WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Senior forward Chris Robitaille (Canton) improved his career-high point total for the second straight game with 31 points, shooting 14-for-18 from the floor in leading the No. 3 seeded Eastern Connecticut State University men's basketball team to an 85-64 victory over No. 6 seed Johnson & Wales University in the opening round of the 2013 ECAC New England Division III Tournament at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium Wednesday evening.

By registering its fourth straight 20-win season, Eastern (20-8) advances to the tournament semifinals Saturday at 3 p.m. against No. 2 seed Anna Maria College (21-8), which eliminated No. 7 seed University of Southern Maine, 76-62, Wednesday night. The semifinals and final will be played at No. 1 seed Westfield State University (22-5), which downed No. 8 seed Emerson College, 71-52.

Westfield faces No. 4 seed Castleton State College in the first semifinal Saturday at 1 p.m. The Spartans edged No. 5 Wentworth Institute of Technology, 80-79.

The tournament final is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m.

Playing its seventh straight home game in the ECAC tournament over a three-year span, Eastern scored 50 points on 69.0 percent shooting in the second half against Johnson & Wales to erase a five-point halftime deficit.  Robitaille, who moved to within 26 points of 1,000 in his career, had 19 second-half points (8-of-9 from the floor), while junior guard Brian Salzillo (North Haven) was perfect on three three-point field goals and added 11 over the final 20 minutes. Held scoreless in the first half, freshman guard Trachone Preston (Enfield) added nine points in the second half.

Salzillo, who set a program season record this year for three-point field goals, followed Robitaille with 19 points, sinking 5-of-10 from long range, with sophomore guard Brandon Yarborough (Stamford)  totaling a career-high 12 points , grabbing 11 rebounds and handing out five assists. Junior guard Mike Garrow (Terryville) chipped in 11 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Robitaille led all players in the game with 11 rebounds, recording his fourth double-double in the last five games.

Playing without two starters -- Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Rookie-of-the-Year and team scoring leader Quarry Greenway (Westchester, NY)  and leading rebounder Esaie Touze (Providence, RI) – the Wildcats scored 13 points off ten Eastern turnovers and shot 51.5 percent in the first half in opening up a five-point halftime lead. 

Freshman guard Tom Garrick (Providence, RI) and senior guard Dan Barbour (Providence, RI) combined for 22 first-half points for the Wildcats, Garrick grabbing six rebounds.

Salzillo's three-point field goal three minutes into the second half gave the Warriors the lead for good and Eastern went on a 19-3 run over six minutes to push the advantage to 17, 63-46, with 11:30 left. Robitaille sparked that spurt with nine points, Salzillo burying two three-pointers and two free throws.

Barbour topped the Wildcats with 19 points (8-of-14 from the floor). Garrick had 17 points and eight rebounds, but only five of the points and two of the rebounds came in the second half.  Junior guard Curtis Lucas (Providence, RI) added 15 points.