Box Score WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – All-Tournament picks Andre Nixon and Franklyn Mickens combined for 43 of their team's points as Purchase College won the 33rd Annual Eastern Connecticut State University men's basketball tournament for the second time in four years Saturday, defeating the host Warriors in the final again, 68-62, at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.
At right: Brian Salzillo (Photo by Liam Murphy)
Eastern (1-1) scored the first seven points of the second half and outscored Purchase (2-0) 13-7 over the first five minutes of the stanza to take its last lead, 42-41, before the Panthers countered with a run of 11 straight points to pull away to an 11-point, 52-42 lead with 11:31 left in the game.
Eastern senior Mike Garrow (Terryville) fueled Eastern early second-half spurt with eight points after being shut down with two points in the first half, and Troy Singleton and Nixon sparked Purchase's decisive run by coming for eight points.
Nixon was named the tournament Most Outstanding Player with 53 points in two games on 20-for-34 shooting and 11 rebounds. He had 22 points and seven rebounds in the final. Mickens totaled 21 of his tournament's 24 points in the final.
Garrow had 37 points 15 rebounds and 11 assists in the tournament, 25 points coming in the opening win over Worcester State. Senior Brian Salzillo (North Haven) joined Garrow on the all-tournament team from Eastern. Salzillo amassed 55 points with 13 three-pointers (on 26 attempts). In the opener, he had a career-high 31 points on 10-for-16 shooting (7-for-12 from three-point range).
Becker College 66, Worcester State U. 64, 2 ot
WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Becker College's Rashaun Liggon sank two free throws after grabbing an airball with 2.6 seconds left in double overtime to lead the Hawks to a 66-64 victory over Worcester State University in the consolation game.
Liggon, who had missed two free throws with a minute left in a tie game, was fouled in the act of shooting after grabbing an air ball off a missed three-point attempt in the closing seconds of the second overtime. After a Worcester (0-2) timeout, he sank both attempts for the winning points. Jeremy Ross's half court attempt from half court bounced off the backboard as time expired.
Worcester's Noris Cuevas-Nova nailed a three-pointer to tie the game at 55-all with eight seconds left in regulation, but Becker (1-1) nearly won the game on its final possession of regulation, but David Maturah's followup of Darius Sealy's missed driving layup went in and out.
Tyler Roberson of Becker led all players with 28 points and a team-high 12 rebounds, with Dane Jobst of Worcester right behind with 27 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Andre Nixon (MOP), Franklyn Mickens, Purchase
Brian Salzillo, Mike Garrow, Eastern Conn.
Dane Jobst, Worcester State
Tyler Roberson, Becker
