Men's Basketball Posts 93-75 Win Over Wentworth in Cave Classic Consolation

By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University men's basketball team picked up its first victory of the season and placed third at the BSU Cave Classic.

The Bears defeated the Wentworth Institute of Technology, 93-75, in the consolation game at the Tinsley Center Saturday afternoon to end a season-opening four-game losing streak.

Junior Zach Taylor (Quincy, Mass.) and senior Louis Jennings (Walpole, Mass.) turned in career-high performances to lead BSU past the Leopards (0-6).

Taylor scored a career-best 32 points on 14-for-27 shooting and added nine rebounds. He scored 21 points in the first half, making 9 of 14 shots.

Entering the season, Taylor had scored 20 points twice in his career and had 24 points in the second game of this season at Nichols College.

Taylor represented BSU on the all-tournament team. He had 14 points and eight rebounds in Friday night's 65-58 loss to Regis College in the first meeting between the two programs.

Jennings grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds to go with 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting. Thirteen of his rebounds came in the second half.

Jennings, who made all three of his 3-pointers, has grabbed at least 10 rebounds in two straight games. His previous career-high was 13 rebounds.

Senior Dante Kikuba (Framingham, Mass.) was also in double figures with 14 points plus seven rebounds and seven assists while junior Sam Sweeney (Burlington, Vt.) added 10 points.

Wentworth was led by freshman Colin Mannke (Stoneham, Mass.) with 29 points and 12 rebounds. Mannke garnered all-tournament honors for the Leopards.

Sophomore Andy Weeman (Westwood, Mass.) scored 13 points and senior Russell Dolabany (Westwood, Mass.) had 10 points and six rebounds.

Wentworth's last lead of the afternoon was 4-2 just 1:09 into the game, but BSU went on a 13-0 run over 2:23 to open a 15-4 lead on the Leopards.

The surge included two 3-pointers from freshman Kyden Wiley (Wesley Chapel, Fla.), two layups by Taylor and a Kikuba 3-pointer.

Taylor made two foul shots and a 3-pointer for a 20-6 lead, and after Wentworth moved within 20-12, BSU put together nine straight points.

They opened a 17-point lead with 10:54 remaining in the half after a layup and 3-pointer by Jennings and two Taylor layups for a 29-12 lead.

The Leopards cut that to 12 points before a Sweeney layup and three points from freshman Tzar Powell-Aparicio (Lowell, Mass.) made it 40-23.

BSU took a 47-35 lead into the locker room at halftime, shooting 50 percent.

Wentworth started the second half by scoring eight points in a row to get within 47-43.

Mannke had two layups and a foul shot while freshman Davis Lunn (Clinton, Mass.) added a 3-pointer.

BSU's first points of the half came with 17:07 to go on a Sweeney 3-pointer, making it 50-43.

The lead went into double figures on a three-point play by Taylor for a 57-45 advantage with 15:28 to go, but Wentworth climbed back again within 57-52 with 13:10 left.

After leading, 66-56, BSU outscored the Leopards, 9-2, and opened a 75-68 lead with 7:33 remaining. Jennings hit a 3-pointer, Kikuba made two layups and Powell-Aparicio added a dunk.

Wentworth would not get any closer than 12 the rest of the way.

The Bears close out the November portion of the schedule Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. at Rhode Island College.

The Leopards will be on the road Tuesday for a 6 p.m. game against Babson College.