Newbury Survives Lions' Comeback Efforts

ENC Athletic Site Published: 2011-02-10

Eastern Nazarene came back from an early defecit but Newbury College was able to pull away late as the Nighthawks won Thursday night’s non-conference basketball matchup 83-70.

Newbury opened up play with a 7-0 run capped by an Eric Watson layup but Eastern Nazarene quickly responded with a Max Barbosa three pointer to cut the early deficit to just four. Newbury regained control and led by 18 midway through the first half. ENC responded with a 10-0 run that cut the Nighthawks’ lead to just eight with 7:54 remaining in the opening period. A DeAngelo Alston jumper with 33.3 remaining in the first half brought the Lions within two. But Newbury’s John Rowley Jr. soon hit a pair of free throws to send the Nighthawks into the lockeroom at the break with a 42-38 lead.

The Lions came out in the second half and hit on two consecutive trips to tie the game at 42 apiece. Newbury responded quickly and established an eight point lead that held for most of the remainder of the game. ENC was able to cut the the deficit to just four points with 2:32 to play on the back of an Aaron Johnson three pointer as the Lions poised themselves for a comeback. Despite the comeback effort, Newbury responded one final time as they finished the game on a 9-0 run to finish off the 13 point home victory.

The Lions were led by another outstanding performance by freshman phenom John Flakes who scored 18 points and pulled in 10 rebounds for his 9th double- double of his rookie campaign. Barbosa finished with 16 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists in a well balanced performance. ENC’s Johnson tallied 11 points while freshman Eddie Allen scored 8 points including a perfect 2-2 from three point range.

The Lions will return to The Commonwealth Coast Conference play on Saturday as they host Nichols College. Tip off will be at 3pm following ENC and Nichols’ women’s basketball matchup.

Pilgrims Grab Lead Late, Fend Off Eastern Nazarene

Aaron Johnson scored a team high 19 points and made 4 steals in Tuesday's 78-86 loss to New England College.

ENC Athletic Site: Published: 2011-02-08

New England College over came numerous deficits that reached as high as 9 points late in the first half as they shot their way to a 86-78 win Tuesday night over The Commonwealth Coast Conference opponent Eastern Nazarene.

Eastern Nazarene came out in perfect rhythm connecting on their first three shots of the game to jump out to a quick 7-2 lead. The Lions kept their offensive pace and stretched their lead to nine at 28-19 following a transition layup by sophomore John Cramer and a three pointer by sophomore Aaron Johnson.

The Pilgrims regrouped and put together an 11-3 run over a three minute span that drew them to within one with 4:15 to play in the opening period. After trading buckets for the next four trips down the floor, New England’s Abdirahman Mohamed hit the backend of two free throws to tie the game at 37 headed into the locker room at half time.

Eastern Nazarene found its stroke once again to open up the second half as a John Flakes netted a layup and Max Barbosa drained back to back jumpers to stretch the Lions’ lead to 6 points three minutes into the second half.

New England chipped away at the lead throughout until a Michael Ingram- Rubin three pointer with 6:52 remaining put the Pilgrims ahead for the first time in the second half, 67-66. The Pilgrims offense never looked back as it stretched its lead to as many as 9 before sealing the game on the free throw line late for the 8 point victory.

Eastern Nazarene had four players score in double figures and was led by C.J. Gonzales’ season high 18 points. Gonzales also pulled in four rebounds and blocked two shots. Johnson scored 11 of his 19 points in the first half while Flakes and Barbosa finished with 15 and 13 points respectively. Flakes led the Lions on the rebounding end with 10 to notch his 9th double- double of the season.

New England College’s 52.5% shooting performance was headed by senior Shane Hennessey who score 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds before getting into foul trouble with five minutes left to play. Fellow senior Joe Faragher tallied 12 points and 12 rebounds while Ingram-Rubin finished with 12 points. Freshman guard Troy Prather netted 10 points to round out the Pilgrim’s double digit scorers.

