NEW LONDON, N.H. – Regis College stayed with Colby-Sawyer through the entire first half and the early portion of the second half, but the Chargers eventually pulled away for an 87-67 victory over the Pride Thursday night in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference men's basketball game at Coffin Field House.
Shawn Wedderburn (Bronx, N.Y.) led the Pride with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 shooting from the free throw line, plus he pulled down eight rebounds. Juvens Dalger (City of Sunrise, Fla.) finished with 11 points and five rebounds, and Jordan Seldon (Dorchester, Mass.) also scored 11 points to go along with four rebounds and two steals.
After Jourdain Bell scored five straight points to give Colby-Sawyer a 7-3 lead, Regis went on a 7-2 scoring run, capped by a three-pointer from Milik Wallace (Hinesville, Ga.), to pull ahead 10-9. The Chargers responded with a 9-2 scoring run to retake the lead at 18-12, but the Pride fought back with five unanswered points to close to within one nine minutes into the game.
Colby-Sawyer (9-7, 3-1 GNAC) once again created a little distance, but a three-pointer by Dimitri Rosa (Tiverton, R.I.) and consecutive baskets from Marc Trinidad (Bronx, N.Y.) tied the game at 26-26. After a three-pointer by Devante Thompson (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) gave the Pride a 30-29 lead with six minutes left in the first half, the Chargers retook the lead on a layup by Nick Backer.
After a jumper by Seldon closed the Regis deficit to one, Colby-Sawyer scored the final eight points of the first half, with Dana Bean and Patrick Coffey scoring four points apiece in that stretch, to extend its lead to 44-35 at halftime. The two teams basically exchanged points early in the second half, but another Rosa three-pointer and a layup by Thompson brought the Pride within five at 54-49.
The Chargers took control of the game thanks to a 13-2 scoring run over a four-minute span, led by five points from Backer, to extend their advantage to 67-51. The margin remained in double figures the rest of the way as Regis could not get any closer than 11 points behind.
Four of Colby-Sawyer's five starters reached double figures in scoring, led by Bell with 18 points and Coffey with 17 points. Backer contributed 13 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, and Bean notched a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, plus he blocked six shots.
As a team, the Chargers shot 52.2 percent (35-of-67) from the field, including 7-of-13 from behind the three-point line, and 90.9 percent (10-of-11) from the free throw line. Colby-Sawyer won the rebounding battle, 42-38, and committed just 10 turnovers.
The Pride shot just 36.5 percent (27-of-74) from the field, including 8-of-25 from behind the three-point line, and 71.4 percent (5-of-7) from the free throw line. Regis did grab 16 offensive rebounds that led to 18 second chance points, and it committed only 12 turnovers.
Regis (6-11, 1-2 GNAC) begins a three-game homestand Saturday, Jan. 19, against Lasell beginning at 1 p.m. at Higgins Court. Lasell will enter the game with a 4-11 overall record, including a 2-1 conference mark, after losing at St. Joseph Thursday, 82-67.