Gulls capture Rivier Tip-Off title with 65-60 win over host Raiders

NASHUA, N.H. – Endicott men's basketball is off to a 2-0 start in the 2012-13 season after winning their second game in as many days at the Rivier Tip-Off Tournament, claiming a 65-60 victory over the Raiders to capture the tournament title. 

Sophomore guard John Henault (Lunenburg, Mass.) was awarded the Tournament Most Valuable Player award as he helped the Gulls rally from seven points down midway through the second half to get the win.  Henault drained a three-pointer with 3:34 on the clock to give Endicott a 59-56 lead and later sunk free throws to break a 60-60 tie with Rivier with 1:28 remaining in the game.  The sophomore finished with 14 points on 4-of-11 shooting with one three-pointer and a perfect 5-of-5 from the free throw line.  He grabbed five boards, including three on the offensive glass.

Senior guard Lance Greene's (Dorchester, Mass.) double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds helped him earn All-Tournament honors.  Greene went 8-for-11 from the charity stripe and dished out three assists and forced a turnover with one steal in an overall solid game.

Junior Bennett Knowlton's (Shrewsbury, Mass.) 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the second half was a catalyst in Endicott's comeback as well.  Down 42-35 at the 13:03 mark of the second half, Knowlton hit a jumper to tie the game at 45 and drain a three-pointer with just under six minutes remaining to give the Gulls a 50-49 lead.  He, like Henault and junior forward Lachlan Magee (Melbourne, Australia), finished with 14 points in the game.  Magee was 6-of-10 from the floor while grabbing six defensive caroms and adding two assists and two steals. 

Rivier senior guard Brian Troy (Keene, N.H.) led all players with 15 points while both Garon Whitney (Dover, N.H.) and Tom Poitras (Bow, N.H.) each added 12 points in the loss.  The Raiders dropped to 2-1 on the season.

Ten of Endicott's 30 team rebounds were on the offensive boards leading to a 12-2 advantage in second chance opportunities.  Led by Knowlton, the Gulls benched outscored Rivier's 16-5 in the game.  Endicott also shot 71.4% from the free throw line in the game as a team, sinking 15-of-21 attempts. 

Endicott will be off for 11 days until their home opener on Wednesday, November 28^th against last year's opponent in the CCC Championship, Salve Regina.  Tip-off is a 7:30 pm in MacDonald Gymnasium.