in a home win over Daniel Webster last week.

With the visitors primarily in a two-three zone defense, Salve Regina (3-2; 1-0 CCC) scored nine of its first 11 points from behind the arc. Freshman Brendan Canova (Edina, Minn.) connected on two of his first three 3-point attempts and then Birrell swished in at the 13:51 mark to give Salve Regina the lead for good (11-10).

The Seahawks forced 11 first-half turnovers as sophomore Patrick Dinneen (Medfield, Mass.) recorded four of his game-high five steals. Dinneen finished with a dozen points while Canova chipped in with 16 points.

Both teams made 11-of-25 from the floor (40%) in the second half with the Seahawks enjoying more trips to the free throw line (22 to 10). Sophomore Jeff Bielefeld (Littleton, Mass.) had a team-high 10 rebounds to go along with seven points.

Endicott junior Lance Greene (Dorchester, Mass.) led the Gulls with 19 points including 9-of-12 from the free throw line. Lachlen Magee (Melbourne, Australia) had a double-double with 14 points, 12 rebounds. He was 6-for-6 from the line.

Four Gulls starters were in double-figure scoring including John Henault (Lunenberg, Mass.) and freshman Andre Makris (Southbury, Conn.) with 16 and 11 points, respectively. The Seahawks held the two-time CCC rookie of the week well below his season average entering the game (18.3 ppg).

Salve Regina travels to University of New England on Saturday for another CCC tilt while Endicott (3-2; 0-1 CCC) hosts Roger Williams in Beverly, Mass. (3 p.m.).