Contact: Ken Belbin, Assistant Director of Athletics
Sports Information
(C): 603-234-8349
(FX): 603-577-6597
Belbin_Ken@dwc.edu

For Immediate Release
February 20, 2010

Nashua, N.H – Rallying from 12 points down with four a half minutes remaining, the Daniel Webster College men’s basketball team took the lead with just over two minutes to go before Lesley’s Jonathan Sanchez followed sinking two free throws with 12 seconds left, as the Lynx held on for a 53-52 victory in the NECC regular season finale for both clubs Saturday afternoon at Mario Vagge Gymnasium.

The loss gave the Eagles (9-15, 5-9 NECC) a tie for fifth place in the conference standings with Lesley, but by virtue of Lesley’s two seasonal wins over the Eagles, Daniel Webster will be the sixth seed for the upcoming NECC tournament.

Daniel Webster will travel to third-seeded Wheelock College Tuesday night for a 7:00 p.m. tipoff.

Lesley meanwhile, will be the fifth seed and visit fourth seeded Southern Vermont Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.

Quarterfinal winners will advance to the NECC final four at Becker College on Friday, February 26th.

Adam Landry (Vernon, Conn.) paced the Eagles with 14 points and eight rebounds, Chris Hanson (Salem, Mass.) added 13 points, and Keith Speed (Columbus, Ohio) hit for 10.

Chris Voukides (Salem, N.H.) chipped in with seven rebounds, five points and a game high four steals.

Harold Smith (Florence, Ariz.) and Jesus Trejo (Methuen, Mass.) led the Lynx (8-17, 5-9 NECC) with 11 points each while Thorton Paul (Boston) added 10. Matt Grassa (Everett, Mass.) pulled in a game-best 10 rebounds.

Both teams struggled in the opening half as the Eagles shot 33-percent to Lesley’s 36-percent and the Lynx held a 29-25 lead at the break.

Lesley held a one-point lead (38-37) with 10:11 to go before putting together an 11-0 run behind seven points from Paul and two layups from Trejo for a 49-37 lead with 4:34 left.

But the Eagles stiffened defensively, causing two quick steals leading to layups from Chris Voukides and Hanson, and after a Lynx miss, Landry and Eric Suarez followed with back to back layups for a 52-51 lead with 2:04 left.

Looking ahead to Tuesday, the Eagles-Wildcats quarterfinal will be the rubber match of the season as DWC posted a 75-71 victory in Boston back on February 2nd, while Wheelock followed with a 66-65 win in Nashua on February 13th.