REGIS GRABS FIRST NECC WIN AT DANIEL WEBSTER

Photo courtesy of Mike Davis
Photo courtesy of Mike Davis

NASHUA, N.H. – Regis College picked up its first New England Collegiate Conference win of the year with a wire-to-wire, 67-57 victory over Daniel Webster College on Saturday afternoon in Weston, Mass. 

Jeff Tagger, Jr. (Brockton, Mass.) led the Pride (5-3, 1-1 NECC) with 19 points, including 15 in the first half, and nailed three three-pointers while San Jean-Gilles (Melrose, Mass.) added 12 points with 10 in the second half, helping Regis halt a three-game slide after a 4-0 start and ran their all-time record against the Eagles to 7-0.

Ethan Peana (Staten Island, N.Y.) just missed a double-double for the visitors, posting nine points and a game-high 13 rebounds and four assists.

Ray Farmer (Nashua) picked up 10 points and six rebounds for DWC, while Demetri Conwell (St. Paul, Minn.) had eight points and seven boards.

Both teams shot evenly with both hitting 34-percent in the first half, while Regis shot 55-percent in the second to DWC's 54-percent. The key difference was around the rim as the hosts managed just three offensive rebounds on the day and Regis finished with a 38-25 total rebounds advantage. The Pride also garnered a 30-22 advantage scoring in the paint.

Regis built a 10-point lead out of the gate with a pair of treys and a layup from Tagger for a 13-3 lead seven minutes in, a lead that grew to 12 after another Tagger put back with 5:23 to go in the half before DWC closed on a 6-0 run ending with a Ryan Gauthier (Nashua, N.H.) three and the deficit was 27-20 at the break.

A 13-6 Regis run to start the second put the lead back to 14 at 40-26 with 16:09 remaining and the gap reached 16 (52-36) on a Peana layup with 9:15 remaining.

DWC responded however, working the lead down to 10 on a Khial Watson (Ann Arbor, Mich.) layup and after jumpers from Gauthier and Farmer the deficit was eight. Gauthier dropped a long three and a Watson layup later would close a 13-1 Eagle run that closed the gap down to four (53-49) with 4:45 to go.

But Jean-Gilles answered with a jumper and an inside move while Tagger followed with a pair from the line helping push the lead back to nine (60-51) with 2:45 on the clock.

DWC made one final run pulling within six twice – the second on a Watson layup with 1:02 left - but the Eagles pulled no closer.

Gauthier finished the game with a game-high 24 points, while Watson chipped in 12 of his own.

Regis is off until January 2nd when they visit Springfield at 5:30 p.m.

Release courtesy of Daniel Webster College Sports Information