Box Score WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – The Eastern Connecticut State University men's basketball team outscored Western Connecticut State University 14-2 over three minutes late in the game and pulled away for its 27th straight Little East Conference regular-season victory, 82-68, Thursday evening at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.
Leading by three with just over five minutes left, No. 22-ranked Eastern (16-3, 8-0 LEC) outscored Western (12-6, 4-4 LEC) 14-2 to move out to a 15-point, 77-62 lead with 2:19 left.
Western's bench outscored Eastern, 37-6 but the Warriors shot 57.7 percent from the floor in a 48-point second half that gave the Warriors their seventh straight win over the Colonials in this series.
Sophomore Hugh Lindo (Enfield) and freshman Tarchee Brown (Rockville) combined for 29 of Eastern's 34 first-half points. The Warriors were in the two-shot bonus nine minutes into the second half, outscoring Western 24-9 from the stripe in the game.
Brown led all players with 24 points – two shy of his season-high – as all five Eastern starters reached double figures. Lindo had 16 points and a game-high 14 rebounds and junior guard Trachone Preston (Enfield) chipped in 15 points, five assists and four rebounds. Lindo and Brown combined to sink 12 of 22 field goals, Brown connecting on ten of 12 free throws. Brown also had seven rebounds and four assists.
Sophomore guard Kendall Marquez led Western with 18 points off the bench. He was 4-for-8 from three-point range. Sophomore forward Tre'Von Perry added 11 points and eight rebounds for the Colonials.
Eastern visits Plymouth State University Saturday at 3 p.m.
