FRANKLIN, Mass. – After a three-point shot in the final seconds, the Dean College men's basketball team fell on Senior Day to Regis College by a final score of 69-66. With the loss, the Bulldogs finish the regular season with a 15-10 record (5-7 GNAC), while the Pride end at 14-11 (5-7 GNAC).
 
Notables:
-Despite losing, the Bulldogs officially punched their ticket into the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament. They will serve as the #7 seed and will travel to #2 University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) on Wednesday, February 25^th. Tip-off is scheduled for 7PM.
-Prior to the game, the Dean College Department of Athletics & Recreation recognized the eight seniors graduating from the men's basketball team: Xavier Boyd (Loganville, Ga.), Nashon Henderson-Crews (Bronx, N.Y.), Moussa Berete (Richmond, Va.), Moses Ilodigwe (Wilmington, Del.), Christian Yeates (Atlanta, Ga.), Xavier Rubio (San Diego, Calif.), Randy Vasquez (Methuen, Mass.), and Student-Coach Dylan Olson.

How it Happened:
-After both sides missed their opening possessions, Berete snagged the first basket of the game. A strong effort inside the paint allowed Berete to sneak up to the glass and convert the layup.
-Berete's opening basket prompted the Bulldogs to go on an impressive 14-4 run, including scores from Vasquez, Boyd, and Naser Motley (Everett, Wash.).
-Dean held onto their large lead until the seven-minute mark of the opening half. The Pride's Aamyr Sullivan led the charge, eventually prompting a 12-2 run and giving them a 27-26 lead.
-Yeates snagged a three-point shot in the latter minutes to give the lead back to Dean, 31-29. Vasquez also scored a three-point play, securing a layup and drawing the foul.
-Right before the end of the first half, Jahkai Veal leaped for one last jump shot and converted successfully. His basket tied the game at 34 going into the locker room.
-Throughout the entirety of the second half, neither side saw a lead higher than five points. Dean and Regis continued to exchange the lead with physical baskets underneath the rim.
-Both sides were also identical in second-chance baskets with 10 each.
-Halfway through the second half, Dean took a small advantage over the Pride. Yeates drew another foul and converted on free throws. The Bulldogs now led 53-52 with 10 minutes left in the game.
-The chess game continued until the final minute of the game. Donnary Fontenot (Atlanta, Ga.) scored a critical jump shot, giving Dean a 66-65 lead and forcing Regis to call a full timeout.
-However, the timeout gave Regis a chance to devise the game-winning play. Within ten seconds after the timeout, Jamir Harvey collected a beautiful pass and scored a clutch three-point shot. This put Regis in front 68-66.
-Dean hustled to get the ball over half court and start a fresh possession. Motley drove to the net, looking for the layup, but missed. Vasquez was forced to foul and put Regis at the free throw line. This also took Vasquez out of the game with five fouls.
-Regis hit the first free throw, making it 69-66. However, Veal missed the second, allowing Dean to snag the board and rush down the court.
-With ten seconds remaining, Rubio had the game-tying shot attempt. However, his three-point effort rolled around the rim twice and failed to fall. The following buzzer brought an end to the game, giving Dean the heartbreaking 69-66 loss.
 
Standouts:
-Yeates DOUBLE-DOUBLE (14 Points, 11 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 4 Steals)
-Boyd (13 Points, Rebound, Steal)
-Motley (7 Points, 7 Rebounds, 2 Blocks, Assist)
 
Next Up:
-Wednesday, February 25^th, 7:00PM @ #2 University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) (GNAC Tournament Quarterfinals)

For Media Inquiries:
Brett Chaves
Sports Information Director, Dean College Athletics
(508) 541-1826
BChaves@dean.edu