WNE Grabs 79-71 Win over Endicott, Advances to CCC Championship for First Time in Program History

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (February 23, 2023) – In the CCC Semifinal playoff round, the Western New England men's basketball team hosted the Endicott College Gulls. The Golden Bears defeated the Gulls 79-71 to advance to the CCC championship.

Records:

• Western New England: 21-6, 16-4 CCC
• Endicott College: 17-10, 12-7 CCC

How It Happened: Tim Restall hit the first shot for the Golden Bears to start the game off and Endicott went down and hit a jump shot to even it up. Three free throws for the Gulls took them in the lead. The Golden Bears took it back with a jumper hit by Brian Geitner and a layup taken by Gavin Greene. There were three more lead changes both teams staying competitive. WNE started to grab a little momentum after Ryan Michaels knocked in a couple of three pointers and some foul shots to give the Golden Bears a lead of 20-14. Restall added a layup before the Gulls fought their way back within three with a layup and a shot from deep. Halfway through the first Greene hit three layups in a row plus one from Jake Harrison that gave WNE a double-digit lead 30-19 while keeping Endicott off the scoreboard for over three minutes. Geitner knocked in three more baskets for the Golden Bears before the half and Restall had four more points. The Gulls hit a shot in the last two seconds for the score at halftime to be 42-32 Golden Bears.

After a Gulls made jump shot, WNE bumped their lead with Cody Palazzeli hitting a mid-range and Geitner swooshing a three-pointer. He made another jumper following an Endicott score. The Golden Bears were on top of the Gulls 50-37. Endicott cut the lead to 10 and the Golden Bears answered with a layup from Harrison and Greene then Restall slammed one down, score 61-45. Endicott went back to get two layups in a row. An And one play by Harrison broke up the run by the Gulls but they returned three free throws and two jumpers, score 64-58 seven minutes left in the ballgame. Again, the Golden Bears responded with a run, Geitner hitting some foul shots, Greene drove it in, and Harrison knocked in a three. WNE back up by more than 10 that they held almost until the end of it. The Gulls made some late threes to keep them in it, but it ultimately was not enough. The Golden Bears came out victorious, defeating the Gulls 79-71 to move on to the Championship round of the CCC.

On the Floor:

• As a team, the Golden Bears shot 56.1 percent from the floor, 26.7 percent from the three, and 45.8 percent from the foul line while gathering 42 rebounds, 20 assists, six steals, and three blocks.
• The Gulls shot 42.2 percent from the hardwood, 21.4 percent from beyond the arc, and 78.6 percent from the free throw line while tallying 28 rebounds, 11 assists, nine steals, and one block.
• The Golden Bears were led by Tim Restall who had 19 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. He was 7-13 from inside the paint and 5-12 from the free-throw line.
• Jake Harrison ended the night with a double-double, recording 14 points and 10 rebounds, adding nine assists.
• Gavin Greene contributed 16 points, six rebounds and four assists.

Up Next: The Golden Bears will be in the CCC Championship game against the Nichols College Bison this Saturday, February 25, with a 2 p.m. tipoff.