Men’s Basketball Comes From Behind to Down Newbury College, 78-75

BROOKLINE, Mass. – Elms College junior forward Kenny Lockett (Atlanta, Ga.) scored a team-high 19 points to lead five players in double figures and helped spark a tremendous comeback as the Blazers downed Newbury College, 78-75 in Saturday afternoon's New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) men's basketball game in Cambridge, Mass.

With the win, Elms snaps a four-game losing streak and improves to 2-6 overall, 1-1 in NECC action. Newbury remains winless on the season and falls to 0-8 overall, 0-2 in league play.

In the opening period, Elms' sophomore guard Jerry Buchanon (Windsor, Conn.) and Newbury's Eric Watson (New Rochelle, N.Y.) each scored 12 points but the Nighthawks shot 38.2-percent from the field, while the Blazers were limited to just 25.9-percent from the floor in the stanza.

Newbury opened up a lead of as many as 13 (27-14) when Ceejae Carter (Dorchester, Mass.) nailed a three-pointer with 6:03 to play in the first half but Elms responded later in the half as Buchanon hit a jumper and freshman forward Conny Ihearahu (Largo, Md.) converted the second of two free throws with 39 seconds left to pull the Blazers to within eight at 36-28 at intermission.

Early in the second half, Elms chipped away at the Newbury lead and pulled to within four at 44-40 when senior forward Isaiah Odunlami (Providence, R.I.) powered in a layup with 14:17 to play. David Hart (Keene, N.H.) responded for the Nighthawks as he canned a trey to help extend the lead back to 10 (50-40 with 12:37 to play) and Carter swished a triple at the 11:14 mark to give Newbury a 55-43 advantage.

Elms then went on a 14-5 run highlighted by eight points from sophomore guard Derek Murphy (Columbia, Md.) who struck from beyond the arc and swished three consecutive foul shots during the stretch to pull the Blazers to within three at 60-57 with 7:43 to play.

With 3:38 on the clock, Lockett converted a layup to bring the Blazers to within one at 69-68. After Watson made one of two free throws, Elms' senior guard Piere Simpson (East Hartford, Conn.) hit a mid-range jump shot to even the game at 70-70 with 2:53 to play.

An offensive rebound and put-back basket by Lockett one minute later gave the Blazers their first lead (72-70) since scoring the opening basket of the game.

A bucket by Watson and one of two free throws by Mills Carrasco (Haverhill, Mass.) allowed Newbury to stake a 73-72, before Lockett again put Elms ahead with a layup to make the score 74-73 with 1:02 remaining in the game. A pair of Simpson free throws extended the lead to 76-73 until Watson narrowed the Nighthawks' gap to one with a basket underneath with 14 seconds to play. Lockett then added a pair of foul shots to seal the Blazers' thrilling come-from-behind victory.

Lockett led five players (including four starters) in double figures with a team-high 19 points and game-best 15 rebounds. Buchanon finished with 14 points, followed by 13 from Odunlami, and 12 each from Simpson and Murphy who scored all of the Blazers' bench points in the win. Ihearahu added eight points in the winning effort, while Odunlami contributed 12 boards.

Watson finished with a game-high 26 points for Newbury, Carrasco totaled 16 points and Carter added 11 in the losing effort.

Carrasco led the Nighthawks with seven rebounds in defeat, Watson pulled down six boards, and Hart chipped in eight points and six rebounds .

Elms returns to non-league action on Saturday, December 14 when it hosts Framingham State University at 3:00 p.m. at Picknelly Arena.