Free throws clinch win for Scots, 71-70

NEWPORT, R.I. - Gordon College senior guard Alex Carnes (Phoenix, Ariz.) sank both free throws with 7.1 seconds on the game clock to provide the winning margin in a 71-70 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) victory against Salve Regina University at the Rodgers Recreation Center.

It was the 14th lead change after the eighth tie in the game with Carnes' free throws. Salve Regina (9-4; 4-2 CCC) had a final shot at the buzzer just miss to the right.

Sophomore guard Barrett Hanlon (Hopkinton, Mass.) scored 14 of his game-high 22 points in the first half as Salve Regina built a five-point lead at the break (38-33). Classmate Chris O'Keefe (Lexington, Mass.) had 10 points in 12 minutes of the first. The Seahawks held a slight edge on points in the paint in the opening period, 21-20.

Gordon (6-6; 4-2 CCC) had its largest lead at 8-2 in the first half after Hans Miersma's (Whitinsville, Mass.) second layup of the game at 16:51. The Seahawks took their first lead of the game (26-24) at 7:27 in the first on Patrick Dinneen's (Medfield, Mass.) first field goal, a 3-pointer on a fast-break push from Hanlon.

After Shaun Roach (Weymouth, Mass.) connected on a 3-pointer at 5:03 of the first for a three-point Scot advantage (30-27), the Seahawks closed the half on an 11-3 run with three buckets from Hanlon, a layup from O'Keefe, and a 3-pointer from senior Joshua Hohlfelder (Noank, Conn.).

A layup from 6-foot-6 junior Jason Dempsey (Wallingford, Conn.) brought the Scots within one, 40-39, before the Seahawks went on a 13-7 run for their largest lead of the game (seven points). Nicholas Bates (Danvers, Mass.) started the run with a layup at 16:45. Dinneen and Park Thomas (Scottsdale, Ariz.) traded 3-pointers during the run.

Freshman Dominic Paradis (Rochester, N.H.) and Roach both hit 3-pointers before a Miersma dunk as Gordon reclaimed the lead with its 8-0 run in a 1:15 span. The final nine minutes featured 11 of the 14 lead changes.

O'Keefe's 3-pointer at 2:19 put Salve Regina up one (68-67) before Gordon went inside again to Miersma at 1:56. The Scots controlled the paint in the second half, outscoring the Seahawks 18-6, with Dempsey and the 6-foot-9 Miersma. Dinneen's jumper at 1:23 was the game's last field goal and gave Salve Regina its last lead, 70-69.

Salve Regina made twice as many free throws (16 to eight) as Gordon, but the Seahawks misfired on 11 freebies while the Scots shot 80 percent from the charity stripe.

"Gordon did a great job of executing on offense today and made it difficult for us to guard them," said 12th-year head coach Sean Foster. "Our kids played hard but we have to continue to improve and get better with our half-court defense to win close games."

Carnes finished with a double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds) and Thomas had 12 points for the visitors who were led by Miersma's 20 points. Dinneen added 14 points for Salve Regina and O'Keefe finished with 13 points.

Salve Regina hits the road for two games (Eastern Nazarene - 1/15; Curry - 1/18) before returning home on January 21; Gordon hosts University of New England on Wednesday.