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BIDDEFORD, Maine –
Jayden Thornton poured in a career-high 34 points in the University of New England men's basketball team's home finale on Wednesday night inside the Harold Alfond Forum, helping the Nor'easters earn a come-from-behind 101-93 Conference of New England victory over Curry.
UNE (7-17, 5-12 CNE) faced a 65-51 deficit early in the second half of the high-scoring affair, but chipped away with the help of
Jack Pyzynski's 17 second-half points to tie the game with less than four minutes remaining, and used hot perimeter shooting and successful trips to the free throw line to take control down the stretch.
Pyzynski would finish the game with 23 points, along with 11 rebounds, to put up his fourth double-double of the season. The Colonels (2-22, 1-16 CNE) boasted one double-double as well, with Jeremiah Predin scoring 21 points and matching Pyzynski with 11 boards.
Thornton's game-high scoring effort was thanks in part to his 5-for-10 performance from beyond the arc. He finished the night 12-for-17 from the field and 5-for-6 at the free throw line. As a team, the Nor'easters were 19-for-22 at the charity stripe, while Curry was just 6-for-11.
Adrian Torres was third in the scoring column for the Nor'easters, filling the stat sheet with 20 points, eight rebounds and a game-high seven assists. Curry's three-pronged attack of Predin, Malik Gelinas and Jaiden Mann combined for 66 points, with Gelinas' 23 leading the charge.
Despite Thornton going off for 20 points in the first half, UNE faced a 47-41 deficit at halftime as the Colonels shot well above 50 percent from the floor (20-for-38) over the opening 20 minutes. Mann converted an and-one opportunity at the 14:38 mark of the second half to hand Curry the game's largest lead, 65-51.
The Nor'easters began to flip the script with a 15-2 run that pulled them within one, 67-66. The Colonels looked to stop the bleeding with points on back-to-back trips, including a 3-pointer from Gelinas, but UNE hung around until Pyzynski nailed back-to-back triples to claim an 86-83 lead, its first since the game's opening minutes. The hot shooting continued after a costly Curry turnover when Torres knocked down a 3-pointer, making it three straight UNE treys, part of a 17-4 run in the last five minutes that sunk the Colonels. The Nor'easters were a perfect 8-for-8 at the line in the final minute to seal the victory.
Wednesday's offensive output marked the second time this season the Nor'easters have scored 100 or more points, and the first time they've done so in regulation since Dec. 12, 2019 – a 107-91 win over Salve Regina.
UNE is set to hit the road for the season finale, traveling to Roger Williams on Saturday, Feb. 22 for a 3 p.m. tip-off.
Zach Boulay
