LATE ATTACK BY GOLDEN BEARS NOT ENOUGH, AS REGIS COLLEGE WINS IN CONFERENCE PLAY

LATE ATTACK BY GOLDEN BEARS NOT ENOUGH, AS REGIS COLLEGE WINS IN CONFERENCE PLAY

Weston, Mass.—Derrick Neal had the hot-hand in the first half scoring 15 points for Regis College, and helping the Pride take a 10-point lead (44-34) into intermission of Tuesday nights conference match-up with Western New England. Neal led Regis College to a 73-64 victory over the Golden Bears. He also had a game-high 21 points.

The Golden Bears (4-17, 3-7 TCCC) Conor Lomas got the defense started early with three blocks. Chris Devine led Western New England with nine points, followed by Andre Shaw with eight points of his own.

Regis College (14-8, 7-3 TCCC) was solid from the field as it made 15-for-29 (.517), and held Western New England to 10-for-27 (.370) in the first half. The two teams were equal at the free-throw line through the first 20 minutes of play with each team making 8-of-11.

The Golden Bears attacked Regis College early in the second half by cutting into Regis' 10-point lead with a 6-2 run through the first 4:30. A foul by Regis' Ryan Chambers gave the Golden Bears Damon Alston the opportunity to cut the game to 46-43 in the Prides favor. Alston also had nine points in the first half on 3-of-4 shooting from the field, all behind the three-point line.

Brad Thomka cut the Regis College lead to 48-47 (12:33) following a three-point basket. Ryan Mickiewicz assisted on the play, giving him his fourth of the night. Regis College would maintain at least a three-point advantage for 5:23, until Shaw drained a three-pointer to cut the lead to two. Back-to-back scores by Robert Edwards and Phil Alibrandi would put Regis College back up to 63-57 with 4:25 remaining in regulation.

Shaw had tallied 20 points with a little more than 1:50 remaining in the game. Edwards would foul Thomka at 1:37 to give Western New England a three-point play. With the score 65-63, Thomka took the free-throw line, and cut the lead to 65-64.

Neal answered with a basket in the paint, again advancing Regis College to a three-point lead (67-64). Thomka again would return to free-throw line, but his two attempts would not work to the Golden Bears advantage. With the ball in Alibrandi's hands, he would convert the one-and-one bonus opportunity, and give Regis College a comfortable lead at 69-64.

Neal would force Shaw to turn the ball over, Western New England had just nine in the game, and give teammate Ryan Chambers the opportunity to get fouled and also convert the bonus opportunity following the foul. As Chambers would convert both baskets, the Pride would run out the clock following a missed lay-up by the Golden Bears.