Box Score SPRINGFIELD, Mass.--Co-captains Nick DeFeo and Musa Elsir had a game-high-tying 17 points each, but the Western New England University men's basketball team's rally fell just short in a 75-66 Commonwealth Coast Conference loss to visiting Endicott College at the Alumni Healthful Living Center field house on Saturday. The Gulls, who have won five-straight in the series, improve to 10-5 overall and 6-2 in the CCC, while the Golden Bears are now 4-11 on the season and 2-6 in the conference.

Kamahl Walker paced Endicott with 17 points, followed by Drew Sawyer with 13 off the bench and John Henault posted 10.

For Western New England, sophomore guard Mike Gelineau chipped in 16 points and was 4-for-8 from three-point range and junior Zack Askew added a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds for his sixth of the season.
 
The Golden Bears took an early 14-9 lead with 12 minutes and 41 seconds left on a turn-around layup from Askew who muscled his way through the defense. Endicott's offense came alive, and it gained a 25-19 lead at 4:57 when the Gulls' guards broke down the Golden Bears' defense and found quick openings. Gelineau kept bringing the Golden Bears back with his red-hot downtown shooting.
 
Twelve of Gelineau's 14 first-half points came from deep. The Golden Bears knocked down six-of-12 from three-point range in the first half.
 
With his team trailing 53-44, Askew took the pass into the postâ€"drop stepped and put up a baby hook shot over three defenders cutting the Endicott lead to seven at the 9:55 mark in the second half. The Golden Bears began to play smothering defense for 35 seconds each Endicott possession, denying the inside and closing out on the shooters. On the offensive side of the ball, the Golden Bears worked it inside to their bigs, converting on open chances.
 
Western New England kept clawing back as Elsir created space and found an opening, laying the ball in, cutting the Gulls' lead to 64-59 and drawing a foul. On his missed free throw, Askew grabbed the offensive rebound and dished it back out to Elsir, who launched a three from the top of the key that rattled around the rim and dropped in. This pulled the Golden Bears within two, 64-62, with 2:31 remaining.
 
The Gulls, however, pulled away and went on an 11-4 run to finish the game. As a team, they collected 20 assists.

Endicott outscored WNE on points-off-turnovers, 19-6, and the Gulls' bench had 27 points to none for the Golden Bears.
 
The Golden Bears shot 41 percent from the field on 25-of-61, and the Gulls shot 47.5 percent, going 28-for-59.

Western New England squares off against Salve Regina on Tuesday in another CCC matchup at home.

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