Endicott cruises to 93-55 win over UMaine Augusta

Boxscore

Beverly, Mass. – Significant offensive contributions off the bench from the Endicott men’s basketball team helped the Gulls to a 93-55 win over UMaine Augusta on Thursday evening. Fifteen different Endicott players scored points in the win with freshman guard Milan Drecun (Montenegro) leading the way with 17 points.

Drecun’s 17 points on 6-of-11 from the floor paced a Gulls offense that shot 48.0% from the field. The freshman knocked down five of Endicott’s 10 three-pointers in the game in 21 minutes on the court. Fellow freshman Tyler Burkhart (Cromwell, Conn.) also came off the bench to score 11 points in 13 minutes, but added four rebounds, two assists, and two steals to an overall solid performance.

Also seeing minutes off the bench were guards Mike Alvarez (Lawrence, Mass.) and Hayden Palozej (Stafford Springs, Conn.) and forward Dkhari Johnson (East Falmouth, Mass.) who each contributed with eight points apiece. Johnson led the team in rebounding with eight boards, Alvarez had a game-high four assists and Palozej forced three Moose turnovers. 

UMA’s leading scorer, junior Orlando Holmes, led his squad with 15 points, eight rebounds, two steals and an assist. Willy Walter complemented Holmes’ effort with 14 points with seven rebounds and five steals while David Prior added 10 points. Despite these efforts, the Moose struggled mightily from the field by hitting just 27.1% of their shots. 

Endicott set the tone of the game with a 14-2 run in the open 4:18 of the first half, capped off by a three-pointer by freshman Bennett Knowlton (Shrewsbury, Mass.). Knowlton was the only Endicott starter to finish with at least 10 points, knocking down 4-of-8 attempts including two shots from beyond the arc. The Gulls were able to take advantage of 15 first half Moose turnovers by converting them into 21 points. 

In the second half with a double-digit lead, Endicott maintained their lead by controlling the boards and scoring from inside the paint. The Blue and Green outrebounded UMA 36-16 in the second half and finished the game plus 31 in the rebounding margin. The Gulls did much of their damage with layups in the paint, outscoring the Moose 20-12 in the half. 

Other Endicott contributors with solid games included freshmen Spencer Calling (South Windsor, Conn.) and Jason Chornyei (Westerly, R.I.) who combined for 15 rebounds, including five on the offensive glass, and they each recorded a block. Pat Meehan (Massapequa, N.Y.) added five points and four rebounds in nine minutes. Junior Tanner McEntee (Del Mar, Calif.) knocked down a few jumpers for six points, grabbed two rebounds, blocked a shot and dished out an assist as well. 

The Gulls will return to action on Saturday, January 15^th as they take on TCCC rival Western New England College at home starting at 3:00 pm. UMA hosts Daniel Webster on Thursday, January 20^th with a 7:00 pm tip-off.