Thorpe-Johnson Sets Single-Game Scoring Record as UNE Tops Men's Basketball

Thorpe-Johnson Sets Single-Game Scoring Record as UNE Tops Men's Basketball

BIDDEFORD, Maine – The Curry College men's basketball team dropped a 139-104 decision to the University of New England on Wednesday night at the Harold Alfond Forum in Commonwealth Coast Conference play. The win moves the Nor'easters to 6-15 overall and 4-8 in the CCC while the Colonels slip to 1-19 overall and 0-11 in league play. The 243 total points scored marks a new school record of most combined points in a game.

Senior Drew Muniz (Gloucester, Mass.) netted a program record 59 points on 16-for-20 shooting from the floor, including 12-for-16 from distance, and a perfect 12-for-12 from the charity stripe. Sophomore DeMarquez Hadnot (Pflugerville, Texas) added 14 points off the bench while freshman Anthony Moynihan (Worthington, Mass.) pitched in with 10 points in a reserve role for UNE. 15 different players scored for the Nor'easters in the contest.

Curry shot 46.8 percent as a team and 29.4 percent from three-point range. Junior Jared Thorpe-Johnson (Dorchester, Mass.) led all scorers with a program record 59 points and shot an astounding 22-for-29 from the floor, including 6-for-10 from three-point range and a perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line. He tossed in 10 rebounds for a double-double and added one assist and a steal in 38 minutes. The 59 points shatters a school record for most points in a game set by Burnis DeVaugh, who scored 48 in a contest against New England College back in 1973. Junior Dwayne Boothe (Jamaica, N.Y.) joined Thorpe-Johnson in double figures with a double-double of 11 points and 13 boards. Senior Alex Stein (Mount Olive, N.J.) and junior Dashawn Williams (New Haven, Conn.) contributed eight points apiece while freshman Jon Joel (Cranston, R.I.) finished with seven points and a season-high seven assists.

The teams got right to it and started the scoring onslaught as they combined for 139 first-half points. The Nor'easters built a quick 13-3 lead after triples on four straight possessions, two coming from Muniz and the latter two coming from Hadnot. UNE held at least a 10 point lead for most of the half. The Nor'easters stretched the lead to as many as 23 before the halftime intermission as they entered the break with an 81-58 advantage. UNE shot 51 percent in the first half on 27-for-52 from the floor, which included 11-for-26 from three, and 16-for-19 from the free throw line. Muniz closed the first stanza with 32 points on 10-for-11 from the floor, 7-for-8 from distance, and a perfect 5-for-5 from the charity stripe. Thorpe-Johnson matched Muniz with 32 points of his own on 12-for-17 shooting and 6-for-6 from the free throw line in 18 first-half minutes.

Muniz and Thorpe-Johnson picked up right where they left off in the first half, combining for 51 total points in the second half. The Nor'easters led by as many as 44 in the final half as UNE was able to come away with the 35-point victory.

The Colonels registered its ninth game of the season of knocking down at least 10 triples, going 10-for-34. UNE matched a season-high with 21 made threes on 55 attempts, a mark that previously hit on December 8 against Colby Sawyer.

The story of the game came down to the turnover column. The Nor'easters scored 49 points off of 38 Curry turnovers while the Colonels were only able to muster up 16 points off 18 UNE miscues.

Curry remains on the road for its next contest, traveling to Western New England on Saturday, February 2 at 3:00 p.m. UNE travels to Salve Regina for its next game on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.

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