Guard Victor Oruonyehu hit all three of his field goal attempts in the first half to help get a sluggish UNE offense going
Box Score
BIDDEFORD, Maine -- The University of New England Nor'easters shook off a slow start to extend their winning streak to 15 games with a 79-66 victory over Western New England College in The Commonwealth Coast Conference men's basketball play Saturday afternoon at the Campus Center.
In upping their program-record win streak to 15 -- second-longest current streak in the nation among NCAA Division III teams -- the Nor'easters improve to 16-3 overall and remain atop the TCCC standings with a perfect 7-0 mark. WNEC stands at 4-14, 2-5 in conference play.
UNE had trouble with its offense in the early going and was able to muster just five points in the opening seven minutes.
The Golden Bears established their largest lead of the game (21-15) on a three-pointer by senior guard Matt Maynard (Paterson, N.J.) at the 7:45 mark, but the Nor'easters responded with a 17-1 surge to take control and forge a 32-22 advantage. First-year guard
Victor Oruonyehu (Austin, Texas) started the spurt with a three and a jumper, and classmate
Anthony Johnson (Austin, Texas) also contributed five points.
UNE took a 37-31 lead into intermission after shooting 56.0 percent (14 of 25) from the floor and forcing 11 Golden Bear turnovers.
The Nor'easters outscored WNEC 16-5 over the opening 3:16 of the second frame to build a 53-36 cushion. Seniors
Steve Belmonte (Levittown, N.Y.) and
Johnnie Jefferson (Dallas, Texas) each knocked down a pair of treys to key the run.
UNE's lead crested at 24 (71-47) with 5:41 to play, but Western New England chipped away in the closing stages and got as close as 11.
Jefferson and Johnson led a balanced UNE offense with 11 points apiece, while sophomore
Chas Rentrope (Peoria, Ariz.) and junior
Marchale Robinson (Baton Rouge, La.) came off the bench to tally 10 apiece.
The Nor'easters shot a robust 57.1 percent (28 of 49) from the floor, including 12 of 22 (54.5 percent) accuracy from three-point land.
Sophomore forward Brad Thomka (Springfield, Mass.) had 15 points and eight rebounds to pace the Golden Bears. Junior guard Rick Johnson (Springfield, Mass.) tallied a game-high 16 points on 6-for-9 shooting.
WNEC held a 34-26 lead on the glass but was hampered by 26 turnovers leading to 24 UNE points.
Both teams return to action Wednesday. UNE hosts Wentworth Institute of Technology at 8:00 p.m., while Western New England entertains Eastern Nazarene College at 7:30 p.m.
