WESTON, Mass. - February 8, 2022 - A potential go-ahead shot and a game-tying bucket both rimmed out on two possessions in the final seven seconds for the Bulldogs as Regis was able to escape with a 74-71 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC). 

These teams just played each other on Saturday at Dean. The Bulldogs finished that game on a 9-0 run to earn a 64-61 victory. 

Dean (6-14, 1-12 GNAC) has a quick turnaround with an important GNAC home game against Elms on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Regis (10-10, 7-7 GNAC) heads to New Haven, Conn., to face Albertus Magnus on Thursday 7 p.m.   

Trailing 72-68 with 26 seconds left to play, Bulldogs senior Winston Bryan (Greensboro, N.C.) nailed a three-pointer to pull Dean within one. On the ensuing inbounds play, Regis turned the ball over back to Dean. Senior Nick Sampeck (Blanco, Texas) was able to get free for a baseline jumper that went half way down but out and back to Regis. After a pair of free throws to make the game 74-71, the Bulldogs rushed the ball up the floor for a three-point attempt by Bryan that again went in and out as the horn sounded. 

Mark Blair (Rosedale, N.Y.) led the Bulldogs with 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Hunter Meyer (Taylor Mill, Ky.) finished with a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds. Bryan contributed 13 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals. As a team, Dean shot 50 percent (31-for-62) from the field, including 6-for-13 from behind the three-point line, plus it outrebounded Regis, 41-23, including 12 offensive boards that led to 10 second chance points. 

The Pride were led by Jalil Wilkerson (New Haven, Conn.) with 20 points on 8-for-13 shooting from the field. Zakaria Latifi (Holliston, Mass.) went 6-for-8 from behind the three-point line to finish with 18 points, while Justin Evelyn (Uniondale, N.Y.) collected 12 points, four assists, and three steals. Russell Rau (Fitchburg, Mass.) ended up with 11 points and five rebounds, and Marc Trinidad (Bronx, N.Y.) added 10 points, five rebounds, and four assists. 
 
Latifi hit two three-pointers early in the first half to help the Pride establish a 10-4 advantage. Later in the first half, Dean scored six straight points to tie the game at 24-24, but Regis quickly responded with 12 unanswered points, featuring two more three-pointers from Latifi, to open a 36-24 lead. A three-pointer from Bryan and a traditional three-point play by Meyer cut the Pride advantage in half, but Evelyn made a three-pointer to give Regis a nine-point halftime lead at 39-30. 
 
The Bulldogs put together a 16-4 scoring run in the first four-and-a-half minutes of the second half, punctuated by consecutive three-pointers from Sampeck, to pull ahead, 46-43. Joshua Perez (Lynn, Mass.) hit a three-pointer with nine minutes left in regulation to tie the game at 54-54, but Dean retook the lead thanks to a three-pointer from Traijan Powell (Sierra Vista, Ariz.). 
 
Down by four with 3:12 left in the second half, Regis battled back thanks to a layup by Wilkerson and a traditional three-point play from Rau. Sampeck hit a jumper to put the Bulldogs back on top, but Wilkerson made two free throws on the ensuing possession and then, after a Dean turnover, Latifi hit his sixth three-pointer of the game to extend the Pride lead to 72-68 with 39.9 seconds showing on the clock.