AMHERST, Mass. – The Amherst College men's basketball team shot 57.1 percent from the floor and commited only five turnovers as the defending NCAA Division III national champions posted a 94-81 non-conference victory over Eastern Connecticut State University Tuesday night at LeFrak Gymnasiuim.

At right: Mike Garrow drives inside in the second half of Tuesday's loss at Amherst.

Ranked No. 8 nationally, Amherst (8-2) outscored Eastern 13-4 over the final seven minutes of the first half to take a nine-point, 40-31 halftime lead, and the Warriors were never able to get closer than seven points in the second half.

At left: Six-foot-5 inch freshman Brandon Kuczenski of Eastern out-muscles 6-foot-8 Amherst freshman David George in the second half Tuesday night.

Eastern (8-4) trimmed a 16-point deficit to nine, 75-66, when sophomore guard Trachone Preston (Enfield) put back his own miss with five minutes left, but the Jeffs answered with a brief run of seven straight points – on a long three-pointer from Tom Killian and a driving basket and conventional three-point play by Aaron Toomey – that pushed the Amherst lead to 17, 83-66, with 3:20 left.

In the first meeting between the programs in 30 years, Eastern outrebounded Amherst by 12 in the first half but the hosts did not commit a turnover over the first 20  minutes and converted 51.9 percent of their shots from the floor in handing the Warriors their first loss on their opponent's court this year. In the game, Amherst shot 57.1 percent – 62.1 percent in the second half – and nailed 22 of 25 free throws.

Connor Green led five Amherst double-digit scorers with 21 points and shared team rebounding honors with eight as the Jeffs scored the most points against Eastern this year, and equalled opposing highs in three-pointers (8), least turnovers and most free throws.

Eastern senior guard Brian Salzillo (North Haven) and senior forward Mike Garrow (Terryville) each had 20 points, with Preston finishing with 17 points (15 in the second half). Freshman forward Hugh Lindo (Enfield) led all players with ten rebounds to spark the 
Warriors to a +9 advantage in that category and a remarkable 24-8 advantage on the offensive glass.  Garrow moved within 12 points of 1,000 in his career and Salzillo extended his streak of games with at least one three-pointer to 47 by sinking one with 6:51 left in the first half and adding  two in succession in the final three minutes of the game.

Eastern hosts Massachusetts Boston Saturday at 3 p.m. in a Little East Conference game.