Box Score SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (January 25, 2016) - Graduate student Josh Altman (Rockport, Mass.) and sophomore Brandon Eckles (East Greenwich, R.I.) combined for 30 second-half points as the Springfield College men's basketball team pulled away from crosstown rival Western New England University for a 77-61 non-conference victory this evening at Blake Arena.Â
Altman scored 13 straight points for Springfield in the second half as the home team extended its lead from six (42-36) to 15 (55-40) with 13:40 remaining. He was 3-for-3 from three-point distance and 4-for-4 from the free throw line during the stretch, which was part of a 29-9 Springfield run that saw the Pride push their advantage to 21 (68-47) midway through the half.
The Golden Bears got back to within 15 (73-58) on a triple by junior guard Mike Gelineau (Waltham, Mass.) with just under three minutes remaining, but their deficit proved to be too large to overcome as Springfield held on for the win.Â
Gelineau led Western New England with 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including 5-for-9 from beyond the arc, to go with a game-high four steals in 32 minutes of action. Senior guard Gerald McDonald (Boca Raton, Fla.) converted 4-of-6 field goals en route to nine points off the bench, while senior Luis Agrait (South Hadley, Mass.) and freshman Mikey Pettway (Bridgeport, Conn.) finished with seven points each.
Altman scored 18 of his game-high 26 points in the second half, and also pulled down six rebounds to go with two assists and two steals. Eckles posted a 20-point effort on 9-of-12 shooting, while sophomore Andy McNulty (West Springfield, Mass.) chipped in with eight points and six assists.
Gelineau paced the Western New England offense in the first half, scoring a team-high 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting, including 3-for-4 from three-point range. Springfield led 10-5 early, before consecutive three-pointers by Agrait and Gelineau put the Golden Bears back in front with 13:26 remaining in the first half. The Pride eventually regained a five-point edge (22-17) following a triple from Altman at the 7:44 mark, but again Western New England was able to battle back, knotting the score at 24 as Gelineau connected from beyond the arc with 5:43 on the clock.Â
The Golden Bears held their largest lead of the game (31-28) after a McDonald jumper two minutes later, but Springfield posted an 8-2 run the rest of the way, taking a three-point lead (36-33) into the locker room.Â
Springfield shot 52.5 percent (31-of-59) for the game, including a 57.7 percent (15-of-26) showing in the second half, while holding Western New England to a 37.7 percent (23-of-61) shooting performance. The Pride held a 42-24 advantage in points in the paint, while the Golden Bear bench outscored the Springfield reserves 23-15.
Both Springfield (7-10, 3-3 NEWMAC) and Western New England (6-11, 4-6 CCC) return to conference play on Wednesday night, as the Golden Bears host Gordon at the Alumni Healthful Living Center, and the Pride travel to Emerson College in Boston.
