Box Score
WHENHAM, MA - As many coaches dutifully preach, failure to put away a team when the opportunity arises can prove devastating.
Don't believe it? Take Friday's opening round basketball game at the Gordon College Invitational as Exhibit A.
Despite knocking down 40 percent of their long range attempts while forcing the opposition into 23 turnovers, the Crimson Eagles dropped their second straight contest to kick off the 2009 season during a 67-61 loss to New England College Friday afternoon.
After shooting at a 32 percent clip for the game during their opening contest, PBU proved to be more efficient on the offensive end their second time out, collecting a 45 percent mark for the game on Friday.
Unfortunately, the group's traditionally stiffling defense failed to make an appearance against the Pilgrims, and was all-but absent when it counted down the stretch.
New England College blistered the Crimson Eagles by drilling 25 of 53 attempts for the day which included a 56 percent clip in the opening stanza. Holding teams to under 40 percent overall for the season a year ago, the Pilgrims' mark on Friday signals just the eighth time in two years that PBU has allowed better than 47 percent shooting from the opposition.
"We came out of the gate slowly today and weren't very sharp on either end of the floor and they took advantage of it," head coach Drew Watson said following the final horn. "That was really the game right there. We fought back in the second half and took a ten point lead but got away from what was successful for us during that time and they made a big run at us."
New England College would enjoy a five point edge at the break (32-27) but would surrender their advantage early in the second stanza when the Crimson Eagles would slowly erode the deficit. But the Pilgrims used an 11-14 effort from the charity stripe down the stretch to help the squad regain the lead during New England's first win of the year.
"We made some bad decisions down the stretch and didn't have enough left in the tank to make a push in the end," said Watson. "We're going to learn from it and get better."
Senior Dani Norton had another monster game for the Crimson Eagles, connecting for 24 points while corralling 10 rebounds and three steals. Careth Herron added nine boards and five assists, and Sarah Oessench chipped in with eight points while dropping six dimes.
The basketball team will play in their second game in as many days during the consolation contest Saturday afternoon. PBU will play MIT at 1:00 pm before returning to Langhorne.
