Lions snuff Seahawks' comeback bid and hold on for 73-66 win

NEWPORT, R.I. - Junior guard Justin Wagner (Oklahoma City, Okla.) made five of six first-half 3-pointers as Eastern Nazarene College enjoyed a 15-point lead at intermission before host Salve Regina University took charge in the second half behind Barrett Hanlon's (Hopkinton, Mass.) play; the Lions held on for a 73-68 victory in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) men's basketball action at the Rodgers Recreation Center.

Scott St. Lawrence (Litchfield, N.H.) scored the first six points for Salve Regina (4-10, 1-6 CCC) which built its largest lead, four points, after St. Lawrence's first basket outside the paint at 17:48.

Senior Alex Jarman (Portsmouth, R.I.), whose team has enjoyed its last two visits to Newport, converted an old-fashioned three-point play to start a 30-8 run over the next 10 minutes for Eastern Nazarene (13-1; 6-1 CCC).

Eric Lynch (Alpharetta, Ga.) and Jaylen Owens (Johns Creek, Ga.) both had layups before Justin Wagner sank two threes in the seventh minute of action. Wagner's third trey gave the Lions their first double-digit lead, 20-10, at the 11:23 mark, before Nicholas Bates (Danvers, Mass.) swished a pair of free throws.

Wagner followed with another triple before Christian Lynch (Alpharetta, Ga.) added his 3-pointer to the scoring. Lynch finished a perfect eight-for-eight from the free-throw line in the game.

Trailing by 18 at 6:58 (32-14), Salve Regina got back-to-back 3-pointers from Chris O'Keefe (Lexington, Mass.) and Hanlon. Jeremy Wagner (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Justin's twin brother, scored the next five points with his own three and two free throws.

Eastern Nazarene made 50 percent of its first-half 3-pointers (7-for-14) but went cold in the second half (0-for-7).

Adam Quinlan's (E. Walpole, Mass.) layup at 18:15 in the second period started Salve Regina's comeback from a 17-point deficit. The Seahawks outscored the Lions, 26-13, over the next 11 minutes. Bryce Boggs (Hyde Park, Mass.) had two layups during the run. When Tim Ferraro's (Westerly, R.I.) 3-pointer swished in at 8:49 on the clock, the Seahawks were under a double-digit deficit for the rest of the game.

Hanlon's consecutive layups at 7:19 and 6:53 brought Salve Regina within two points, 60-58. Jarman immediately responded with his own layup. Three more free throws made it a seven-point game but the Seahawks worked to make it a one-possession game on two later occasions.

Following two Jarman misfires from the charity stripe, Boggs grabbed the defensive board with Salve Regina trailing by just three, 69-66, with under a minute to play. The Seahawks missed a layup and a potential game-tying three in the final minute while the Lions also had a blocked layup (St. Lawrence on the block). Lynch finished the scoring with two more free throws then a steal and a layup.

Hanlon led all players with 23 points on 8-of-13 from the floor; he also had five free throws and went 2-for-2 from behind the arc. Boggs joined Hanlon in double figure scoring with a dozen points and led Salve Regina with nine rebounds. Four Lions were in double figures led by Justin Wagner's 16 points - only one point in the second half. Owens had 14, Lynch had 13, and Jarman finished with a double-double, 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Salve Regina stays home on Saturday to host Curry College (3 p.m.). Eastern Nazarene plays at Gordon College on Saturday before returning home on Tuesday.