The Lions will remain at home as they fight to stay alive in the TCCC post-season race on Saturday as they host Nichols College, but first, the team will hit the road for a non-conference game against Newbury College on Thursday. Tip off is set for 7pm.

Hope Remains

I'm sure the current season has not gone as planned for head coach Jim Aller and the Eastern Nazarene College men's basketball team, nonetheless, going into a home game against New England College tonight the Lions remain in contention for one of the final playoff spots of The Commonwealth Coast Conference.

The Lions are 3-6 in conference, 7-13 overall, and carry along with them the tenth spot in the TCCC standings (top eight enter the tournament). The three teams above ENC are Gordon (8-12 (4-5)), Salve Regina (11-9 (5-4)), and NEC (16-5 (5-4)). The two spots below the Lions are occupied by Western New England (4-16 (3-6)) and Nichols (5-15 (2-7)).

For purposes of conference record, the ultimate factor of whether a teams enters the TCCC playoffs, the conference opponents remaining on ENC's schedule are NEC (tonight at 8 pm), Nichols, Salve Regina, and Roger Williams (14-7 (6-3). Although two game behind NEC and Salve Regina, ENC plays each of them once before season end, which means the Lions have control over one of the two games. An unfortunate loss to the Scots of Gordon gives them, not only a one game advantage in the standings, but virtually two, as they hold the tie breaker over ENC, which means the Lions would have to end the season with a better conference record to leap frog the Scots.

For having significant injuries (I think we all know what I'm talking about) on the roster, the Lions have managed to remain in the playoff picture, which shouldn't be too much of a surprise to anyone who follows them on a day to day basis. Even with a season ending injury to Chima Ezeigbo the Lions remain talented, especially in the back court, and are well coached.

The schedule lines up nicely for the Lions to clinch a spot if they catch fire and set off on a run. It's a tall task, but feasible. Every game is now being played with a playoff fervor, "win or go home."

Flakes Earns Second TCCC Rookie of the Week

ENC Athletics Published: 2011-02-07

John Flakes Jr. averaged 25 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3 blocked shots last week in earning the TCCC's Rookie of the Week Award.

Lions’ freshman basketball player John Flakes Jr. earned The Commonwealth Coast Conference’s Rookie of the Week award this week for his stellar play in ENC’s two conference games as announced by the conference office Monday afternoon. Flakes helped guide the Lions a 1-1 weekly record, as he averaged 25.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.0 blocked shots and 1.0 steal per game, while shooting 53% from the field (19-of-36) and 75% from the charity stripe (12-of-16). He posted a 31-point, 12-rebound double-double along with three blocked shots in a tough 74-70 loss at Western New England. Flaked just missed a second-double-double with 19 points, nine boards and three blocks in a 91-77 triumph over host Curry. The award marks Flakes’ second such honor of the 2010-11 season. 

The Official TCCC Press Release Below:

2/7/2011

PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Anna Maria College sophomore forward/guard Anthony Click (Springfield, Mass.) helped the AMCATS run their winning streak to six games and open up a two-game lead in the TCCC standings with four games left to play. In a pair of victories, Click averaged 21.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.5 blocked shots and 1.0 steal per game, while shooting 63% from both the field (15-of-24) and the line (10-of-16) and a perfect 100% from three-point range (2-of-2). He collected 30 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and three blocked shots in an 89-84 victory at Nichols, and added 12 points, six assists and five rebounds in a key 74-68 triumph at Wentworth.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Western New England College senior guard Chris Devine (Wilbraham, Mass.) came up big in three Golden Bear victories for a team that had been victorious in just one contest prior to last week. In addition to averaging 18.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game, Devine shot a sensational 95% from the free throw line (20-of -21) and eclipsed the 20-point barrier twice. He collected 21 points, seven rebounds and eight assists in a 95-83 road win over a solid Keene State club, added a 23-point, nine-rebound double-double in a 74-70 victory over Eastern Nazarene, and just missed a double-double with 10 points and nine boards in a 64-58 victory over New England College.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Eastern Nazarene College freshman forward John Flakes (Boston, Mass.) helped guide the Lions a 1-1 weekly record, as he averaged 25.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.0 blocked shots and 1.0 steal per game, while shooting 53% from the field (19-of-36) and 75% from the charity stripe (12-of-16). He posted a 31-point, 12-rebound double-double along with three blocked shots in a tough 74-70 loss at Western New England. Flaked just missed a second-double-double with 19 points, nine boards and three blocks in a 91-77 triumph over host Curry.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Nichols College freshman forward Ryan Sheehan (North Attleboro, Mass.) averaged 24.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 1.0 block per game, while draining 10 three-pointers in a week which saw the Bison come up short in two TCCC contests by a combined margin of eight points. He registered 21 points and four rebounds, while knocking down five treys in a narrow 89-84 loss at TCCC leader Anna Maria. Sheehan followed with 28 points and five more three-pointers in a 71-68 loss to defending league champion Gordon. He scored nine points during a 23-4 run that erased a 17-point second-half deficit. 

