SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (January 17, 2026) – Matt Houde dropped a three-pointer in the final seconds of Saturday afternoon's 63-61 Conference of New England victory as the Western New England men's basketball team powered its way past the Leopards of Wentworth Institute of Technology from the Anthony S. Caprio Alumni Healthful Living Center.  

Records:

• Western New England 11-4, 5-2 CNE
• Wentworth Institute of Technology: 1-14, 1-7 CNE

How it Happened:

First Half:

• The Golden Bears picked up eight of the first ten points in the opening 1:43 of the game to take a quick lead. Eddie McCoy, Avery Mickens, and Matt Houde picked up points for the Golden Bears. Wentworth's Russell Dolabany had the opening 11 points of the game for the Leopards that brought the visitors right back into the game, taking their first lead of the game, 11-10.
• After a lull of scoring, Wentworth continued their run, scoring ten points in a row, capped off by a three-pointer by Dylan Olson, giving Wentworth an eight-point lead, 18-10. The Golden Bears did not let the run from the Leopards deter them, getting right back into the game with eight in a row to even the score at 18 at the midway point of the opening half. Travis Mangual and Justin Garrettson got their first buckets of the game on the WNE run. The two teams went back and forth with hot shooting from Wentworth from the outside, helping the Leopards take a 26-22 lead with 6:35 to play in the half. 
• Down the stretch, both teams had contributions on the offensive end, Western New England from Avery Mickens, Travis Mangual, and Nate Kasper, and Wentworth from Chase Mello and Donovan Holloway, helping WIT take a 31-30 lead at the half. 
• Seven of Wentworth's 11 field goals came from the outside, shooting 7/15 from deep. Western New England recorded four triples in the opening half, shooting just 35% overall. 

Second Half:

• The two teams stayed within a point of one another through the first four minutes of the second half until Dolabany connected from deep to push Wentworth to a three-point lead, 41-38. Wentworth held a three-point lead until Matt Houde and Luka Vlajkovic went on a scoring run that gave the Golden Bears a one-point lead, 44-43, with 12:22 remaining in the half. The WNE lead got as big as five after Vlajkovic picked up a block on the defensive end and turned that into a triple on the other end, giving Western New England a 50-45 lead with 10:26 remaining in the half. 
• Wentworth cut into the Golden Bears' lead with Dolabany leading the charge for the Leopards, hitting again from the outside. Wentworth took a one-point lead with five minutes left, 55-54, following a layup from Dylan Olson. The Golden Bears struggled at the free throw line, unable to put the game away at the line, allowing Wentworth to stay in the game. 
• Down the stretch, both teams lived at the line, with both teams over the limit in fouls. Western New England held a 60-59 lead with 1:15 remaining in the half, but again could not put the game away after a pair of missed free throws. Wentworth was fouled with 12 seconds in the game, and Dolabany cashed in on both free throw attempts as the Golden Bears had one final possession remaining in the game. Matt Houde brought the ball over half court, faked a drive towards the bucket, and rattled home a step back triple with 1.7 seconds remaining, giving Western New England a 63-61 lead. Wentworth wouldn't be able to make anything happen in the final second of the game, as the Golden Bears escaped with a victory, with Houde the hero. 

Inside the Lines:

• Three Golden Bears were in double figures in scoring on Saturday, including Avery Mickens, who scored 15 points on 5/11 shooting, grabbing five rebounds in the win. 
• Travis Mangual helped WNE off the bench with 13 points on 5/10 shooting, while coming away with seven rebounds and three steals. 
• Matt Houde's triple to win the game were three of his 12 points on the night. Houde made two triples in the game while grabbing five rebounds, picking up seven assists, and two steals. 
• Wentworth was led by Russell Dolabany, who scored 26 of Wentworth's 61 points. Wentworth didn't have anyone else in double figures in the loss. Dolabany shot 6/10 from the outside. 
• The contest featured 16 lead changes, and the score was tied at 11 different points. 
• WNE turned the ball over just seven times in the game while Wentworth committed 16 total turnovers. WNE shot just 33% from the field and 7/29 from the outside. The Golden Bears continued to struggle at the free throw line, going just 12/26 in the game. 
• WNE avenges its last meeting with Wentworth on home floor after the Leopards defeated WNE 357 days ago in Springfield. 

Up Next on the Schedule:

• The Golden Bears will be in action in non-conference play on Wednesday, January 21 at 7:00 PM in a rematch of the NCAA Sweet 16 round game last season, taking on Trinity College. Trinity won the NCAA National Championship last season and ranks first in Division III this season with a 16-0 record.