Golden Bears get back with late run to finish game

NEWPORT, R.I. (February 1, 2020) – The Western New England University men's basketball team overcame an 18-point second-half deficit to top Salve Regina University, 81-79, in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action on Saturday afternoon at the Rodgers Recreation Center.

The Seahawks came out strong to begin the game, taking an early 13-6 lead after four and half minutes off a free throw from Kevin Kelly (Valhalla, N.Y.). The Golden Bears cut the lead down to three after a pair of free throws from Kenny Flynn (Dudley, Mass.) midway through the first half.

With the score at 17-14 in favor of the Seahawks with 11:51 remaining in the half, Salve Regina went on an 18-7 over the next five minutes to extend their lead to 14. The Golden Bears answered with a 6-0 run to cut the lead down to eight. The Seahawks pushed their lead back to 12 just before halftime after Andrew Richards (Rosedale, N.Y.) made a layup with one second left to give Salve Regina a 41-29 lead going into the second half.

The Seahawks extended their lead to 18 by going on an 11-5 run over the first four minutes of the second half. A free throw by Zachary Tavitian (Milford, Conn.) with 13:30 remaining in the game cut the lead down to 12. Salve Regina answered by pushing the lead back to 16. The Seahawks held a 74-63 lead with 4:26 remaining in the game.

The Golden Bears ripped off a 18-5 run to finish the game and complete the comeback. Mike McGuire (Garden City, N.Y.) hit a 3-pointer with 0:39 seconds remaining to cut the lead to one. Junior guard Alex Sikorski (Rocky Hill, Conn.) hit a pair of free throws with 0:11 remaining to put the Golden Bears ahead 80-79. The Western New England defense forced a turnover on the ensuing possession and sealed the come from behind victory.

Series and Streaks
Western New England sweeps the season series, but Salve Regina still leads the overall series, 14-11.

Three Stars of the Game

1. Golden Bear senior guard Mike McGuire (Garden City, N.Y.) led the visitors' offense with 23 points.
2. Golden Bear junior forward Zachary Tavitian (Milford, Conn.) added 22 points.
3. Seahawk junior guard Kevin Kelly (Valhalla, N.Y.) led the his team with 20 points.

Quick Hits

• The 18 point comeback is the largest comeback of the season for the Golden Bears.
• Kelly had three other teammates join him in double-figure scoring -- Cameron Collins (Oakdale, Conn.) with 17 points, Richards with 15 points, and Mikey Spencer (Abington, Mass.) with 12 points.
• Collins, Tavitan, and Flynn share game-high rebound honors with six apiece.

Next Up
Western New England (12-8, 7-4 CCC) will host Gordon on Wednesday evening. Salve Regina (8-11, 4-6 CCC) will hit the road on Wednesday evening at Roger Williams.