BRISTOL, R.I. (January 24, 2026) – The Western New England men's basketball team needed heroics for the second straight Saturday afternoon game, seeing Luka Vlajkovic tip home a shot at the buzzer to give the Golden Bears a 55-53 victory over the Hawks of Roger Williams University on the road. 

Records:

• Western New England: 12-5, 6-2 CNE
• Roger Williams University: 9-9, 5-4 CNE

How it Happened:

First Half:

• Western New England opened the game with the first nine points of the game, hitting three triples to begin play. Luka Vlajkovic picked up the opening three for WNE while Avery Mickens had the next two to continue his hot streak for the Golden Bears from the outside. Eddie McCoy and Matt Houde got Western New England ahead 14-2 as the Golden Bears were hot from the floor to begin play. 
• Roger Williams didn't have their next field goal until 13:52 into the half when Ty Higgins buried a triple. What was a quick offensive spurt for the Golden Bears in the opening four minutes turned into the Golden Bears slowing down quickly on offense, picking up 16 points through the midway point of the frame, 14 of those came within the first 3:15 of the half. The Hawks brought the game back within four as the offense of Western New England was quieted. Joey Dwyer hit a triple for the Hawks with 8:50 remaining to get the Hawks back within four. Vlajkovic stopped the Hawks' run with a triple, followed by a Mickens jumper, giving the Golden Bears a 23-14 lead with 7:10 remaining in the half.
• The two teams went back and forth down the stretch, trading bucket for bucket, with the Hawks getting the better of the chances to close the gap, trailing by as little as one with 1:06 remaining in the half when Ryan Higgins connected on a jumper for the Hawks. Matt Houde had the final five points of the half for the Golden Bears, a much-needed five, that gave the Blue and Gold a 35-29 lead at the break. 
• Avery Mickens led WNE with nine points in the opening frame. Vlajkovic picked up eight, and Houde seven. The Golden Bears, after their hot first four minutes, shot 38% from the field in the opening half. RWU came alive late in the half, also shooting 38% from the field. 

Second Half:

• The Golden Bears quickly extended their lead back to double figures just four minutes into the second half when Matt Houde went for a quick five points while Nate Kasper pushed Western New England over the edge at the 15:55 mark with a layup, giving the Golden Bears a 42-31 lead. Kasper's layup would be the last field goal produced by Western New England until the 7:51 mark of the second half. 
• After shooting went cold again for the Golden Bears, Roger Williams was not able to take advantage of the opportunity, going down quietly from the field in the second half. RWU, like WNE, had just one field goal in nearly eight minutes of action, as the Golden Bears held onto a ten-point lead with 8:44 remaining in the half. Kasper dropped a triple for WNE, helping push the WNE lead back to 11, 48-37. 
• Down the stretch, Roger Williams went on a 10-1 run, cutting WNE's lead down to two with 2:30 to play after Ryan Higgins dropped in another three. The two teams went back and forth in the final seconds of the contest as RWU tied the game with 12 seconds remaining on a pair of free throws, leaving the possession to WNE to win the game. Out of a timeout, Western New England saw last week's hero Matt Houde take a step-back jumper from just above the baseline that was overshot, over the rim, but Luka Vlajkovic tipped the ball back into the bucket before time expired, giving the Golden Bears the 55-53 victory.
• Both teams made just seven field goals in the second half, with Vlajkovic's the most important to win it for the Golden Bears. 

Inside the Lines:

• Luka Vlajkovic went for a double-double, picking up 12 points and 14 rebounds, with his final two points being the most important in the game. Vlajkovic also picked up four assists and a block in the win. 
• Matt Houde led WNE with 13 points on 5/12 shooting, picking up two rebounds, two assists, and two steals. 
• Avery Mickens notched 11 points for the Golden Bears. 
• Western New England shot just 33% from the field, hitting eight three-pointers on 31 attempts and just five of their 11 free throws. 
• RWU was led by Ryan Higgins, who scored 20 of their 53 points. The Hawks also shot 33% from the field, hitting six of their triples. 
• This is the fifth straight win for WNE over the Hawks in the all-time series. 

Up Next on the Schedule:

• WNE will look for revenge on Wednesday, January 28, at 7:30 PM when they visit the University of Hartford for CNE play. The Hawks are one of just two teams to defeat the Golden Bears in conference action this season.