Derek Davis

Second-half run lifts Colby-Sawyer past UNE, 77-68

Junior forward Ryan Knotek led four UNE players in double figures with 14 points

Box Score

NEW LONDON, N.H. -- First-year Robbie Burke (Cheshire, Mass.) combined with juniors James Tobin (Brookline, N.H.) and Will Bardaglio (Wayne, Maine) to score 55 points to lead Colby-Sawyer College to a 77-68 The Commonwealth Coast Conference men's basketball victory over the University of New England Saturday afternoon at Coffin Field House.

The Chargers (11-11, 7-4 TCCC) used a 14-2 run over four and a half minutes early in the second half to turn a five-point deficit into 49-42 cushion, on their way to snapping a four-game losing streak.

A three-pointer by UNE junior Marcus Winn (Austin, Texas) cut the margin down to 53-50 with 10 minutes remaining, but the Nor'easters (4-19, 2-9 TCCC) could not get any closer. Colby-Sawyer pushed the lead to its peak (67-56) at the 4:46 mark before settling on the nine-point final.

Burke posted a double-double with a game-high 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting to go with 10 rebounds. Tobin added 18 points, converting 8-of-9 field goal attempts. Bardaglio finished one rebound shy of his own double-double with 17 points and nine boards.

The hosts connected on 61 percent (19-for-31) of their shots in the final frame to finished at just over 50 percent (31 of 61) for the game. Colby-Sawyer also out-rebounded its opponent, 47-31.

For UNE, junior Ryan Knotek (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) recorded a team-best 14 points. Winn and senior Chas Rentrope (Peoria, Ariz.) notched 13 points apiece, while first-year Charles Fenner (Bronx, N.Y.) chipped in with 11.

The first half saw the top spot on the scoreboard change eight times, with the Chargers going up by as many as seven (29-22) with a 10-2 spurt (the last five from Burke) before the Nor'easters leveled the contest at 31-31 after 20 minutes.

Trailing 35-33 moments into the second half, Knotek sent in five points sandwiched around two by Rentrope as Big Blue grabbed its largest cushion of the day at 40-35.

Both teams return to the court on Wednesday. Colby-Sawyer heads to Wentworth Institute of Technology for a key conference battle, while UNE is back at home to face Gordon College (8 p.m.).