BRISTOL, R.I. – The Roger Williams University Men's Basketball team notched its fourth straight win with a 69-56 victory over Western New England University Tuesday night.

The win for the Hawks clinches a spot for the Hawks in the upcoming Commonwealth Coast Conference Tournament. RWU now stands at 10-14 overall and 7-10 in the CCC. Western New England falls to 7-16 overall (5-11 CCC) and remains in the hunt for a playoff berth.

RWU's Ryan Palumbo (Warwick, R.I.) set new career highs with 22 points and 12 rebounds (eight offensive). Adam Cook (Manasquan, N.J.) added 11 points and four assists, while Josh McCourt (Lincoln, R.I.) contributed seven points and three rebounds off the bench.

Sinclair Lewis (Bristol, Conn.) led the Golden Bears with 17 points off the bench. Dennis Rinaldi (Harrison, N.Y.) nearly finished with a double-double, going for nine points and 12 rebounds. Kevin Wilkes (Troy, N.Y.) added four points and five rebounds.

The opening half was a back-and-forth affair, with seven ties and ten lead changes. Mike Igoe (Lexington, Mass.) knocked down a jumper on the opening possession for RWU, followed by a put-back by Rinaldi for Western New England.

This would be the theme of the opening period, with neither team leading by more than two for much of the first part of the half. Roger Williams managed to squeeze a bit of breathing room with Palumbo dropping a shot to give the Hawks a 32-26 lead with 1:07 left in the half. However a pair of Lewis free throws and a James Hock (Trumbull, Conn.) layup brought the Golden Bears back within two.

Mike Engemann (Red Bank, N.J.) closed out the half with a long three just before the buzzer to send the Hawks into the break up by five. The basket helped build the Hawks' momentum going into the second half, as RWU scored seven straight points to open the period.

The Hawks were able to keep Western New England at bay, though the Golden Bears continued to fight throughout. DeWayne Winn (Bristol, Conn.) put in a layup with 8:58 to play to bring WNE back within three (48-51). However, a quick 10-2 run brought the Hawk advantage back to 11 with 6:20 left. The Hawks would ultimately hold on for the win, not letting WNE pull closer than nine over the rest of the game..

Roger Williams closes out the regular season on the road Saturday at Salve Regina, while Western New England hosts Eastern Nazarene on Thursday.