WORCESTER, Mass. – Roger Williams' Austin Coene (Tyngsborough, Mass.) scored 30 points with five rebounds, three assists and a steal to guide the Hawks to a 78-64 win over the Worcester State University Lancers Saturday afternoon inside the Lancer Gymnasium. The Hawks record improved to 8-2 as Worcester State fell to 1-11

Off the tipoff, Worcester State's Cal Howes (Maynard, Mass.) made a layup to give the Lancers their first and, what proved to be, their only lead of the game. Coene put the Hawks on the board 45 seconds later on a layup. The Hawks scored the next five baskets of the game to attain a quick 10-point lead. Worcester's Emeka Eguatu (Worcester, Mass.) broke Roger Williams' scoring binge with a free throw. On the Hawks' next possession, Conor O'Brien (Sharon, Mass.) completed a layup. Worcester State responded with a 5-0 run ignited by a Chris Cardoso (Jamaica Plains, Mass.) triple to get within six. The Lancers kept within six points until the Hawks began a 9-0 run with 9:44 on the clock to gain a 14-point lead. Worcester State's Bryson Gulley (Mattapan, Mass.) closed the gap with a jumper and a 3-pointer with seven minutes to go. Roger Williams, though, ended the half with seven consecutive points, five of which were from Jaylen Jennings (Norwalk, Conn.), for a 44-27 score at the intermission.

Succeeding a Coene layup in the first minute of the second half, Worcester State's Howes and Shaun McCarthy (Oxford, Mass.) directed a 7-0 run to make it a 12-point game. Jennings put up another triple a minute later, and Jake Heaton (Shelton, Conn.) put the Hawks ahead by 20 with a triple with the clock at 11:58. Howes and McCarthy teamed up again to put seven points back up on the board for Worcester State. Worcester State made it a 10-point game once again and trailed by only eight with 3:35 to go in the game on a McCarthy bucket. Roger Williams came back with an 8-2 run to close out the game for a final score of 78-64.

Coene led all scoring with 30 points and also picked up five rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Nick Marini (Loudonville, N.Y.) accounted for 17 Hawk points and also collected three rebounds, a team-high four assists, and two steals.  Jennings totaled 10 points, while O'Brien chipped in nine for the Hawks. Both teams shot below 30% from 3-point range. Roger Williams forced 19 Worcester State turnovers which turned into 29 points for the visitors.  Worcester State and Roger Williams are tied 3-3 all-time in a series that dates back to 1995.

Following today's game, the Hawks will host Wentworth Institute of Technology for a Commonwealth Coast match up on Thursday January 4 at 7:30 p.m.