SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (February 1, 2024) – The Western New England Men's Basketball Team used a 17-0 first half run to open up a commanding lead they would not relinquish, defeating University of New England, 77-42, in Conference of New England (CNE) play at the Caprio Alumni Healthful Living Center on Saturday afternoon. 

Records:

• Western New England:  14-5, 10-2  CNE
• University of New England: 6-12, 4-8 CNE

How it Happened:

Both teams traded baskets early, scoring three field goals apiece in the opening three and a half minutes.  Once WNE claimed an 8-7 lead, they hit another gear offensively, outpacing UNE 38-8 over the final 16 minutes of the first half to claim an insurmountable 46-15 halftime lead.

The Golden Bears claimed full control of the league contest following a 17-0 run over the course of 5:08 near the midpoint of the first half.  Leading by four points, Jake Harrison began the surge with consecutive layups.  Five different players scored during the run, with all 17 points coming from the field.  Brian Geitner made the lone three pointer of the stretch, while Luka Vlakovic capped it off with a pair of consecutive layups.  Upon the run's completion, the Golden Bears had a 30-11 lead, and would push the margin into higher double digits as the game approached intermission.

The second half proved to be far more balanced, with WNE outscoring UNE by a 31-27 margin.  With ample playing time for bench players, the Golden Bears got baskets from Ryan Michaels, Arik Dagan, and Eddie McCoy in the waning minutes.  Neither team scored more than six consecutive points during any stretch of the second half. 

Inside the Lines:

• First half field goal shooting proved to be the contest's definitive statistical category.  The Golden Bears shot a red hot 17 of 34 (50 percent) from the floor while holding the Nor'easters to just five of 28 (17.9 percent).  
• In the first half, the Golden Bears found success by taking the ball directly to the basket.  WNE outscored UNE in the paint by a 34-8 margin in the opening 20 mintues.
• Western New England more than doubled UNE's rebound output.  The Golden Bears won the battle on the glass by a 57-28 margin, including a 17-5 edge on the offensive glass.
• Four Golden Bears reached double digits in scoring.  Tim Restall scored 19; Cody Palazzesi scored 11; Jake Harrison and Brian Geitner each scored ten. 
• Tim Restall led all scorers with 19 points on 6-for-10 shooting.  He also collected nine rebounds and had two assists.  Restall shot 7-for-8 from the free throw line.
• Jake Harrison tallied a double-double of 10 points and a game-high 16 rebounds.  
• The Golden Bears spent 37 minutes with the lead, compared with just 42 seconds for UNE.
• With the victory, Western New England keeps pace with Endicott, with whom they are tied for first place in the CNE standings.  The Gulls also improved to 10-2 on the league circuit with a 73-58 win over Wentworth.

Up Next on the Schedule:

• WNE returns to action on Wednesday when they travel to Roger Williams for a 7:30 p.m. conference contest.