Dozen apiece for Dinneen, Pringle in loss at UNE

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Behind 52.2 percent shooting and six three-pointers, the University of New England men's basketball team out-scored Salve Regina University 42-29 in the closing 20 minutes to come away with a 62-56 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) win on Saturday (Jan. 26) at the Harold Alfond Forum.

The deciding stretch came as the second period began, with the Nor'easters (4-14, 3-8 CCC) running-off a 17-5 streak in the initial 4:21 on the frame to turn a seven-point halftime deficit into a 37-32 cushion. Five UNE players scored during the spurt, including junior Charles Fenner III (Bronx, N.Y.) and first-year Devin Thompson (Winthrop, Mass.) with five points apiece.

Though the Seahawks (10-8, 6-5) knotted things at 44-all near the midway mark of the stanza, Big Blue answered with eight in-a-row to move in front for good. Salve pulled within three a couple times with a little over two minutes to play, but could not get any closer.

UNE made 10-of-14 free throws in the final moments to seal the victory.

Fenner III and Thompson each scored 12 points in the second half to finish with 20 and 17, respectively. Thompson also collected a team-high six rebounds. Sophomore Jake Abel (Fairfield, Calif.) added nine points -- including seven after halftime -- to go with five assists, and senior Joseph Dadiego (Westbrook, Maine) tallied all of his six points following intermission.

For Salve Regina, juniors Patrick Dinneen (Medfield, Mass.) and Isiah Pringle (Queens, N.Y.) notched 12 points each. Pringle had nine of his in the opening 20 minutes, while Dinneen accounted for 10 of his in the final frame. Classmate Jeff Bielefeld (Littleton, Mass.) grabbed a game-best 10 rebounds for the Seahawks, who wound up with a 43-30 advantage on the glass and 22 offensive boards.

SRU trailed 9-8 in the early-going of the first period, but turned things in its favor with a 16-4 run to gain a double-digit cushion as halftime approached. Bielefeld and senior William Smiley (Saunderstown, R.I.), along with Pringle, combined for all but two of the points during the stretch.

The Nor'easters managed to reduce the margin down to seven (27-20) by the break, despite shooting 27.3 percent (6 for 22) from the field.

Each team resumes CCC play on Tuesday (7:30 p.m.), when UNE plays host to Curry College and the Seahawks head to Western New England University.