Box Score Box Score
BOSTON, Mass. – Senior guard Sherrad Prezzie-Blue (Norwalk, Conn.) connected on 12 of 17 shots, en route to a game-high 32 points as the Wentworth men's basketball team (12-8, 6-4 The Commonwealth Coast Conference) held off Nichols (6-15, 3-7) in a TCCC contest played at Wentworth's Tansey Gymnasium.
Prezzie-Blue set the tone early, nailing his first two shots—both from behind the arc—and giving the Leopards a 6-0 lead. However, a basket by senior forward Chris Vallee (Fitchburg, Mass.) began a 9-0 run that saw the Bison take a 9-6 lead. On the next possession, Prezzie-Blue was fouled attempting a three pointer and drained all three free throws to tie the game at 9-all.
After senior forward Ron Powers (Millville, Mass.) hit one of two free throws, a Vallee layup gave Nichols a 12-9 lead. The lead would be short-lived, though, as sophomore forward Matt Abbott (Falmouth, Mass.) put home a dunk that began a 9-0 spurt, in which Wentworth would take an 18-12 lead. Freshman guard Garrett Bishop (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) and Vallee connected on back-to-back trifectas and the Bison tied the game at 18 with 10:57 left.
The Leopards would lead by as much as seven with just under six minutes remaining before a 10-3 Nichols run tied the contest at 34-all. Freshman forward Chris Smith (Moosup, Conn.) and Prezzie-Blue traded baskets before Bishop buried a three with 30 ticks left to give Nichols a 39-36 lead at the break. The visitors shot 59.3 percent from the floor, while Wentworth, despite shooting 44.8 percent, was 6-for-14 from behind the three-point arc.
The second 20 minutes was a back and forth affair with Nichols taking several two-point leads before Wentworth would answer with a basket of their own to tie the game. After Vallee connected on a fast-break layup to put the Bison up 59-57, Prezzie-Blue hit a long-range jumper to give the Leopards a 60-59 lead with 10:36 remaining.
Holding a one-point lead (64-63) with just over seven minutes left, junior forward Pat LaCasse (Rochester, N.H.) hit a three—his only points of the night—to increase the lead to four. Nichols battled back and took a one-point lead on a three pointer from Bishop. On the ensuing possession, Prezzie-Blue again dialed long distance and put Wentworth up by a pair (73-71) with 2:58 left.
Bishop would answer right back and tied the game for the 12th time before junior forward Weonard Bynes (Bridgeport, Conn.) hit a pair of free throws to give Wentworth the lead for good. Nichols would turn the ball over on its next possession and senior guard Ed Bolton (Silver Spring, Md.) hit two free throws to extend the lead to four (77-73).
Vallee hit a layup with 1:29 left, making the score 77-75, but sophomore forward Shane West (Saco, Maine) was able to break free and score on a layup with 1:08 left. With 38 ticks left, Vallee cut the lead to 79-77 before West hit another basket to double the lead. Nichols attempted a three pointer on its next possession, but the shot was off the mark and Wentworth came up with the ball to seal the win.
Bynes chipped in with 10 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, while West and Abbott each scored 10 points. Wentworth shot 58.1 percent in the second half and had 26 assists on 31 field goals. Vallee led the Bison with 19 points, seven rebounds, and four assists, while Bishop chipped in with 17 points of his own.
Wentworth steps out of league play Thursday night, looking to extend its win streak to three with a contest at Newbury. Nichols, which has dropped two in a row, hosts Daniel Webster in a non-league game that same night.
Story courtesy of Wentworth Sports Information
