Box Score Related Story (Norwich Bulletin)
WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Sophomore forward Hugh Lindo (Enfield) had a career-high18 points and a game-high 16 rebounds and the Eastern Connecticut State University men's basketball team sank a season-high 24 free throws in an 83-59 Little East Conference victory over two-time defending champion Rhode Island College Saturday afternoon at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.
The win is the 26th straight LEC regular-season victory for Eastern (15-3, 7-0 LEC), which completes the regular-season sweep of Rhode Island (13-4, 5-2 LEC) for the second straight season. The Warriors' fifth straight win ends Rhode Island's seven-game winning streak and strengthens their hold on first place. RIC drops into a two-way tie for second with UMass Dartmouth, which edged visiting Plymouth State University, 88-87 in overtime Saturday. Keene State College (4-2) will play at UMass Boston Sundaty at 3 p.m. in a game postponed due to snow.
Freshman guard Tarchee Brown (Rockville), who was held scoreless in 26 minutes of Eastern's earlier regular-season victory over Rhode Island, led all players with 21 points, with junior guard Kevin Leumene (Stamford) adding 12 points and freshman guard Collin Jordan (Cheshire) coming off the bench for season-highs of 11 points and four steals and also added three assists in 17 minutes.
Lindo had 16 of his points and half of his rebounds in the second half, when the Warriors shot 52.2 percent from the floor and nailed 16 of 19 free throws. The Warriors were 24-for-28 from the stripe in the game and commited only nine turnovers.
Rhode Island, which never led again after sinking its first field goal three minutes into action, allowed the Warriors to tear off a 16-1 scoring run over three minutes midway through the second half which turned a 13-point margin into a 28-point, 72-44, blowout with eight minutes left. Jordan ignited the blitz with a three-pointer and junior guard Michael-Thomas Sciro (Westerly, RI) capped it with a three-pointer. Lindo, who was 10-for-10 from the stripe, punctuated the streak with a resounding rebound dunk of senior forward Brandon Yarborough's (Stamford) inside miss.
Rhode Island senior center Victor Smith (Providence, RI) kept the Anchormen close in the first half by converting six of his eight field goals and tossing in 12 of his team-high 14 points as the visitors trailed by only seven at the break. Senior forward Chris Burton (New Rochelle, NY), the MVP when RIC downed Eastern, 70-61, in the LEC tournament final a year ago at Geissler Gym, led his team with eight rebounds in the game.
Rhode Island entered play as the LEC's top-rated defensive team, but surrendered 25 points more than its season average against the conference's top field-goal shooting team.
Eastern begins second-half conference play Tuesday when it hosts Western Connecticut State University at 7:30 p.m.
