Men’s Basketball Triumphs Over New England College 92-72 to Stay Atop NECC Standings

QUINCY, Mass.- All five starters scored double-digits as the Eastern Nazarene College men's basketball team picked up its fifth-consecutive victory with a 92-72 win over New England College Wednesday evening at the Lahue Physical Education Center.

The Lions climb to 9-8 on the season and remain unbeaten in New England Collegiate Conference games with a 5-0 mark. The Pilgrims fall to 11-6 overall and 3-2 in league play with the decision.

Ricky Shearman (Acworth, Ga.) finished with a team-high 22 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Josh Rice (Hanson, Mass.) tallied 19 points and hauled in four boards on the night. Noah Cheney (Bend, Ore.) notched 16 points, five rebounds, and three steals. Garrett Crandell (Bristol, Tenn.) posted 15 points, five boards, and four assists. Jacob Waldroop (Newland, N.C.) registered 10 points, six steals, six assists, and five rebounds on the evening.

The home side seized a seven-point advantage four minutes into the game on a steal-and-score by Cheney, 15-8.

The visitors knotted the score at 21-21 with 12:16 left to play in the first half as Michael Tavilla banked in a layup.

Eastern Nazarene reclaimed the lead and stretched the margin to nine with 4:02 remaining in the opening stanza on a lay-in by Shearman, 41-32.

The Lions chalked up the final six points of the first frame and held the Pilgrims scoreless in the final three minutes to sport a 49-36 halftime advantage.

Eastern Nazarene shot 54.5% from the floor in the first half and 41.7% from beyond the arc. New England College posted a field-goal percentage of 44.1% while connecting on just 2-of-13 from three-point range.

Crandell paced the Lions with 11 points and three assists in the opening frame while Waldroop poured in 10 points and grabbed four rebounds.

After the guests cut the deficit to eight with 14:38 to go in regulation, the hosts widened the gap to 20 points on a layup by Shearman with 9:21 left to play, 70-50.

The Lions concluded the contest with a field-goal percentage of 55% to go with a 11-for-24 success-rate from three-point territory. The Pilgrims shot 41.3% from the floor and 21.7% from behind the arc on the night.

Jamal Allen paced New England College with a game-high 25 points while Errol Crawford added 15 points and Stephen Fama chipped in with 13 points.

Looking ahead, Eastern Nazarene hosts Gordon January 25 in an inter-conference tilt.