BY KEVIN COLEMAN // FEB. 22, 2015 //

Emotions were running high Saturday afternoon at Curry College, as the Colonels men’s basketball team completed a disappointing season with a Senior Day overtime victory over Salve Regina.

A pregame ceremony was held in honor of Curry’s four seniors: Matt Russell, Jordan Vieira, Antonio Jones, and Kylerr Bucano. All four were brought to center court, where they were joined by their respective family members.

Senior guard Antonio Jones finished with a team-high 31 points. // PHOTO COURTESY OF CURRY ATHLETICS

“What makes this day emotional is that we didn’t have the type of season to commemorate what they gave to the program,” said Coach Malcolm Wynn, whose team finished the season 6-19 overall, and 4-14 in Commonwealth Coast Conference play.

The four seniors were the last remaining members of the 2013 conference championship team.

The teams traded baskets to start the game. Seahawks star Barrett Hanlon and Curry’s Jones sparked both offenses. Russell provided mismatches down low and was a key factor in the Colonels’ eventual 84-80 victory. Russell finished the game with 17 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks.

Hanlon was the huge source of offense for Salve Regina, as he finished with a whopping 40 points—including 6-for-9 behind the three-point arc—and nine assists.

The second half found both squads playing evenly, and the Colonels quickly jumped out to an eight-point lead. Salve’s Hanlon and Eric MacKinnon kept the Seahawks in the game, though, as they shot well from three-point land.

Jones, who led Curry with 31 points—including 12-for-15 from the free-throw line—had a chance to win the game in regulation, but his jump shot missed the mark.

The Colonels took a quick lead in overtime and never looked back. With clutch play from Jones, Curry secured the Senior Day win.

“It’s great,” said Russell. “A lot of emotions were displayed, but we showed resiliency and I’m happy we pulled out the win.”