WENHAM, Mass. — The Roger Williams University Men's Basketball team earned an 87–77 Conference of New England (CNE) victory over Gordon College on Tuesday night at the Bennett Center. The Hawks poured in 51 points after halftime to improve to 10–9 overall and 6–4 in CNE play.
The opening half featured back-and-forth action, with Gordon shooting 50.0 percent from the floor to carry a narrow 39–36 lead into the break. Roger Williams stayed within striking distance behind strong free-throw shooting, going 12-of-13 from the line in the first half while weathering a cold stretch from beyond the arc.
RWU flipped the game after halftime, shooting 54.3 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three-point range in the second half. The Hawks outscored Gordon 51–38 over the final 20 minutes, using balanced scoring and improved ball movement to seize control during a stretch that featured 11 total lead changes on the night.
Ashton Leclerc (Gorham, Maine) led all scorers with 24 points, shooting 8-of-12 from the field and a perfect 6-of-6 at the free-throw line. Finn Miller (Stamford, Conn.) followed with 18 points and seven rebounds on 8-of-13 shooting. Joey Dwyer (Pembroke, Mass.) added a strong spark off the bench with 15 points, knocking down three three-pointers, while Ryan Hammarlund (Southington, Conn.) chipped in eight points, four rebounds, and three assists.
Roger Williams finished the game shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 28.9 percent from beyond the arc, while converting 94.1 percent of its free throws. The Hawks totaled 32 points in the paint, while forcing Gordon into eight turnovers that led to 17 points.
Gordon was led by Alex Daniel with 16 points, while Ryan Brooks recorded a double-double with 13 points and a game-high 17 rebounds. Despite Gordon shooting 47.7 percent overall, RWU's second-half efficiency and depth proved decisive.
Roger Williams (10-9, 6-4 CNE) will continue conference play as they face off against University of New England on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 3pm in Maine. The Hawks will then return home to host Endicott on Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 7:30pm in the Campus Recreation Center.
