Slow second half stifles Men’s Basketball against Wells

AURORA, N.Y. --- Carlow University men's basketball lost a close 85-70 AMCC contest to Wells College on the road Saturday.

The Celtics (3-14, 1-9 AMCC) had the Express (4-12, 3-6 AMCC) on the ropes in the first half, but a strong second half showing from Wells allowed them to run away with the game.

Byron Gaskins led Carlow with 21 points, and Galen Waters added 12. Riley Comforti contributed 10 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two assists in the effort.

The Celtics jumped out to a 12-4 advantage to start the first half, holding the Express to single digit scoring until almost midway through the half. A dunk put Wells into double digits, and a three-pointer cut Carlow's lead to two. The Celtics maintained their lead until the end of the half when a jumper tied the score 29-all with just over a minute remaining.

A free throw from Gaskins put Carlow ahead once again, but a last-second layup gave the Express a one-point lead heading into halftime.

The teams traded leads eight times throughout the beginning of the second half. Two buckets and a pair of free throws gave the Express a five-point lead that they extended to 10 at the midway point. Despite Carlow's best efforts they could not string together a run to bridge the gap.

Both teams tallied 41 rebounds apiece, but Wells outscored the Celtics 46-28 in the paint and 24-10 off the bench.

Ransel Rodriguez led all scorers with a game-high 28 points, and three other Express players recorded double figures in the win.

Carlow returns to action with a 6 p.m. home game against Penn State Behrend Jan. 24.