PRIDE FALL TO WPI IN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

WESTON, MASS.- W.P.I. junior guard Jeffrey Robinson (Granby, Conn.) tallied a team-high 17 points and led the Engineers (9-1 overall) to a 64-56 victory over host Regis College (3-5 overall) in The Park Lodge Tournament Men’s Championship game on Saturday afternoon.
 
Regis ran out to an 11-4 lead to open the game, but went seemingly cold the rest of the opening half, shooting just over 30 percent from the floor (7-for-23) and a dismal 1-for-9 from three-point range.  WPI chipped away pretty quickly and grabbed its first lead for good just six minutes into the game 15-14.  The catalyst for the Engineers came in the form of sophomore guard Jamie Shannon (Lowell, Mass.).  Two big first-half steals and seven timely points in the opening stanza, coupled with Robinson’s 10 first-half points served as complimentary in earning the 32-25 lead into the break. In addition, WPI got some well-earned points in the paint from sophomore forward Fernando Perez (Lowell, Mass.), registering eight first-half points and going 4-for-7 from the field.  Shannon finished the game with 15 points and six rebounds.  Perez wound up with 11 points and eight boards.
 
WPI managed to extend its lead to 15 points well into the second-half, but Regis would not go away, cutting the lead to five points with a little under three minutes remaining.  The Pride found the touch in the second half shooting 50 percent from the field (13-for-26) and 3-for-8 from behind the arc.  Senior forward Jesse Vega (Pawtucket, R.I.) willed his way to a game-high 18 points, adding six boards, and going 8-for-9 from the charity stripe.
 
Ta’Keame Gomes (Cambridge, Mass.) helped put Regis in a position to complete the comeback with more than two minutes to go, scoring eight second-half points before fouling out on an offensive rebound attempt on the low post.  Regis couldn’t recover, and WPI’s 16-for-19 second-half free throw output pushed the Engineers to the title. Gomes finished with 12 points and four boards in the losing effort.
 
Vega and Gomes represented Regis as All-Tournament Team selections.  Robinson was named to All-Tournament honors, and senior center Bennett Lessard (North Belgrade, Maine) was named Tournament MVP for the Engineers.