Box Score PLYMOUTH, N.H. -- The Eastern Connecticut State University men's basketball team connected on nine of its first ten shots from the floor and Plymouth State University missed its first eight as the Warriors raced to a 19-0 lead and coasted to a 61-49 Little East Conference victory Saturday afternoon at Foley Gymnasium.
At right: Brian Salzillo
Senior guards
Brian Salzillo (North Haven) and
Mike Garrow (Terryville) combined for Eastern's (8-3, 2-0 Little East) first 12 points and 16 of 19 before junior guard Alex Burt canned a three-pointer seven minutes into the game to put Plymouth (6-5, 1-1 Little East) on the board.
Although Eastern was coming off a two-week layoff and Plymouth was playing its second game in five days, the Warriors enjoyed a hot first half with 47.1 percent shooting from the floor while the hosts were just over 20 percent.
Plymouth was held 20 points under its season average in losing its fourth straight, while the Warriors ended a two-game losing streak and improved to 5-0 this year against New England competition.
Ranked second nationally in three-point shooting, Salzillo converted his first attempt with 14 minutes left that pushed the lead to 17-0 and exended his personal streak with a three-pointer to 46.
Salzillo led all players with 20 points (hitting all four of the team's three-point field goals on seven tries), Garrow adding 14 and freshman forward Hugh Lindo (Enfield) came off the bench for eight points and eight rebounds in 25 minutes. Junior forward Brandon Yarborough (Stamford) was 4-of-6 from the floor and chipped in eight points and seven rebounds. Garrow was perfect on six free throws and is now shooting 87.0 percent (60-of-69) from the stripe.
Senior guard Petey Skevas led Plymouth with 16 points and added four rebounds, three assists and two steals, but the other four starters managed a total of only 18 points (8-of-23 from the floor).
In his first career start, Eastern freshman forward
Brandon Kuczenski (Naugatuck) had two rebounds and an assist in 18 minutes.
Eastern visits 2013 NCAA Division III national champion Amherst College Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Amherst is ranked No. 6 nationally this year.
