Men’s Basketball Cruises Past New England College in Season-Opener, 106-80

HENNIKER, N.H.- The Eastern Nazarene College men's basketball team rolled past New England College Saturday in the 2014-15 season-opener 106-80.

The Lions kick off the year with a 1-0 record with the victory while the Pilgrims slip to 0-1 overall.

Eric Lynch (Alpharetta, Ga.) led Eastern Nazarene with 17 points while adding four rebounds and three steals. Corey Doran (Fairfield, Calif.) chipped in with 15 points and seven boards off the bench. Jaylen Owens (Johns Creek, Ga.) scored 15 points and dished out three assists while Alex Jarman (Portsmouth, R.I.) posted 14 points, four rebounds and two blocks.

The Lions raced out to a 15-7 lead 3:45 into the contest after a layup by Eric Lynch.

Eastern Nazarene extended the margin to 13 with 8:15 left to play in the first frame as Jeremy Wagner (Oklahoma City, Okla.) knocked down a jumper, 32-19.

The guests owned a 47-31 advantage at halftime.

Owens paced the Lions at the break with 10 points. Eric Lynch contributed nine first-half points while Jarman tallied eight and Jeremy Wagner added seven points.

Eastern Nazarene shot 42.1% from the field in the opening period while New England College was held to 39.4% shooting from the floor.

The Lions opened the second half with a 20-2 run to widen the gap to 67-33 with 15:16 remaining, capped off by a lay-in by Eric Lynch.

The visitors pushed its lead to 40 points, the largest margin of the game, with 8:09 left to play as Christian Lynch (Alpharetta, Ga.) converted two free throws.

Eastern Nazarene surpassed the 100-point mark on a free throw by Dino Celadon (Kingston, N.Y.) with 2:58 on the clock to stretch the lead to 100-72.

The Lions shot 49.4% from the floor on the afternoon and sank 5-of-20 attempts from long distance. The Pilgrims finished with a field-goal percentage of 44.9% while draining 45.5% of their three-point attempts.

Up next, Eastern Nazarene hosts Wheelock November 18 in the first home game of the season.