Costello cancels Colonels with buzzer-beater; Seahawks win 69-68

MILTON, Mass.- Connor Costello (Southborough, Mass.) hit the game winner on the baseline as time expired to give Salve Regina University the 69-68 victory over Curry College on Tuesday night at the Katz Gymnasium in CCC action. With the win, Salve improves to 4-6 overall and 2-2 in the CCC. The loss drops Curry to 1-10 and 0-4 in league play.

The Seahawks began the game on a 6-0 run capped off by layup by Costello at the 18:42 mark in the first half. The Colonels quickly cut into the lead, pulling to within one on made jump shot by Matt McCune (Somerville, Mass.) at 8-7.

Curry claimed the lead for the first time with 16:18 mark when Jared Thorpe-Johnson (Dorchester, Mass.) knocked down a three to give the Colonels the 10-9 advantage. The home team would push their lead to six on another three, this time converted by Luke Schreiner (Breezy Point, N.Y.) to make the score 19-13.

Salve Regina started the comeback trail when Costello made a layup with 9:24 to go to pull within two.  With the score 23-21 in favor of the Colonels Curry would then push their lead to as many as seven. But with each run by Curry, Salve Regina had the answer. The visitors fought back to tie the game at 28 with 3:47 remaining in the first half on a layup by Nicholas Bates (Danvers, Mass.) and they would take the lead into the locker room at the half following a made jumper by Isaiah Bowman (Roxbury, Mass.).

The Seahawks opened the second half of action and claimed the lead for the first time since the 16:31 mark on a jumper by Bates with 18:46 to go in regulation. The teams would trade the lead over the next few minutes.

With 13:02 left in regulation, Bates stepped to the line to put Salve Regina up by three at 47-44 and would stretch the lead to six over the next three minutes.

With the deficit at six with 9:24 to go in the contest, Curry sparked a 6-0 run to tie the game at 54 with 7:49 to go. The teams would take turns trading the lead back and forth over the next six minutes.

The Colonels came back and put themselves in front 68-67 on two made free throws by Schreiner with 17 seconds to go. But the Seahawks had the final possession and made the best of it as Costello sunk the game winner as the buzzer sounded to give Salve Regina the one-point victory.

Bates tied a game-high with 28 points while also pulling down 14 rebounds. Costello and Morton joined Bates as the other Seahawks in double figures with 15 and 14, respectively.

The Colonels were led by Pina who posted 28 points while adding five rebounds, four assists and four steals in the loss. Thorpe-Johnson and Schreiner also put up double digit scoring efforts with 16 and 14, respectively.

Salve Regina outshot Curry recording a 54 percent shooting percentage compared to 49 by the Colonels. Curry connected on 8-of-14 shots from distance to edge the Seahawks in that category. The Colonels finished the game with the advantage in free throw percentage, assists, and turnovers.

Curry returns to action on Thursday for a 5:30 road contest at Nichols. Salve Regina will host Eastern Nazarene on Thursday at 7 p.m.