BRISTOL, R.I. — The Roger Williams University Men's Basketball team dropped a close Conference of New England (CNE) contest on Saturday afternoon, falling 55–53 to Western New England at the Campus Recreation Center.

Western New England led early, scoring 35 points in the first half while holding RWU to 29. The Hawks battled back in the second half, outscoring the Golden Bears 24–20, but came up just short.

Ryan Higgins (Boston, Mass.) led RWU with 20 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, while adding two rebounds and a steal. Joey Dwyer (Pembroke, Mass.) contributed 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting and chipped in one rebound and one block, while Ashton Leclerc (Gorham, Maine) added six points and pulled down five rebounds.

Roger Williams shot 33.9 percent from the field and 25.0 percent from three-point range, while making 9-of-12 free throws. The Hawks grabbed 36 rebounds, including nine offensive boards, generating six second-chance points. The team also tallied 12 points off turnovers.

Western New England was paced by Matt Houde, who scored 13 points on 5-of-12 shooting, while Luke Vlajkovic added 12 points and a team-high 14 rebounds. The Golden Bears converted 5-of-11 free throws and finished 21-of-63 from the floor, while holding a slight edge on the glass with 42 total rebounds.

Roger Williams (9-9, 5-4 CNE) will aim to bounce back as it continues CNE play this week, heading to Gordon on Wednesday, Jan. 28. WNE (12-5, 6-2 CNE) will hope to keep their momentum going as they head to Hartford on Wednesday, Jan. 28.