BOSTON, Mass.—The 2014-15 basketball season ended for the Fighting Scots with a 60-53 loss to Wentworth in the opening round of the Commonwealth Coast Conference Tournament. An offensive drought in the final minutes of the first half allowed Wentworth to take a hold off a halftime lead they would never relinquish in the defensive battle.
 
Just like the two regular season matchups, Gordon and Wentworth relied more on defense to gain control at different points in the first half. Several scoring runs defined the pace of play and were consistently triggered by big defensive plays on the other end of the floor.
 
After Wentworth took a 5-2 lead to start the game, Taylor Bajema (Whitinsville, Mass.) knotted it up with an old-fashioned three-point play. The Fighting Scots turned that into a 7-0 run and eventually a 9-5 lead on a Hans Miersma (Whitinsville, Mass.) tip.
 
The Leopards responded with an identical run as Nico Donato (Glastonbury, Conn.) scored five points in a hurry, including a triple from the left corner to give Wentworth a 12-9 advantage. The seesaw battle continued with Gordon scoring 10 of the next 12 points for a 19-14 lead with 5:47 to play.
 
However the Fighting Scots went cold from the field after Jaren Yang (San Francisco, Calif.) hit a three to give Gordon its largest lead at five. Wentworth methodically chipped away at the Scots lead and eventually took a 23-19 lead into the locker rooms. The Fighting Scots did not score a point over the final six minutes and shot under 25-percent from the floor in the period.
 
Miersma had 10 rebounds at the break, but only attempt two shots in the first half for four points.
 
Donato opened the second half by converting a layup to make it a six-point game. Yang hit a three to cut the lead in half before the Leopards scored seven of the next 10 points to 32-25 lead. A three-point play by Bajema brought the lead down to four, however six straight Wentworth points gave the hosts a 10-point lead with 11:32 remaining.
 
Wentworth led by as many as 12 with 6:12 to play before Gordon used a 12-4 run and trailed by four after a Bajema three with 3:08 to play. One of two free throws from freshman Jason Ganley (Northbridge, Mass.) gave the Leopards a five-point lead, however Yang hit a layup to make it a three-point game with 2:43 left.
 
The Fighting Scots had a few chances to tie the game, but that would be as close as Gordon would get as a Ganley layup, two free throws from Donato, and a free throw each from freshmen Cesar Fulcar (Watertown, Mass.) and Ben Kizel (Short Hills, N.J.) made it a nine-point game.
 
Donato was 7-of-14 from the floor, grabbed seven rebounds and had a pair of steals. Fulcar scored 13 points, dished out eight assists, and had three steals. Senior John-Michael Fragnoli (Schenectady, N.Y.) finished with 12 points and eight rebounds.
 
Yang led the Fighting Scots with 15 points to go along with three assists. Bajema added 11 points and Miersma scored eight points, grabbed 16 rebounds, and had four blocks.
 
The Leopards took all three of the matchups between the two teams this season.  Gordon ends the year at 11-15. 

Portions of release courtesy of Wentworth Sports Information