Lions' Offense Overpowers Curry

ENC Athletics Published: 2011-02-05

Lions' sophomore Max Barbosa scored 25 points and had 3 assists in Saturday's 14 point win over Curry.

Sophomore guard Max Barbosa scored a season high 25 points and freshmanJohn Flakes register 19 and dominated the glass pulling down a game high 9 rebounds as the Eastern Nazarene men’s basketball team toppled Curry College, 91-77, Saturday afternoon.

After Curry scored the opening two buckets of the game, Lions’ sophomore Aaron Johnson drained a three to set the tone for what would be a tremendous offensive effort. After trading bakets on consecutive possessions, ENC’s Flakes hit a short jumper in the paint that put the Lions up 7-6 with 15:44 remaining. The Lions kept the intensity up as they led by as many as 17 in leading the final 35:44 of the game.

Eastern Nazarene’s offensive outburst feature four players in double figures asDeAngelo Alston and John Cramer joined Barbosa and Flakes in leading the offense. Senior, Alston, finished with 15 points and 3 assists while Cramer tallied 12 points including 3-4 from three point range.

The Lions shot a season best 58% from the field and 8-16 from downtown in the team’s second highest scoring output of the season.

Flakes continued to display a dominating presence on the defensive end of the floor blocking three shots and grabbing 7 defensive rebounds, leading all players in both categories.

Barbosa went an impressive 12-14 from the charity stripe as he attacked the basket with aggression and led the fast paced Lions offense all game long.

As a team, the Lions held Curry to just 13-33 shooting in the second half and outrebounded the Colonels on the defensive glass 29-22.

The 14 point conference victory pushes the Lions past last season’s win total with 5 regular season games still on the schedule. The Lions’ will try to carry over Saturday’s brilliant performance into Tuesday’s The Commonwealth Coast Conference matchup against New England College. Tip off is slated for 8pm. 

Golden Bears Overcome Flakes' Scoring Outburst

ENC Athletic Site: Published: 2011-02-03

John Flakes Jr. tallied 31 points and 12 rebounds for his third straight double-double.

Freshman John Flakes continued his sensational rookie campaign scoring a career high 31 points and grabbing 12 rebounds but Western New England rallied late for a 74-70 victory over Eastern Nazarene Thursday night at WNEC’s Alumni Healthful Living Center.

Flakes scored 13 first half points leading the Lions into the locker room with a 36-31 halftime lead.

The game remained tight in the second half as there were then four ties in a six-minute span before the Golden Bears took the lead for good at 68-66 when Andre Shaw made a layup at the 4:20 mark. Chris Devine’s layup gave Western New England a 72-66 edge with 1:47 left before Flakes hit two free throws and Aaron Johnson a layup to get the Lions within 72-70 with 48.9 seconds remaining. Western New England’s defense came through with a stop on the Lions’ ensuing possession and ended the game before the lead could slip through their fingers.

Western New England’s Devine had a double-double with 23 points and a career high 13 rebounds in the win. Senior forward Brad Thomka also had a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds along with five blocks. He blocked a layup attempt by sophomore guard Aaron Johnson with five seconds left and Devine sank two charity shots with 4.2 seconds remaining to seal the victory.

