Box Score BIDDEFORD, Maine - Roger Williams University shot 56.3 percent (36-for-64) on its field goal tries to come away with a 107-76 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) men's basketball result versus the University of New England on Saturday afternoon (Dec. 2) at the Harold Alfond Forum.
 
The Hawks continue their best start in recent history, improving to 7-0 on the year (2-0 CCC), while the Nor'easters slip to 2-5 overall (1-1 CCC).
 
Austin Coene (Tyngsborough, Mass.) led the visiting squad with 23 points, which included career number 1,000 on his initial basket. The senior guard also secured a game-high 12 rebounds and dished out five assists. Three more reached double figures in scoring, with 19 points (and 9 rebounds) by Conor O'Brien (Sharon, Mass.), 18 from Nick Marini (Loudonville, N.Y.), and 14 out of Rich Pugliese (Middlebury, Conn.), who added seven boards and five helpers. Jaylen Jennings (Norwalk, Conn.) had six assists and corralled 11 rebounds for Roger Williams, which overcame 25 turnovers by establishing a 63-45 advantage on the glass.
 
In addition to more than half (56) of their points coming in the paint, the Hawks out-scored UNE by a 28-5 margin at the free throw line.
 
For the Nor'easters, Gavin Dibble (Greenport, N.Y.) and Alex Kravchuk (Mansfield, Conn.) each registered 12 points. Drew Patno (Lunenburg, Mass.) topped the rebounding effort with seven, and Drew Coveney (Londonderry, N.H.) had six assists.
 
UNE connected on just 25 percent (26-of-103) of its shot attempts in the contest. The team went 19-for-83 from behind the arc.
 
Roger Williams jumped out to a 9-0 cushion and never looked back. The hosts twice reduced the gap to four in the minutes that followed, but the Hawks had the spread in double digits for good by the 5:50 mark of the 1st half (36-26) and led 53-38 at the break.
 
A spurt of three triples in less than a minute for the Nor'easters closed a 19-point deficit to 70-60 with 11:24 to go, but RWU got a three-point play from Drew Hart (Cheshire, Conn.) on the ensuing possession to start 10 unanswered going the other way.
 
UNE is slated to travel to Endicott College on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.).
 
- Release courtesy of the University of New England Sports Information Department