BIDDEFORD, Maine (January 23, 2016) - The University of New England men's basketball team rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit to post a 66-64 win over Western New England University this afternoon in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action at the Harold Alfond Forum. 

Freshman guard Mikey Pettway (Bridgeport, Conn.) scored a game-high 19 points for the Golden Bears, shooting 57.1 percent (8-of-14) from the floor, and junior Mike Gelineau (Waltham, Mass) added 12 points and seven rebounds.
 
Trailing 35-21 at the break, the Nor'easters began to chip away at their deficit midway through the second half. A three-pointer by junior Matt Lettick (Orange, Conn.) brought UNE to within seven (49-42), and sparked a 9-0 run as the home team was able to tie the contest at 51 with 8:45 remaining. Western New England regained a five-point edge (56-51) on a pair of Pettway free throws a minute later, and the Golden Bears held a slim lead until the late stages of the game.

With four minutes remaining, sophomore Drew Coveney (Londonderry, N.H.) sank a jumper for the Nor'easters to knot the score up at 60 apiece. As time wound down, both teams traded baskets, but with 49 seconds on the clock, Lettick sank a free throw to give the home team a 65-64 lead. After junior Jean-Luc Parker (Georgetown, Tex.) went 1-for-2 at the charity stripe with five seconds remaining, extending the UNE lead to 66-64, Western New England senior guard Luis Agrait's half court three-pointer was just off target, hitting the rim as time expired.
 
After scoring the first six points of the game, the Golden Bears' momentum transferred into an 18-8 run. Pettway widened the lead after corralling his own rebound on a missed jumper and laying it in for a 20-11 lead. From there, the Golden Bears limited the Nor'easters to only 21 first-half points, capping off their run with a three-pointer from junior Daniel Silva (Seekonk, Mass.), giving Western New England a 35-21 advantage at halftime.

Silva scored six points and was strong on the boards, grabbing a team-leading eight rebounds from the guard position. Agrait chipped in nine points, and senior Zack Askew (Middletown, Conn.) added seven.
 
The University of New England had three players in double figures, led by senior Devin Thompson's (Winthrop, Mass) team-high 18 points. Coveney added 15 for the Nor'easters, and Parker chipped in 12.
 
Western New England shot 42.1 percent (24-of-57) from the field, and the University of New England posted a 41.5 percent shooting clip, connecting 22-of-53 shots. The Golden Bears held a 26-18 advantage in points in the paint, and also knocked down 11 of their 12 free throws (91.7%).
 
Western New England (6-10, 4-6 CCC) will be back in action on Monday at city rival Springfield College, while the Nor'easters (10-7, 5-5 CCC) travel to Wentworth on Wednesday for a conference matchup.