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Men's Hoops Sees Season End in ECAC Championship Loss 87-74

Men's Hoops Sees Season End in ECAC Championship Loss 87-74
March 9, 2014
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Providence, R.I. –The second-seeded Johnson & Wales University men's basketball team captured the 2014 ECAC Division III New England Championship with an 87-74 victory against fifth-seeded Lasell in the finals at the Wildcat Center on Sunday afternoon. Lasell wraps up their season with an 18-12 record, their best season since 2008-09 when they won 19 games. The ECAC Championship appearance was the first in the program's history, the furthest they have advanced previously was the semifinals in 2008-09. Johnson and Wales closes out their season with a 23-7 record.

Lasell junior Mike Vallone (Wallingford, Conn.) scored a career-high 18 points and added three rebounds while senior Brandon Ganesh (West Palm Beach, Fla.) and sophomore Richard O'Brien (Manchester, N.H.) each had 15 points in the setback for the Lasers.

JWU senior Esaie Touze (Providence, R.I.) was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament after averaging 19.7 points and 16 rebounds in the Wildcats three victories. Johnson & Wales sophomore Quarry Greenaway (Westchester, N.Y.) tallied a game-high 26 points and added seven rebounds and four assists while senior Matt Barboza (Riverside, R.I.) added 21 points and four rebounds for the Wildcats.  Junior Frank Robinson (Providence, R.I.) notched 12 points and seven rebounds while senior Curtis Lucas was also in double-figures with 11 points in the victory.
Johnson & Wales controlled the action early in the game and had the 18-9 advantage after a three-pointer by Robinson with 11:18 left in the first half.  The Wildcats built the lead up to 10 on a three-pointer by Barboza with just over a minute in the half and took the 42-32 lead heading into the locker room at halftime.  JWU shot 55.2% (16-for-29) from the field in the half and held Lasell to just 30.0% (9-for-30) shooting.      

The Wildcats continued to build on their lead in the early stages of the second half and took their largest lead of the game on a three-pointer by Barboza with 11:45 left on the clock, making the score 67-44.  Lasell responded, however and chipped away at the lead, closing to within just nine points on a three-pointer by O'Brien with over four minutes left on the clock.  Lasell got another stop on the ensuing possession but their three point attempt rattled out  and a pair of free throws followed by a layup by Greenway halted the Lasers comeback attempt as the Wildcats held on for the 87-74 victory. 

JWU shot 53.8% from the field and and 36.4% from three while outrebounding Lasell by 16 to offset a 23-39 effort from the free throw line. Lasell struggled from the field, shooting 37.7% including connecting on 2 of 19 attempts from beyond the arc but the Lasers did convert 26-27 from the line to keep things close.