SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (November 8, 2024) – The Western New England men's basketball team saw graduate student Tim Restall record his 1,000th career point in Friday night's season-opening victory over the Pride of Springfield College. The Golden Bears pulled off a comeback to secure a narrow 76-75 win and start the season on a high note.

Records:

• Western New England: 1-0
• Springfield College: 0-1

How it Happened:

The Golden Bears won the opening tipoff of the contest to begin their 2024 season. Shortly after, Cody Palazzesi drove to the rim and scored his first two points of the season, giving the Golden Bears the initial lead. Jake Harrison quickly followed suit, scoring his first two points to tie the game at 4-4. Springfield College started strong in the opening five minutes, with Jarron Flynn adding to the score and Xoren Livingston sinking a three-pointer, which put Springfield up by five, 11-6. The Pride's lead grew as Livingston made two free throws, and Zande Robinson hit a three-pointer, putting them ahead 23-13 with 12:41 remaining in the first half. Luka Vlajkovic, making his debut, scored his first point for the Golden Bears, though SC reached their largest lead of the night at 11 points when Curtiss Blische hit a jumper assisted by Flynn, giving Springfield a 25-14 advantage.

The Golden Bears cut Springfield's lead to eight after Palazzesi hit a three-pointer with 8:34 left in the half, making it 29-21. Tim Restall added his fourth point of the night on a layup to reduce Springfield's lead to five with four minutes left, but Josiah Evely responded with a three-pointer, restoring the Pride's eight-point cushion. Vlajkovic and Harrison added baskets for the Golden Bears, bringing them within two points with two minutes remaining. However, the Pride ended the first half with a 7-0 run, capped off by a Flynn dunk, taking a nine-point lead into the break with a 42-33 score. The Golden Bears shot only 34% from the field in the first half, hitting just one of their six three-point attempts.

Springfield College matched their largest lead of 13 points early in the second half as Flynn continued to score in his first game for the Pride after transferring from Connecticut College. Springfield's lead remained within 13 points, allowing Western New England to mount a comeback. Vlajkovic and Restall took control for the Golden Bears, who trailed by six with 11:23 left after Restall nailed a jumper following a steal by junior Nate Kasper. Restall then caught fire, scoring 13 consecutive points to erase Springfield's eight-point lead and give Western New England a 55-54 lead with 8:28 remaining.
Both teams traded baskets down the stretch, with Brian Geitner hitting a shot from inside the arc while the Golden Bears capitalized on their free throws to stay close. Xoren Livingston hit a three-pointer and followed with a jumper with 4:14 left, pushing Springfield's lead to six. From there, Restall, Geitner, and Vlajkovic took over, swiftly erasing the Pride's lead. Vlajkovic then scored on a layup assisted by Kasper to give WNE a 72-71 lead with 2:12 to play. Zander Robinson hit a jumper for Springfield to regain the lead, but Harrison answered with a drive to the lane, putting WNE back on top. The teams continued to exchange scores, with Hunter Matteson's layup giving Springfield a 75-74 lead with 29 seconds left.

With WNE in possession, Jarron Flynn fouled Tim Restall with ten seconds remaining, sending the Tolland, Connecticut native to the free throw line. Restall made both shots, marking his 1,000th career point at WNE and giving the Golden Bears a 76-75 lead. On the final possession, Springfield looked to Livingston inside the paint, but he couldn't convert as time expired, sealing Western New England's opening-night victory.

Inside the Lines:

• Tim Restall led the Golden Bears with 25 points on 10/20 shooting, going 5/6 from the free-throw line, including two clutch shots to clinch the win. He also collected five rebounds, four assists, a block, and a steal, becoming the 29th member of the WNE men's basketball 1,000-point club.
• In his WNE debut, Luka Vlajkovic scored 14 points, shooting 5/9 from the floor and 4/6 from the line. He recorded a double-double with ten rebounds and added two blocks.
• Brian Geitner also reached double figures, scoring 13 points on 5/8 shooting while contributing three rebounds and a block.
• Jarron Flynn led Springfield with 24 points, six rebounds, five assists, three steals, and a block.
• The game featured 12 lead changes and seven ties.
• The Golden Bears scored 50 of their 76 points in the paint and overcame their 1/14 three-point shooting by excelling at the free-throw line, hitting 19/24 attempts overall.

Up Next on the Schedule:

• The Golden Bears stay on the road and travel to Brandeis University on Tuesday, November 12, for a 7:00 PM game against the Judges.