Box Score
WENHAM, Mass.—The Fighting Scots Men's Basketball team combined a stellar shooting performance with a shutdown defensive effort to notch their fourth consecutive Commonwealth Coast Conference victory—defeating visiting University of New England 84-59 at a raucous Bennett Center. Gordon shot a season high 58 percent from the floor, while knocking down 11 triples and the Scots improved to 7-6 this season.
Homecourt advantage was back at the Bennett Center on Wednesday as students returned from winter break. Gordon rode the energy of the near-capacity crowd early in the contest, after playing their previous two home games in front of a quiet gymnasium. The Scots weathered the storm of the Nor'easters outside shooting in the game's first few minutes and found open looks of their own on the offensive end of the floor.
After an early flurry of three made triples by UNE, Gordon settled into a stingy half-court defense and left very few Nor'easter shots uncontested. The Nor'easters held a 13-8 lead only five minutes into the game and extended their lead to six points at 19-13, when Gordon began to chip away at the deficit.
The Scots guards managed to break UNE's zone defense halfway through the first period and the shot began to fall. Gordon erased the Nor'easters' six-point advantage with a deep three by Alex Carnes (Phoenix, Ariz.) and a three-point play underneath the hoop by Hans Miersma (Whitinsville, Mass.)
Carnes hit another three only minutes later to give Gordon a 23-21 lead with 9:28 on the clock—an advantage they would never relinquish. Richie Armand (Hempstead, N.Y.) inspired the crowd with a runner in the lane to make it 25-21 and then kicking out to Luke Hamilton (Mount Airy, N.C.) for a three on back-to-back possessions. Armand added another assist on a flip pass up to Miersma, who laid it in to give Gordon a 30-23 lead.
UNE cut the lead to three points on consecutive hook shots by Tom Nason, but that would be the closest the Nor'easters would be for the remainder of the game.
Park Thomas (Scottsdale, Ariz.) scored the final seven points of the half for Gordon, as the Scots outscored 11-2 after Nason's final basket. Thomas capped off the run with a quick floater on the right wing as time expired in the first half.
The Scots led by double-digits the entire second half, wearing down the Nor'easters zone defense and holding them to 32 percent shooting for the game on the other end. Gordon played even better in the second half, making 18 of their 25 shots, including three treys. Miersma, Carnes, Taylor Bajema (Whitinsville, Mass.) and Sam Johnson (Chatham, Mass.) went a combined 10-for-10 from the floor in the second stanza.
Eleven different players notched at least two points for the Scots—a season high—as Gordon finished off the Nor'easters with an 84-59 effort. The win improves the Scots to 5-2 in the CCC, while UNE drops to 1-6 in conference play.
Justin Pollard was the only Nor'easter play in double-figures with 13 points. Andy Kalu and Kurt Steiner finished with seven and six points respectively.
Miersma led the Gordon scoring with 17 points and nine rebounds, while also finishing near his season average with three blocks. Carnes had a near-perfect night with 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting and six boards. Hamilton made his first four shots from behind the arch and finished with 12 points. Thomas chipped in 11 points and dished out eight assists to round out Gordon's spread offense.
Gordon outrebounded the Nor'easters 45-25.
The Scots hope to continue their hot streak when they travel to Quincy on Saturday to take on Eastern Nazarene. The Nor'easters are back on the road against Roger Williams.