Flakes’ third straight double-double was supported by senior point guard DeAngelo Alston who scored 12 points for the Lions while C.J. Gonzales chipped in 8 and grabbed 5 rebounds.

The Lions will rest a day before getting back on the road as they travel to TCCC opponent Curry College on Saturday for a 3pm showdown.

AMCATS Prevail in TCCC Overtime Thriller

ENC Athletic Site: Published: 2011-01-29

Anna Maria College senior Chris Pinsonault scored 10 of his 24 points in overtime to lead the AMCATS past the hosting Eastern Nazarene College Lions, 100-96, in Saturday night’s The Commonwealth Coast Conference men’s basketball thriller.

Eastern Nazarene raced out of the gates to a 17-4 lead over the first five minutes and looked to be in complete control. Back to back jumpers by Anna Maria’s Junior De La Hoz sparked a 9-2 run for the AMCATS and drew the game close at 19-13. With just under 8 minutes to play in the opening half, a Pinsonault three pointer game Anna Maria its first lead of the game 27-26. Anna Maria carried its momentum into the locker room with a hard earned 9 point lead in hand.

Eastern Nazarene trailed for the first 15 minutes of the second half before a three ball by sophomore Max Barbosa pulled the Lions into a 77-all tie. With just 1:04 remaining, Barbosa struck again from three point range to give the Lions their first lead in more than 28 minutes. With 42 seconds remaining and a one point lead, Eastern Nazarene’s John Cramer picked off a long pass and headed down court where he dished to senior DeAngelo Alston for a lay up. The game appeared to be sealed up but Pinsonault came through in the clutch hitting a three pointer from the corner to tie it up at 87.

In overtime, the Lions held close but Pinsonault’s ten points were enough to send Anna Maria home with the victory.

Alston led the Lions in scoring with 26 while he lead all players in assists with 9. Freshman John Flakes scored 20 points and pulled in a game high 14 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season. Barbosa finished with 16 while senior Jonathan Atwater scored 11 on 4-7 shooting.

For the AMCATS, Anthony Click and Derek Johnson registered double-doubles. Click tallied 16 points and 10 boards while Johnson finished with 10 and 12.

The Lions will get back on the court Wednesday as they travel to Western New England College for a 5:50 pm matchup. Anna Maria will look to continue its conference success on Wednesday as well as the AMCATS host TCCC opponent Nichols College at 8 pm.

Lions Climb Back Late But Fall Short Against Chargers

ENC Athletic Site: Published: 2011-01-27

The Colby Sawyer men’s basketball team shot 63 percent on 20-32 shooting including 8 of 14 from three point range and rode a ten point halftime lead to a 71-59 road victory over The Commonwealth Coast Conference opponent Eastern Nazarene College Thursday night.

Colby Sawyer freshman Robbie Burke scored 14 of his 22 points in the first half to lead the Chargers while teammate Will Bardaglio tallied 16 points. Burke also pulled in 12 rebounds on the night.

Eastern Nazarene freshman John Flakes led all players in both points and rebounds with 23 and 14 for his 6th double-double of the 2010-2011 season. ENC’s senior point guard DeAngelo Alston added 12 points on the night while sophomore Aaron Johnson chipped in 10 points.

Colby Sawyer led throughout the first half after opening the game on a 12-0 run over the first five minutes of play. With 1.2 seconds remaining, the fast paced first half came to an end when Colby Sawyer’s Corey Willis heaved a shot from 80 feet off the front of the rim and through the bottom of the net to send the Chargers into the locker room with a 23 point lead.

Eastern Nazarene responded intensely in the second half as they out- scored the Chargers 35-24 in the final 20 minutes. Eastern Nazarene made an impressive run late as they drew to within ten points twice in the final four minutes but the Lions’ comeback effort fell short and Colby Sawyer held on for the win.

Both teams will get back into action this Saturday as Eastern Nazarene will host TCCC opponent Anna Maria at 3pm while the Chargers host Roger Williams at 1pm.