SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (November 22, 2025) – The Western New England men's basketball team was led by five players in double-figures in scoring on Saturday afternoon, defeating the Bombers of Ithaca College by a final score of 77-60 from the Anthony S. Caprio Alumni Healthful Living Center.

Records:

• Western New England: 5-0
• Ithaca College: 1-3

How It Happened:

First Half:

• A quick four points got on the board for the Golden Bears as Zein Wahdan and Luka Vlajkovic contributed early for the Golden Bears down low. The WNE lead did not even last for a minute, as Evan Cabral had an early five points in the game that gave the Bombers their first lead of the evening. The team went back and forth until Ithaca picked up a pair of hoops, including a triple from Nick Lemmond, giving the visitors a 15-10 lead with 12:50 remaining in the opening half. 
• Travis Mangual got on the board for his first of many baskets to stop the Ithaca run while Vlajkovic and Wahdan continued their offensive production for the Golden Bears. Eddie McCoy rattled home a triple with 8:03 remaining to put the Golden Bears ahead by one, 21-20, a lead that grew to five following buckets from Mangual and Avery Mickens. 
• The Golden Bear lead got as big as eight with 3:32 remaining following three throws from Vlajkovic and Mickens, but Ithaca answered with five straight to crack into the Golden Bear lead. 
• Down the stretch, the teams exchanged points with ten points scored in the final minute of the quarter, seeing WNE take a 39-36 lead at the break. Ithaca shot 11/30 from the field in the opening half, shooting 7/20 from the outside. WNE was 15/28 overall, including 13/21 from inside the arc. 

Second Half:

• Zein Wahdan had the opening field goal for WNE, followed by buckets from Avery Mickens and Travis Mangual while the run was capped by a triple from Luka Vlajkovic, which gave WNE its first double-digit lead of the evening, 49-38. The Bombers then made a run of their own, getting the WNE lead down to six, getting the Golden Bears in foul trouble, trailing 54-48 with 11:43 remaining. 
• Eddie McCoy's emphatic and-one gave the blue and gold their double-digit lead back while Mickens continued his excellent shooting from the outside, giving WNE a 62-51 lead at the midway point of the second half. With 6:38 remaining, the Bombers picked up a layup from Matthew Zenker that got the visitors within seven, 65-58.
• From there, the Golden Bears took over on offense, holding Ithaca to just two points for the final 6:38 of the game. Eddie McCoy, Nate Kasper, Travis Mangual, and Luka Vlajkovic helped Western New England take it to the tired Ithaca defense in the final three minutes, amassing a 10-0 run and burying the Bombers by a final score of 77-60.

Inside the Lines:

• Five Golden Bears were in double figures in scoring on Saturday. Luka Vlajkovic led all scorers with 17 points and eight rebounds for the game. 
• Nate Kasper and Travis Mangual both had 13 points each, while Eddie McCoy and Zein Wahdan contributed 11 points each for the Golden Bears. 
• Western New England shot 52% from the floor in the win. 
• The WNE defense forced 30 Ithaca shots from the outside, a team that went 1/10 from deep in the second half. 

Coach's Corner:

Coach Colin Tabb was interviewed after the game. Tabb was asked what he thought the key to today's high-level performance was and why he thinks the team is clicking right now, early in the season. Tabb answered, "I think it all comes down to our buy-in on the defensive end right now.  We're guarding really well, and we're doing a great job of being there for each other if someone gets beat."

Transfer-student Travis Mangual was asked what worked for him today on the court and how he feels his play is meshing with the team early in the season. Mangual responded, "I felt good out there. My performance today came from playing within the flow of the game and taking what the defense gave me. My teammates did a great job putting me in spots where I could be aggressive, and when I saw lanes, I just attacked the hoop and trusted my instincts. As far as our chemistry, I feel like it's growing every day. We've got a good mix of guys, and being able to learn from the older guys on the team has helped me a lot."

Up Next on the Schedule:

• WNE welcomes Worcester State University to Springfield on Tuesday, November 25 at 6:00 PM.