Birrell scores career-best 26 points in first TCCC win for Seahawks

NEWPORT, R.I. - Senior point guard Ryan Birrell (Hope, R.I.) scored a career-high 26 points to lead Salve Regina University men's basketball to a 75-58 victory over visiting University of New England in The Commonwealth Coast Conference (TCCC) action at the Rodgers Recreation Center.

Salve Regina (7-7; 1-2 TCCC) led the majority of the game after the Nor'easters opened the scoring with a layup from junior guard Marcus Winn (Austin, Texas). After a layup from sophomore forward Nevin Lessard (Belgrade, Maine) made the score 21-16 in favor of Salve Regina, the Seahawks went on a 12-2 run while Birrell and freshman forward Scott St. Lawrence (Littlefield, N.H.) combined for six free throws.

Halfway through the second half, a 3-pointer from Chas Rentrope (Peoria, Ariz.) brought the Nor'easters to within single digits (44-36). Seahawk freshman guard John Williamson (Littleton, Mass.) responded with a trey of his own and Salve Regina maintained a double-digit advantage the rest of the way.

"Our players battled hard today against a very aggressive UNE team, said Seahawk head coach Sean Foster." Ryan Birrell did a tremendous job controlling the tempo for us and getting our team organized. Our free throw shooting was another major key for us today."

Birrell (11-for-13) paced the home team to its second-best showing at the charity stripe this season (84%). St. Lawrence finished with his season-high 14 points. Winn and junior captain Ryan Knotek (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) led the visitors with 13 points apiece.

The win was the first in TCCC play for the Seahawks who sent the 2009 champion Nor'easters spiraling to their seventh straight defeat. University of New England (2-13; 0-3 TCCC) had won the five previous meetings with Salve Regina including a two-point (77-75) semifinal victory on its way to the 2009 title and NCAA appearance.

Salve Regina travels to Nichols College on Wednesday while the Nor'easters host Eastern Nazarene College.