Wildcats Slip Past Mountaineers In Final Seconds
Photo Courtesy: Bill DiLillo Photography
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - The Southern Vermont College men's basketball team allowed a two-foot jumper with 13 seconds remaining giving the hosting Wheelock College Wildcast a dramatic 64-62 win in front of a packed house Saturday afternoon. NECC scoring leader Lance Spratling of Southern Vermont led all scores with 19, while teammate freshman guard Derrick Cenicola finished with 15 points, including four three-pointers.
The win improves Wheelock's record to 9-4 overall and 1-1 in the NECC, while SVC drops to 4-7 overall and 1-2 in conference play.
Pierce nailed a pair of free throws with 41 seconds to give the Wildcats a three point lead, but Southern Vermont's Cenicola drilled a triple from the corner to tie the game at 62 with 29 seconds remaining. Pierce again got to the line for a one plus and missed the free-throw, but the ball went out of bounds off of a Mountaineer player to give the Wildcats a shot with 15 seconds in regulation. After a near turn over, Pierce found Rice who hit the shot for two of his 11 points on the day.
The other dramatic moment for the Wildcats came at the 9:12 mark in the second half when Senior Sherard Robbins dropped a three footer over two Southern Vermont defenders to reach 1,000 points; the first to do so in the short three year history of the program. Robbins finished with 17 points on the day, and a game-high 13 rebounds. Dan Main led Wheelock with 18 points on 8-14 shooting from the floor, while Robbins and Rice were also in double-digits.
Despite the close finish, the Mountaineers led by as many as ten in the first half. After the Wildcats took an 11-8 lead on a Rice three pointer, head coach Michael McDonough's team responded with a 15-2 run, highlighted by a pair of triples from sophomore Brett Clatworthy. Also in double digits for the Mountaineers were Joe Karnik who turned in a double-double with ten points and 11 boards, and Cameron Herrington, who scored ten points.
Southern Vermont visits Lesley University next Thursday at 7:00 p.m.
