ORLANDO --  The Carthage College men's basketball team outscored Eastern Connecticut State University 18-2 over 11 minutes of the first half and withstood several challenges in the second half to post a 61-58 victory Saturday afternoon at the Orlando Downtown Recreation Complex.

At right:Trachone Preston shoots over Cameron Van Wyk in the first half of Saturday's 61-58 loss to Carthage at Orlando.

Ranked No. 22 nationally, Eastern (7-3) lost for the second straight day – the losses coming by a total of four points – after bringing a six-game winning streak into action. The Warriors were coming off a 70-69 overtime loss to North Central College Friday while Carthage (7-4) rebounded against the Warriors after blowing a late 11-point lead in a 67-65 loss to Buffalo State College Friday.

Carthage led by eight points with seven minutes left and by nine with 48 seconds remaining against Eastern but left the door open – in part -- by missing four of eight free throws the rest of the way.

While the Red Men were missing free throws, the Warriors chipped three points off the deficit on three separate occasions in the final 33 seconds on three-point field goals by sophomore guard Trachone Preston (Enfield) and senior guard Brian Salzillo (North Haven) and three free throws by Preston, who was fouled attempting another three-pointer with six seconds left.

After Preston's three free throws pulled Eastern to within a pair, 60-58, senior guard Malcom Kelly made only one of two free throws after being fouled in the backcourt with five seconds left. Needing to drive the length of the court for a chance to tie, Eastern junior Leroy Haye (Delray Beach, FL) inbounded under the basket to Salzillo (ranked second nationally in three-pointers), who dribbled in traffic to mid court before spinning free and unloading a shot with bounced hard off the backboard as the horn sounded.

The lead changed hands six times in the opening minutes but the Warriors never led by more than one point before Carthage ripped off its 18-2 run that pushed it to a 15-point, 26-11 advantage with 7:34 left in the first half.

Eastern cut  nine points off the lead by halftime but went scoreless over the first five minutes of the second half as the Red Man re-gained their 15-point lead, 37-22.

Each team got bench scoring from only one person, but Kelly, who was ineligible in the first semester,  came off the bench for 15 points and four rebounds (6-of-8 from the foul line) in 26 minutes.

Freshman forward Hugh Lindo (Enfield) was the only Eastern player to score off the bench, netting just two points, but teamed with Haye as the pair combined for 14 rebounds to help the Warriors to a +7 advantage in that department. It was the most substantial contribution made this year by Haye, who grabbed a game-high eight rebounds in 14 minutes and also had a blocked shot, assist and steal in 14 minutes. He did not attempt a shot from the floor.

Salzillo led all players with 23 points, hitting three three-pointers to extend his personal streak to 45 games with at least one trey. Preston added 15 points and five assists, junior forward Brandon Yarborough (Stamford) adding eight points and five rebounds.

Senior forward Mike Garrow (Terryville) – second to Salzillo this year in scoring  – fouled out for the second straight game, picking up his fifth foul with 1:02 left and his team trailing by six. (Yarborough followed Garrow to the bench 46 seconds later after being whistled for his fifth.) Coming off a game-high 25-point performance against North Central Friday afternoon, Garrow scored six of his eight points from the foul line to make him 17-of-21 from the stripe in two games, but couldn't get his shot to drop. A 50 percent shooter from the floor this year, Garrow was 1-of-9 from the field Saturday, the bucket coming on a drive 3:20 into the contest that gave the Warriors their first lead after surrendering two quick opening hoops.

After turning the ball over 28 times in Friday's loss, Carthage cut that total to 12 against Eastern and sank 18 of 25 free throws after missing ten of 26 against Buffalo State.

Senior forward Marlon Senior led the Red Men with 18 points (8-of-11 from the foul line) and six rebounds. Junior forward Cameron Van Wyk followed Kelly's 15 points with 14 (7-of-11 from the floor).

Eastern returns to Little East Conference action Jan. 4 at Plymouth State University.