WESTON, Mass. – After sending the game into overtime on a made three-pointer, Regis College again tied the game in the extra period with another three-pointer in the final seconds, but Kyle Booth of Norwich University beat the buzzer with his own three-pointer, giving the Cadets an 82-79 victory over the Pride Thursday night in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference men's basketball game at Higgins Court.
Marc Trinidad (Bronx, N.Y.) notched his 14th career double-double, scoring a career-high 25 points and pulling down 14 rebounds, plus he collected two assists, two steals, and three blocks. Thomas Ahlstrom (San Antonio, Texas) scored a season-high 19 points, while Joshua Perez (Lynn, Mass.) finished with 13 points, five assists, and three steals, and Zakaria Latifi (Holliston, Mass.) added 12 points and three steals.
After Norwich scored 11 unanswered points midway through the second half to open a nine-point lead, Regis chipped away at its deficit, but Samuel-Noah Osarenkhoe scored four straight points to extend the Cadet advantage back to seven at 69-62 with 2:31 remaining in the second half. Osarenkhoe and Jalen Olivero each made two free throws to give Norwich a 73-67 lead before Ahlstrom hit a three-pointer to bring the Pride within three with 18 seconds left in regulation.
On the ensuing inbounds play, the Pride trapped Osarenkhoe in the corner, with Trinidad forcing the tie-up that gave Regis the ball on the alternating possession. Tate Pike (Bellingham, Mass.) handed the ball to Latifi, who hit a three-pointer to tie the game and force the extra period.
After Trinidad made one free throw to open the scoring in overtime, Norwich scored the next six points to take a 79-74 lead with two minutes to go. Ahlstrom made two free throws, and then the two teams exchanged the ball with no scoring until the Pride gained possession with 11.1 seconds on the clock.
Regis called timeout, and Pike gathered the inbounds pass, worked his way to the right side of the court, and converted a three-point attempt to tie the game. Norwich rushed the ball up the court, with Spencer Conatser finding Booth for a three-point opportunity that would go in just as the clock showed 0:00.
Olivero led the Cadets with 25 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and four steals, while Donovan Lewis Jr. contributed 19 points and seven rebounds. Booth and Osarenkhoe finished with 14 points apiece as Norwich shot 43.9 percent (29-of-66) from the field, including 10-of-25 from behind the three-point line, and 70 percent (14-of-20) from the free throw line.
The Pride scored 12 unanswered points over a four-minute span in the first half on their way to a 12-point lead at halftime, 37-25. A three-pointer from Latifi and a layup by Trinidad gave Regis its biggest lead of the night early in the second half before Norwich rattled off a 19-1 scoring run, starting with a four-point play by Olivero and punctuated by a three-pointer from Booth.
As a team, Regis shot 44.9 percent (31-of-69) from the field, but just 54.5 percent (12-of-22) from the free throw line. The Pride won the rebounding battle, 44-37, with Cameron Wilkins (Taunton, Mass.) grabbing 11 boards. Regis collected 13 offensive rebounds leading to 17 second chance points.
Regis College (4-5, 1-2 GNAC) heads to Connecticut to face nationally ranked University of Saint Joseph Saturday, Jan. 8, starting at 3 p.m. before returning home to face Elms College Monday, Jan. 10, at 6 p.m. Norwich (7-4, 2-1 GNAC) hosts Lasell University Saturday beginning at 3 p.m.