Men's Basketball Comes Up Short Once Again

Tyrece Gibbs had 20 points and New Hampshire broke away in the late stages of the game en route to a 64-56 America East Conference victory over UAlbany on Thursday, Feb. 26 at Lundholm Gymnasium. The Wildcats swept the regular-season series for the first time since 2005-06.

With the score tied at 49 apiece, New Hampshire (12-15, AE 7-8) sped away with seven consecutive points. Radar Onguetou, a 6-foot-5 junior, followed Alvin Abreu’s missed three-point field goal attempt from the left wing. After the Great Danes turned the ball over on a five-second call under UNH’s basket, Gibbs buried a fadeaway three-pointer from right of the key on his team’s next possession. Ongeutou, who totaled 12 points and nine rebounds, sank both ends of a one-and-one free throw opportunity with 1:36 remaining to close out that decisive run.

“Our energy was high and we competed in the first half,” said UAlbany coach Will Brown, whose team played with a short bench for the second straight game due to injuries and one suspension. “New Hampshire sagged off (Mike) Johnson and (Jerel) Hastings in the second half and took away our driving angles. Gibbs was great and we gave him too many three-point attempts. Their offensive rebounds led directly to baskets.”

In a first half that had four lead changes and four ties, UAlbany (14-14, AE 6-9) took a 14-9 lead when Mike Johnson, who had eight points and six rebounds, converted in the lane off a feed from the top by Billy Allen. The Wildcats wiped out that margin with seven straight points. Tyrone Conley tied the contest with a three-point field goal off a screen from the top of the arc and then gave his team the lead with a foul-line jumper.

Still trailing 19-17, the Great Danes went back in front for the rest of the period. Allen sank two foul shots, before Johnson connected in transition after Jimmie Covington started the break with a blocked shot. UAlbany extended its lead to 32-25 as Will Harris hit a slam dunk off a lob pass from Jerel Hastings, but Gibbs beat the halftime buzzer by making a 19-footer with a dribble move.

UAlbany posted its biggest lead at 34-27 early in the final period when Tim Ambrose, the lone Great Dane in double figures with 11 points, converted a back-door cut. But that advantage was quickly erased, as Gibbs hit two free throws to draw his team even at 37 apiece and Rony Tchatchoua hit a drive in the lane to put the Wildcats ahead.

The contest went back-and-forth over the next seven minutes despite the fact that the visitors made just 20.7 percent from the field after halftime on 6-of-29 shooting. Tchatchoua, who scored in twin figures for the fourth time this season with 12 points, delivered a crowd-pleasing, one-handed slam dunk in transition for a 46-43 lead. UAlbany’s Harris, who had nine points and five rebounds off the bench, sank two free throws to force the fifth tie of the period. Gibbs followed with a 22-foot three-pointer from the left side, before Johnson eventually made a driving layup in transition that evened the score at 49-all with 5:06 left.

“That’s the make-up of our team right now, we are not a jump-shooting team,” explained Brown, whose squad fell into a tie for sixth place in the conference standings. “We can’t stretch the defense. With (Anthony) Raffa and (Louis) Barraza out, we have to encourage Mike and Jerel to more aggressive.”

Brian Connelly and Hastings each finished with nine points for the Great Danes, who have dropped six of their last seven outings. Covington added eight points, his highest scoring total since Jan. 31, 2007, and grabbed five rebounds in his second consecutive starting assignment.