BRISTOL, R.I. – The Roger Williams University Men's Basketball team erased a 12-point halftime deficit to a comeback win on Senior Day Saturday afternoon, as the Hawks defeated Eastern Nazarene College 71-63. The Hawks trailed 39-27 at the end of the first half and were down by as many as 18 in the game before coming away with the win.

Both teams were evenly matched in terms of shooting and rebounding, with Eastern Nazarene hitting at a 42.1 clip (24-for-57) compared to 43.1 percent (22-for-51) for the Hawks. The Hawks also held a slight advantage on the glass, grabbing 35 rebounds against the Lions' 31.

However, RWU's free throw shooting ended up as the key difference in the game, with the Hawks going 22-for-28 at the line including 15-of-19 in the second half, while Eastern Nazarene only attempted 16 shots at the foul line in the game, hitting 11 of them.

The Lions took an early 4-2 lead in the game and kept their lead throughout the beginning of the half before the Hawks tied it at 15. Eastern Nazarene would later turn a stretch a 25-20 lead to a 35-24 advantage before going into the break up by 12. In the second period, a three pointer by Max Barbosa (Dorchester, Mass.) gave the Lions their largest lead of the game at the 18:08 mark (45-27).

The Hawks would then hold the Lions to only two points over the next six minutes to pull within seven. The Hawks eventually came back to make it a 51-53 deficit, sinking six free throws in a row on their next three possessions to take a 57-55 lead that they would not give up, giving the Hawks the win in their final home game of the regular season.

Before the beginning of the game, RWU seniors Taylor Petruccelli (Stratford, Conn.), Corey Fava (Aliso Viejo, Calif.), Travis O'Dell (Brunswick, Maine), and Tom Rafael (Ladera Ranch, Calif.) were celebrated for their years in a Hawk uniform. All four players combined for 29 points, with Petruccelli going for 18 points and eight rebounds and Fava finishing with six points, six assists, and five boards.

John Flakes (Dorchester, Mass.) had an impressive all-around game, finishing with 17 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, four steals, and two blocks. Barbosa led the Lions with 18 points, while Aaron Johnson (Boston, Mass.) added seven points and three rebounds off the bench.

Roger Williams (17-8, 9-4 TCCC) claims the number three seed in next week's Commonwealth Coast Conference Tournament and will host #6 Endicott College Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Nazarene finishes the year 9-16 overall with a 5-8 record in the TCCC.